Welcome to fall in New England–a time for pumpkin-spice lattes and a renewed focus on learning for the kids in our lives. So let’s talk for a minute about that (learning, that is, not the PSL–ugh, sorry, not a fan).

I’m a veteran (maybe ‘relic’ is more appropriate?) of the greater Boston tech scene, and I enjoy being part of this creative community. I credit this powerhouse economic sector with giving me opportunities to build my skills and good fortune, both financially and otherwise. Having hired hundreds of people in various roles over the years, I’m also proud of what we contribute to the economy of this state, and the chances we provide for people to grow and prosper.

The UP Academy network of Dorchester schools held its first-ever fundraising gala, Shine Dorchester, on Thurs., May 2, at the Southline Boston building on Morrissey Boulevard.

UP Academy is an in-district Boston Public Schools (BPS) charter school network that now operates two schools in Dorchester and one in South Boston, UP Academy Boston. That facility is slated to close next year, leaving a merged two-school network – UP Academy Dorchester (the former Marshall School) and UP Academy Holland – in Dorchester.

Schools have always taken on responsibilities that go beyond teaching history, English, or math. They are an important part of the communities they serve and an integral part of the lives of the students they teach. That‘s part of why schools have historically taught kids everyday life skills alongside important academic skills.

One set of life skills that are especially important right now involves something called social and emotional learning.

While it isn‘t a new idea, social and emotional learning is something that will be more useful than ever as kids return to classrooms after COVD-19 and during this stage of the global pandemic.

This is the second in a series of four essays that reflect on a Knowledge Matters Campaign tour of school districts across Massachusetts. Part of a larger set of stories detailing the journey of educators across the country that have embraced a new vision of teaching and learning through implementation of high-quality instructional materials, this piece highlights UP Academy Holland, which shifted from balanced literacy to a high-quality, knowledge-building English language arts curriculum built to support the science of reading. Part of the Boston Public Schools, UAH is located in the Bowdoin-Geneva community.

Michael Bower is the COO of UP Education Network, a school turnaround organization whose mission is to rapidly transform chronically underperforming district schools into extraordinary schools that sustain high achievement over time.

Since the shift to remote and hybrid learning, many parents have found themselves playing the role of tech support — a job they aren’t always prepared for. At the same time, school help desk teams are already stretched thin trying to support student and teacher IT needs during distance learning.

Some 64 percent of K–12 parents surveyed said they received little or no tech support last year, PC Magazine reports. Nearly 67 percent said they needed more guidance in order to support student learning. Recognizing this, IT teams around the nation have leveraged a range of creative approaches to expand remote learning resources and instructional support.