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Friday, October 11, 2013

Morning Wink 10-11-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

TODAY

California accuses owner of Everest College and Heald College of 'predatory' ads | OregonLive.com
California accuses owner of Everest College and Heald College of 'predatory' ads | OregonLive.com: California accuses owner of Everest College and Heald College of 'predatory' adsCalifornia Atorney General Kamala Harris gestures while standing by a display showing the target demographic of Corinthian Colleges during a news conference. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) SAN FRANCISCO — California's attorney g
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Taking back Chicago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Taking back Chicago: Taking back ChicagoI'm looking forward to next Tuesday, October 15th when a coalition of union and community groups will come together to "Take Back Chicago." Several thousand people are expected to take part in this community meeting at the UIC Forum. Things will start with a 5 p.m. march and rally and continue on with a forum.With loc
Teachers, Parents Rally at Eight Schools For Full Funding | WeArePCAPS
Teachers, Parents Rally at Eight Schools For Full Funding | WeArePCAPS: Teachers, Parents Rally at Eight Schools For Full FundingPosted on October 11, 2013by wearepcapsWillard Students: “I am a Reason to fund our schools”Parent speaks out at WillardAt Sayre High School“We can make a difference”On the march at KellyAt John B. Kelly in GermantownRain can ‘t stop Girard staffAt Stephen Girard in Sout
5 tips for building trust as a supervisor | Ronswithscissors's Blog
5 tips for building trust as a supervisor | Ronswithscissors's Blog: 5 ways to build trust as a supervisorOctober 11, 2013By Ron ShermanOne of the very robust conversations we’ve been having in our district has to do with the principal’s role as a supervisor of instruction, and the part this plays in framing relationships in our building. (View original post here)In British Columbia, we are lucky
PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. Girl | Crooks and Liars
PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. Girl | Crooks and Liars: PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. GirlBy karoliAsthma doesn't have to be fatal. It can be fatal, but it doesn't need to be. One of the reasons school nurses are so important is because they are trained to understand the effects of an acute asthma attack. This is a tragedy that didn't ne
Teach Plus :: Opportunities for Teachers, Results for Urban Students
Teach Plus :: Opportunities for Teachers, Results for Urban Students: Teach Plus and the National Education Association select 53 top teachers for new national fellowshipTeachers from across the country will advise the NEA on strategies for engaging early career teachers and advancing the professionBOSTON – The nation’s largest teachers’ union is partnering with Teach Plus to launch a selective fe
Gonzalez: Parents, educators fed up with special treatment of charter schools - NY Daily News
Gonzalez: Parents, educators fed up with special treatment of charter schools - NY Daily News: Gonzalez: Parents, educators fed up with special treatment of charter schoolsThe endless number of co-locations has exceeded the capacity of public school buildings and straining quality of life for city students. Some feel it will only end if Bill de Blasio becomes mayor.Comments (11)NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
10-11-13 Wait What?
Wait What?:   Steve Perry: “No Excuses” – Except for himself…In response to yesterday’s Wait, What? post about his latest twitter diatribe and the fact that his claims about Capital Prep’s success don’t match up the actual facts, Dr. Steve Perry, the self-proclaimed “Most Trusted Educator” in America, returned to tweeter to complain that, “One [critic] spent his morning counting my tweets not real
New standardized tests boast less risk of cheating - by students and teachers | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
New standardized tests boast less risk of cheating - by students and teachers | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: New standardized tests boast less risk of cheating - by students and teachersAdolfo Guzman-Lopez | October 11th, 2013, 6:00amknittymarie/Flickr (cc by-nc-nd)Students taking a test.Despite a long list of rules and security measures, every year California officials investigate dozens of complaint
Governor Brown, DPH on Verge of Side-Stepping Law and Jeopardizing Health of CA Children | California Progress Report
Governor Brown, DPH on Verge of Side-Stepping Law and Jeopardizing Health of CA Children | California Progress Report: Governor Brown, DPH on Verge of Side-Stepping Law and Jeopardizing Health of CA ChildrenPosted on 11 October 2013By Bruce PomerHealth Officers Association of CaliforniaVaccines are one of the greatest and most successful tools ever developed for preventing disease and protecting p
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Gary Rubinstein Analyzes Rhee’s Teacher Town Hall MeetingFew of us attended one of Michelle Rhee’s “teacher town hall” meetings in Los Angeles, Birmingham, and Philadelphia. Fortunately, the meeting in Los Angeles was videotaped and released. Gary Rubinstein, ex-TFA and current math teacher at Stuyvesant High School, watched the vi
10-11-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: A Collection Of Good Earthquake VideosOur ninth-grade English classes are studying a unit on Natural Disasters, and this week we’ve been focusing on earthquakes. Here are new videos I’m adding to The Best Sites For Learning About Earthquakes (some may be viewable in an RSS Readers, others not): Deadliest Earthquakes is a vi
10-11-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Eva Moskowitz - A Cancer In The School SystemEva Moskowitz's charter schools - uncontrolled cancerous growth: Like many public school parents and veteran educators, Lynn Manuell is fed up with the special treatment granted charter schools during the Bloomberg era. She’s tired of the endless co-locations of charters in regular public schools decreed by the bureaucrats at Twee
Competing Traditions of Teaching: An Old Story Written Anew | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Competing Traditions of Teaching: An Old Story Written Anew | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Competing Traditions of Teaching: An Old Story Written AnewEverything has been said before but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and begin all over again. Andre GideYes, I know that starting a post with the Gide quote makes me sound arrogant. Not my intention. I begin wi
Not a Game
The refusal of a group of Tea Party Republicans to compromise forced a government shutdown that put hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work, forced children out of Head Start classes, and is harming ordinary families every day. Now, the same Tea Party faction is threatening a national default on America's bills, which could cause widespread economic disaster.Speaker Boehner has the power to

