Commit to Lead Boston Teacher Leadership Summit

Inspired by Roland Barth and other authors who argue that the answers to school improvement lie within their own walls, I decided to highlight the expertise and leadership in our school by interviewing experienced master teachers and publishing those interviews in the bi-weekly staff professional development newsletter. These teachers were asked about what inspired them to become educators; their training and experience; ...more »

As current Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellows, we are passionate about issues of equity for low income students and students of color. Specifically, we are committed to ensuring that all students across the Commonwealth have equitable access to effective teachers. An opportunity to ignite change is fast approaching. Based on research and our combined experiences, we are formulating recommendations for the MA State Equity ...more »

On any given day, teaching 8th grade mathematics can be about teaching the pythagorean theorem to teaching how to multiply fractions. My students are at different levels in their learning and it is challenging to reach each and everyone of my them to meet to their needs. I have found that students using online video or math program platforms sometimes become frustrated when the video lessons are a too complex or for their ...more »

One Dorchester is a school-based effort between teachers in three schools – Boston Collegiate Charter School, Cristo Rey Boston High School, and the Jeremiah Burke High School – who learn from each other in the quest to improve student outcomes. The project's mission is to create sustainable communities of practice among teachers across the three partner schools, where the professional learning is teacher-driven and teacher-led, ...more »

My Teacher Leadership Idea is to create Core Action Leadership opportunities for teachers. The Core Actions have many layers and I want teachers to become experts on one or more Core Action. For example, Core Action 3 in English Language Arts focuses on complex texts. An English Language Arts teacher can become an expert on that Core Action and lead professional development trainings around that Core Action. Teachers ...more »

My Teacher Leadership Idea is to create Core Action Leadership opportunities for teachers. The Core Actions have many layers and I want teachers to become experts on one or more Core Action. For example, Core Action 3 in English Language Arts focuses on complex texts. An English Language Arts teacher can become an expert on that Core Action and lead professional development trainings around that Core Action. Teachers ...more »

Our goal for each child should be to leave school equipped to lead a successful and productive life in a global society. This encompasses not only basic academics, but includes foreign languages, social skills, creativity, the arts and appreciation for the multitude of talents with which an individual is gifted. High test scores are not indicators of success in society.

President Obama has called for American schools to prepare our students for the demands of the global economy. “Now more than ever, the American economy needs a workforce that is skilled, adaptable, creative, and equipped for success in the global marketplace.” (www.whitehouse.gov). To succeed in the global marketplace, our students have to develop global competence and the 21st century skills. The challenge now is to ...more »

This year school districts across Massachusetts are required to use student feedback. Boston Public Schools (BPS), following the recommendation from the State, will garner feedback using student surveys. The student surveys will help to inform an educator’s self-assessment, shape their goal-setting, and/or to demonstrate changes in their practice over time. This represents an opportunity for teachers to gain valuable ...more »

Nutley Public Schools has engaged in an effort to increase student success with a readers' workshop language arts focus that enables young readers to read independently while acquiring crucial and enduring understandings of key reading concepts. Research shows that student engagement must be supported with opportunities and encouragement to persevere with learning in areas of high interest to encourage production of thought, ...more »

The Western Massachusetts Writing Project, along with five other National Writing Project sites, is in the middle of a two-year initiative, funded by the federal Department of Education, to study effective ways of teaching students to write arguments citing evidence in middle and high school science classes. We are eager not only to share what we have learned so far, but to learn from others how this standard is being ...more »

It is imperative to provide educators with opportunities and forums to share their expertise and explore areas of shared interest in order to inform and improve their practice. Creating these “Affinity Groups” has the potential to minimize teacher isolation and meaningfully impact student achievement. This is already happening at some schools, like the Maurice J. Tobin School in Mission Hill, Roxbury, where teacher ...more »

My proposed idea is for the Boston Public School District to be the first in the nation to create and adopt a policy that limits the number of instructional days used for mandated testing. I propose that the development of the policy be informed by the maximum number of days students can be absent without being retained. District and State attendance policy and data systems identify and define excessive and chronic absenteeism, ...more »

President Obama has called for American schools to prepare our students for the demands of the global economy. “Now more than ever, the American economy needs a workforce that is skilled, adaptable, creative, and equipped for success in the global marketplace.” (www.whitehouse.gov). To succeed in the global marketplace, our students have to develop global competence and the 21st century skills. The challenge now is to ...more »

Our goal is for New Haven’s teachers to have more great days. We will develop teachers’ professional engagement by developing a professional practice ensuring that professional learning echoes student learning, with purposeful, supportive, and meaningful opportunities for the professionals involved. We believe that professional learning, at its heart, must share the same attributes as student learning – it must be purposeful, ...more »