Leading Through Change; Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
“We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do this. Whether we do it or not must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we have not done it so far.” This quote, by Dr. Ron Edmonds, one of education’s premiere thought leaders, has been the foundation of my core beliefs about education, schooling, and student achievement. Effective school’s research identifies leadership as one of the key components of success. Moreover, the leader sets the tone and facilitates the direction toward sustainable success. Today’s leaders and teachers find themselves embroiled in the storms of COVID-19 and the pandemic. It has frightened and confused almost everyone at the decision-making table. For some, it provides proof that the education system is not broken; it is delivering exactly what it is designed to deliver. Others believe, there are silver linings, some glaringly obvious to those who are on the front lines of this work. ...
Long-Term Facility Maintenance in K-12 Districts
With limited funding and rising costs of operations, districts can’t afford to pay for ongoing maintenance staff training for the more technical aspects of running a facility. As a result, certain key aspects of facility maintenance go unaddressed, which can lead to costly fixes. Students, parents, faculty, and community members should all feel comfortable in a well-maintained building, and administrators are faced with the increasing complexity of addressing district needs. So, how should one anticipate and prepare? Some of the main culprits in the expenses of aging buildings are: ...
SitelogIQ Receives Accreditation from NAESCO as Energy Services Provider
SitelogIQ, a national provider of energy efficiency and facility solutions, announced today that it has received the National Association of Energy Service Companies' (NAESCO) highest level of accreditation as an Energy Services Provider (ESP). This accreditation is confirmation of the quality and delivery of energy efficiency and facility solutions, as well as the implementation of renewable energy projects the company provides to its customers across the markets it serves. ...
ESG and Retail: How sustainability is shaping the way shopping center owners adapt to market changes
Coming out of the pandemic, retailers experienced massive upheaval. Consumer preferences and shopping patterns quickly shifted and are unlikely to revert back to pre-pandemic behaviors. Investor interest in retail properties remains strong, but expectations have changed. In order to thrive and remain competitive, shopping center owners must adapt to the rapidly changing market. Many shopping center owners are considering sustainability and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) initiatives as a key part of their strategy to meet changing conditions. In this article, we’ll explore the following topics to understand the retail market and how sustainability affects adaptation: ...
Benefits of Retro-Commissioning Your Buildings
As efficiency standards increase over time and older buildings have their components wear out, building systems and utilities will eventually become inefficient. Retro-commissioning can restore efficiency to improve building infrastructure and indoor environmental conditions and provide cost savings in operations. ...
Multifamily Market Activity Gaining Traction: What’s the Impact On Your Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Plans?
Despite the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, there hasn’t been a migration away from multifamily living as many thought there would be. The multifamily market remained steady and lean with activity followed by a slight dip mid-year. The multifamily market continues to be highly competitive with an uptick in major mergers and acquisitions. In this article, we’ll explore the following topics to understand this multifamily market activity: ...
The Effects of Classroom Temperature on Students’ Performance
Imagine trying to concentrate on learning when you're overheating in a classroom that's too warm or shivering in one that's too cold. Either temperature can make students and teachers uncomfortable and make it more difficult to focus on schoolwork. For many schools, the more common scenario is a classroom lacking adequate air conditioning (AC), making the beginning and end of the school year uncomfortably hot in many cases. ...
Automation in Critical Environments
Automating building systems reduces management burdens and saves energy. However, in healthcare, maintaining specific parameters for certain spaces is essential to providing optimized care. Automated control systems maintain the environmental requirements for critical rooms effortlessly, making the spaces safer and healthier for patients and clinicians. ...
Avoiding the ESSER II Landmine
What a blessing ESSER II funding is for school districts as we enter a long season of financial recovery from COVID. Although this one-time grant money can be used in a more liberal way than previous funding, there are potential dangers lurking if districts focus on temporary and reactionary "fixes" rather than long-term, visionary solutions. ...
Creating Value Through ESG and Sustainability
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies are becoming the new normal. It's leading conversations around business image, transparency, investing, and investor support. Many investors now require an ESG strategy and measure performance through ESG goals. As the idea gains popularity, implementing an ESG strategy for your business is crucial to stay competitive. So what is ESG, and why is it important? We've created this guide to help you learn more. ...