As a growing network of advocates recognizes the immense value of incorporating educators in the policymaking process, the landscape of opportunities for educators to share their perspectives is expanding and diversifying. In a new Policy Innovators in Education (PIE) Network report, advocates working across 29 states provided details on the educator voice opportunities they’ve built, Read more about 5 Tips for Engaging Educators in Advocacy[…]
Imagine this: A community comes together to set a vision for its public schools. In local libraries, neighborhood associations, school cafeterias, and places of worship, families sit down together and share their hopes and dreams for their children. They think about what schools need to do to better equip students for college, career, entrepreneurship, and Read more about Walking Together: A Practical Guide for Strengthening Partnerships Between Schools, Families, and Communities[…]
Networked improvement communities (NICs) are gaining importance as a structure for identifying and solving complex educational problems. Tackling these problems requires taking specific steps to make sure the NIC is built to last. In the Carnegie Commons blog, Sarah McKay summarizes an article, “A Framework for the Initiation of Networked Improvement Communities” published in the Read more about The Five Essential Building Blocks of a Networked Improvement Community[…]
The Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice recognizes 100 inspiring public school teachers each year, and celebrates four winners who are making a profound difference for their students and schools. Winners participate in a thought-provoking summer residency with their peers, reflecting and writing about the issues facing their profession—and how they’re tackling them in their Read more about Essays from TNTP’s 2016 Fishman Prize Winners[…]
In Real Clear Education, Kristin Cubbage reflects on what it means to be a Multi-Classroom Leader, a role her school has adopted in conjunction with Public Impact. She writes: When I became a multi-classroom leader in 2013, the position was new to our school, district and state—new to the nation, in fact. I have vivid Read more about The Role of a Multi-Classroom Leader[…]
Policymakers and practitioners who face a deluge of important decisions affecting thousands of schools can find advice from some of the top education thinkers in the country in JFF’s new brief, Advancing Deeper Learning Under ESSA: Seven Priorities. The piece recommends ways that supporters of deeper learning can make the most of the rapidly changing Read more about Advancing Deeper Learning Under ESSA[…]
Effective teacher teams can produce a variety of positive outcomes, from increased student achievement, to improved school climate, to high levels of teacher resilience and retention. But cultivating effective teacher collaboration is more complex than simply assigning a common planning period to a group of teachers. In this month’s issue brief, we explore best practices Read more about April Issue Brief: Teacher Collaboration[…]
Recently guest author on the Shanker Institute blog, Andy Hargreaves, reflected on research-proven methods for promoting professional collaboration among teachers. An excerpt appears below: When teachers collaborate rather than work entirely alone, they show greater confidence and competence in teaching and stronger commitment to their profession. This is because they have access to their colleagues’ Read more about Teachers and Professional Collaboration[…]
We first blogged about Networked Improvement Communities (NICs) here: https://www.coreeducationllc.com/blog2/using-the-wisdom-of-educators/ But what exactly is an NIC, and how does it differ from a Professional Learning Community, Action Research group, or Community of Practice? The Carnegie Foundation offers a helpful guide: Networked improvement communities (NICs) are scientific learning communities distinguished by four essential characteristics: FOCUSED ON Read more about What is a Networked Improvement Community?[…]
The Alliance for Excellent Education and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation are offering a first-of-its-kind online course for school district leaders. Last month, the Alliance for Excellent Education and Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University opened enrollment for a first-of-its-kind Massive Online Open Course for Educators (MOOC-Ed). Titled “Digital Learning Read more about MOOC for Educators: “Digital Learning Transition”[…]
In a recent article in the Shanker Blog, Esther Quintero discusses how teachers are coping with the increased uncertainty in the education world that is a result of the lack of “coherent education infrastructure” in the U.S. In response to this uncertainty, teachers are becoming more reliant on collaboration and close-knit social networks from which Read more about Staff Matters: Social Resilience in Schools[…]