Woody Allen famously said, "Eighty percent of success is showing up."

For school districts across the state of Michigan, this Wednesday proves the wisdom of that statement.

October 3, 2012 is Count Day. According to the Michigan Department of Education's guidelines, "Count Day is when all...

A couple of years ago, I was working on the renovation of a historic high school in the District of Columbia. The school had been built in 1923 as a part of a new community designed and constructed by African Americans for African Americans.

As a part of the...

A couple of weeks ago I was in San Francisco for a national education conference. One morning I boarded the bus from the hotel to the conference center and sat next to a very well dressed man wearing a "Children First" lapel pin -- and it got me thinking.

The...

In a season already crowded with anniversaries (BP, health care reform, the earthquake in China) this one came and went without much fan fare.

On April 16, 2007 an individual walked into a classroom building and killed 5 teachers and 27 students at Virginia Tech. As a "Hokie" myself...

In recent days I have been struck by stories involving two districts that are closing schools.

Providence, R.I. and Detroit, Mich. are planning to close a total of 48 schools over the next few weeks. While there are ten times more schools on the closure list in Detroit (44)...

My recent post about how a city's values can be reflected in an impressive new school building prompted some interesting comments. One in particular grabbed my attention.

A reader wrote,

"The premise that nice buildings make kids learn better is irresponsible and one of the...

This past week I had the opportunity to visit with some students at the campus of my alma mater, Virginia Tech. (how 'bout them Hokies beating Duke??!!?) The students were from the colleges of Architecture and Building Construction. They are investigating an alternative to...

Last weekend I was in Colorado looking at schools (actually I was in Colorado skiing), but as we drove into Crested Butte it was impossible not to notice that they are putting the finishing touches on their new community school.

The building is beautifully designed, appearing as...

If you believe the recent prognostication from Punxsutawney Phil, we will soon be saying goodbye to winter. (Although those of us who lived through last year's "Snowpocalypse" in the Washington, D.C. area are going to need more than a groundhog's word to believe that).

But there's...

It may sound a little bit odd, but I hear buildings talk.

This is not my version of the "Sixth Sense" and I am not talking about all buildings...just some buildings. Actually, I hear a very specific type of building talk; school buildings.

I can walk into an empty school...

Let's have a quick show of hands -- how many of you have kept your New Year's resolutions?

If you're like most people, your response is probably a sheepish admission that your resolve and determination turned out to be as fleeting as a New Year's kiss.

According to research...

In April of 2007, I was at a national school conference in San Francisco. Coming out of the general session, I was surprised to see the name of my alma mater scrolling on a news marquee. March Madness was long over and football season had months to go before they...

In April 2007, I was at a national school conference in San Francisco. Coming out of the general session I was surprised to see the name of my alma mater scrolling on a news marquee. March Madness was long over and football season had months to go before they were...

In 1902 Booker T. Washington was at the dedication of a school in the District of Columbia. The school, the Armstrong Manual Training Academy, had been founded on the academic principals of Mr. Washington's vocational and academic training schools such as the Hampton Institute and eventually the Tuskegee...

"Buildings should be good neighbors"--Paul Thiry

As the art and science of architecture have evolved over the years, one of the most important changes has been the understanding that buildings are more than bricks and mortar. At its best, architecture adds vibrancy and life to the community. Buildings...

Three weeks ago NBC unveiled their latest reality TV show, School Pride. Billed as a group of community organizers traveling to neighborhood schools in need, the show has chronicled their work at three schools so far. In my October 8 posting I wrote of my excitement...

This week, the Detroit Public Schools Construction Project held a groundbreaking for a new high school. The new Finney Crockett High School is a modern facility, scheduled to open in the summer of 2012, that will consolidate two academic programs in new, state-of-the-art facilities, allowing for...

Have you heard it lately?

It seems to be all around us.

Arnold Schwarzenegger did it last week, right after he offered to "Pump (us) up!"

David Guggenheim did it in his new documentary Waiting for 'Superman'.

Everyone seems to be doing it.

If you are...

When is a building not a building?

When it's a school.

How many times have you walked through your child's school and noticed the quality of light? How about the quality of air or sound in the classroom? Is a school just another type of warehouse boarding our children for...