Blog

August 8, 2016 You’re the Expert: School Quality and Success

Gone are the days of relying exclusively on standardized assessments to measure school quality and student success. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers schools and districts new flexibility in thinking about how they measure schools. In our latest edition of “Teacher Voices: You’re the Expert”...

August 1, 2016 A Letter in Support of Draft Regulations for Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act

Dear Secretary King, On behalf of teacher advocacy organizations across the nation, we are pleased to respond to the request for comments regarding the draft regulations for implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). We want to start by expressing our appreciation for the prioritization...

July 28, 2016 A Path of Progress: When Teachers Collaborate, Students Succeed

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards by a majority of states marked a historic increase in learning expectations for students and a shift in the way we measure their progress. Unfortunately, despite the exceptional work states have done to build on and support...

July 27, 2016 The Secret to Engaging Students

Have you ever been in school or attended a training class at work and asked yourself, “When will I ever use this information?” I have to admit that when I was a student, I thought it to myself. As a teacher, I promised my students...

July 26, 2016 Add “Get Inspired” To Your Summer To-Do List

Sarah Parrott, some rights reserved. As you begin to shift your focus back to school and your classroom, I’m sure your to-do list is becoming as long (and overwhelming) as mine was as a teacher. No matter how lengthy that list might be, I encourage you...

July 11, 2016 Not If We Don’t Change the Way We Teach

The recess whistle has just blown. I sit at my desk, shoveling in the last few bites of my lunch. As students enter the classroom, I smile and give them quick directions. They begin to settle in, and I grab the next math worksheet on...

July 10, 2016 You’re the Expert: Professional Learning

The Every Student Succeeds Act defines professional development as "sustained, (not stand-alone, 1-day, and short-term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, [and] classroom focused.” What is your vision for professional development under the new law? In our latest edition of “Teacher Voices: You’re the Expert” we asked...