Opinion
School & District Management Opinion

5 Cost-Free Ways to Make Life Better for Teachers (Downloadable)

These simple changes can have a big impact
By Diana Laufenberg & Renee Jones — April 22, 2025 1 min read
Clock on desk with school supplies on the table.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Education Week opinion blogger and veteran teacher Larry Ferlazzo tapped members of his network for ways school leaders can make life better for teachers (and their students) without spending any money.

The ideas below, first published in Ferlazzo’s Classroom Q&A opinion blog, come from educators Diana Laufenberg and Renee Jones.

Download the Guide (PDF)

See Also

Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Climb: A New Framework for Career Readiness in the Age of AI
Discover practical strategies to redefine career readiness in K–12 and move beyond credentials to develop true capability and character.
Content provided by Pearson

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management How Two Award-Winning Educators Created Schoolwide Systems for Academic Support
Boosting student achievement should be a building-wide mission, they say.
3 min read
From left: Office of Candidate Services at University of Central Arkansas Director Gary Bunn; Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva; LISA Academy North Middle-High School Principal Bilal Uygur; recipient Jaime Garcia (AR '25); LISA Academy North Middle-High School CEO/Superintendent Dr. Fatih Bogrek; and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett.
Jaime Garcia, the dean of academics at LISA Academy North Middle-High School won a $25,000 award from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, in part for the work he's done to build community and academic by having students help their classmates.
Milken Family Foundation
School & District Management Leader To Learn From How One Arizona District Turned School Cafeterias Into Scratch Kitchens
Osborn schools built a scratch-cooked, local lunch program—one careful step at a time.
10 min read
Phoenix, Ariz., January 21,2026:Cory Alexander, Child Nutrition Director at Osborn School District, meets with the middle school culinary team and Theresa Mazza (glasses, Chef/ Nutrition Ed) and Maddie Furey at the garden Cafe in Phoenix, Arizona, on Jan 21,2026. They met to go over the “Appley Ever After Tres Leches Baked French Toast with Cinnamon Thyme Apples” dish for the Feeding the Future contest.
Cory Alexander, child nutrition director for Osborn School District, meets with the middle school culinary team, chef Theresa Mazza and Maddie Furey at the Garden Cafe in Phoenix, on Jan. 21, 2026.
Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
School & District Management Q&A How a Leader Developed Farm-to-Table School Lunches Without Breaking the Bank
An Arizona school nutrition director discusses how districts can overcome logistical hurdles and negotiate prices.
5 min read
District poses for a portrait at the Garden Cafe in Phoenix, Arizona, on Jan 21, 2026.
Cory Alexander, child nutrition director for Osborn School District, poses for a portrait at the Garden Cafe in Phoenix on Jan. 21, 2026.
Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
School & District Management Leader To Learn From How This Leader Uses Gaming to Change Students’ Lives
Laurie Lehman helped her district see the power of esports to illuminate new career paths for students.
12 min read
Portrait of Laurie Lehman in the classroom at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 23, 2026.
Laurie Lehman, the esports manager for New Mexico's Albuquerque Public Schools, visits La Cueva High School on January 23, 2026.
Ramsay de Give for Education Week