YESTERDAY

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 10-10-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
Nite Cap UPDATEUPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATECORPORATE ED REFORMSocially scared parents? No problem!One of the first things I hear from educators as a reason why they shouldn’t jump into the social media stream is because they don’t have families/staff on Twitter. Social media can be very dividing. Justin Tarte and I were just discussing how there is still such a  mentality of “block it & lock” i
iFiasco in LA's Schools: Why Technology Alone Is Never the Answer | DMLcentral
iFiasco in LA's Schools: Why Technology Alone Is Never the Answer | DMLcentral: iFiasco in LA's Schools: Why Technology Alone Is Never the AnswerBy THOMAS M. PHILIP AND ANTERO GARCIA October 10, 2013 - 3:00pmTags Digital Media & Learning, Education, EquityThe opening sentence to a recent Los Angeles Times article says it all: It took exactly one week for nearly 300 students at Roosevelt High S
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Schools are broke but Rahm rolling in election campaign dough
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Schools are broke but Rahm rolling in election campaign dough: Schools are broke but Rahm rolling in election campaign doughWhile he was busy closing public schools, shuttering public health clinics, and reaming the teachers pension fun, Rahm still found time to raise another $1.1 million last month for his election war chest. He hopes to be able to exceed the $
Nite Cap 10-10-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPTODAYHer name is Laporshia Massey and our hearts are breaking | Parents United for Public EducationHer name is Laporshia Massey and our hearts are breaking | Parents United for Public Education: Her name is Laporshia Massey and our hearts are bre
Her name is Laporshia Massey and our hearts are breaking | Parents United for Public Education
Her name is Laporshia Massey and our hearts are breaking | Parents United for Public Education: Her name is Laporshia Massey and our hearts are breakingPosted on October 10, 2013 by PARENTSUNITEDPHILALeave a comment(Photo: City Paper via family of LaPorshia Massey)Our hearts are breaking over the death of beautiful 12 year old Bryant Elementary student Laporshia Massey, who died following an asth
LAUSD to encourage teachers to wear LGBT 'ally' badges - latimes.com
LAUSD to encourage teachers to wear LGBT 'ally' badges - latimes.com: LAUSD to encourage teachers to wear LGBT 'ally' badgesThe front, left, of badges being distributed by the LAUSD has the word "ally" in seven languages. On the front is a list of resources on the back. Teachers and staff members are being encouraged to wear them.(L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center) By Ari BloomekatzOctober 1
Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Reclaiming the Promise of Public EducationBy American Federation of Teachers on October 10, 2013By Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers (AFT)As the school year starts, I keep thinking about how teachers never really get a break. Despite the myth about “summers off,” I was with
Tele-Town Hall with Diane Ravitch: Wednesday, Oct. 16th at 8:00 pm EDT | Reclaim Reform
Tele-Town Hall with Diane Ravitch: Wednesday, Oct. 16th at 8:00 pm EDT | Reclaim Reform: Tele-Town Hall with Diane Ravitch: Wednesday, Oct. 16th at 8:00 pm EDTPosted on October 10, 2013by Ken PrevitiTele-Town Hall with Diane Ravitch: Wednesday, Oct. 16th at 8:00 pm EDTIn September a group of about a hundred bloggers was invited to a tele-conference conversation with Diane Ravitch. Earlier, we had
NYC Educator: UFT Moratorium--Too Little Too Late
NYC Educator: UFT Moratorium--Too Little Too Late: UFT Moratorium--Too Little Too LateIt's fairly amazing to see Gotham Schools write that "the teachers union is already hoping to slow things down."  While it's true this is the first year junk science evaluation is officially in place, the fact is UFT officials were party to the law that mandated them. UFT supported it then, supported it
