The Practitioner's Pulse
Insights Built
for Program
Leaders
Research, strategy, and practical guidance from practitioners who have done the work. Published monthly by GSW Education Partners.
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About the Newsletter
The K-12 Education Newsletter Written by Program Leaders, for Program Leaders
The Practitioner's Pulse is a free monthly K-12 education newsletter from GSW Education Partners covering 21st CCLC funding updates, chronic absenteeism data, OST program quality research, after-school staffing strategies, and education policy changes that affect program directors on the ground. Every edition is written by practitioners with 40 years of combined K-12 program leadership, not policy observers or researchers watching from a distance.
We cover what the research says, what it means for your budget and your team, and what to actually do about it. Each edition includes Afterschool Alliance and NCES data citations so you can trust and share the numbers with your board.
"The Practitioner's Pulse is the only K-12 newsletter I actually read cover to cover. It gives me the data I need to make the case to my district for sustained after-school funding." K-12 Program Director, Texas
Latest Edition
Fresh Off the Press
The most recent issue of The Practitioner's Pulse, with the research and analysis that matters right now.
Summer Learning Loss, 21st CCLC Appropriations Update, and the GSW Summer Giveaway
- Students lose 2-3 months of math skills per summer: the data on learning loss, what high-quality programs do differently, and the five quality drivers that predict academic gains
- 21st CCLC survived the June House appropriations markup: what it means for your FY2027 planning and state grant applications opening this fall
- Fall planning starts in June, not August: the five-step checklist for staffing, licensing, curriculum, and school-day partnerships before July 31
- The GSW Summer Giveaway: win a complete Signature Transformation valued at $5,799. Free to enter. Winner announced August 4, 2026
Archive
Previous Editions
Every issue from The Practitioner's Pulse, designed for reference long after publication.
1.4 million children at risk as the FY2027 budget threatens 21st CCLC funding. ESSER cliff impacts, staffing cost benchmarks, and the free FY2027 Budget Planner tool to help programs plan now.
55,000 unfilled K-12 positions nationally. Budget pressure compressing hiring windows. AI in classrooms and what actually works. Plus the launch of the GSW Career Board.
Congress preserves 21st CCLC at $1.329B. Plus the chronic absenteeism connection afterschool programs should be making with school-day partners and the free summer staffing guide.
28% of students are chronically absent. 44% of teachers feel burned out. And your students will lose 2-3 months of math skills this summer. See our services for the tools to act now.
The three of us have spent 40+ years inside K-12 programs. Not advising from the outside. Running them. This is why GSW Education Partners exists.
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Practitioner Toolkit
Free Resources
Professional-grade tools and guides built from 40+ years of combined K-12 experience. No cost, no catch.
Strategic tools designed for real programs
We believe program leaders deserve access to the same quality of diagnostic and planning tools that large consulting firms charge thousands for. Our free resource library puts research-backed, field-tested instruments directly in your hands.
- Summer Program Readiness Assessment
- Summer Camp Staffing Guide (PDF)
- GSW Education & EdTech Career Board
- FY2027 K-12 Program Budget Planner
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