Social Darwinism Resurrected for the New Gilded Age - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Social Darwinism Resurrected for the New Gilded Age - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Social Darwinism Resurrected for the New Gilded AgeBy Anthony Cody on October 10, 2013 2:20 PMOver at the Bridging Differences blog, a fascinating dialogue is occurring, where Michael Petrilli has been laying out the philosophical arguments for a two tier educational system. I appreciate Mr. Petrilli
Why the Sacramento Bee Did Not Mention My Visit | Diane Ravitch's blog
Why the Sacramento Bee Did Not Mention My Visit | Diane Ravitch's blog: Why the Sacramento Bee Did Not Mention My Visit When I spoke in Sacramento last week about today’s failed fads in education, the town’s leading newspaper ignored my appearance. They ignored it even though I was introduced by Tom Torlakson, the state superintendent of education, and even though 1,000 people filled historic Memo
This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education: Jose Vilson, Karen Lewis: 9781608463701: Amazon.com: Books
This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education: Jose Vilson, Karen Lewis: 9781608463701: Amazon.com: Books: This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and EducationPaperback – May 6, 2014by Jose Vilson (Author) , Karen Lewis (Foreword)Paperback $11.94 1 New from $11.94José Vilson writes about race, class, and education through stories from the classroom and researched e
The Whole Child Blog 10-10-13 — Whole Child Education
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGEarly Childhood Education: Balancing Expectations and What Young Learners Really NeedOctober 10, 2013 by Whole Child PodcastDownload Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]What does "education" mean for our youngest learners? The first years of school are as important for an educated population as any other period, perhaps more.
Now that Texas has a waiver from No Child, what will Michael Williams and team do about evaluating teachers and principals? | Dallas Morning News
Now that Texas has a waiver from No Child, what will Michael Williams and team do about evaluating teachers and principals? | Dallas Morning News: Now that Texas has a waiver from No Child, what will Michael Williams and team do about evaluating teachers and principals?By Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnistwmckenzie@dallasnews.com12:26 pm on October 10, 2013 | Permalink120Texas Education Agency Co
He says his daughter might be alive if not for school-nurse cuts :: News :: Philadelphia City Paper
He says his daughter might be alive if not for school-nurse cuts :: News :: Philadelphia City Paper: He says his daughter might be alive if not for school-nurse cutsBy Daniel Denvir Published: 10/10/2013 | 3 Comments PostedProvided by Daniel BurchSTUDENT DEATH: Laporshia Massey, 12, a student at Bryant Elementary School, became ill at school and died later that day.Sixth-grader Laporshia Massey di
4-H National Youth Science Day to Feature the Power of Geospatial Technologies
4-H National Youth Science Day to Feature the Power of Geospatial Technologies 4-H National Youth Science Day to Feature the Power of Geospatial Technologies4-H leads the way in generating youth excitement in scienceChevy Chase, Md. (Oct. 8, 2013) – Tomorrow, millions of young people across the nation will become geospatial scientists for the day during the sixth annual 4-H National Youth Science
10-10-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: I Am Malala - A Study in CourageMalala Yousafzai - the youngest person in the world to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize - was on The Daily Show on Tuesday night. A year ago, she was shot in the head as she rode a schoolbus by a Taliban gunman near her home in Pakistan's Swat Valley.  She almost died and it's a miracle that she survived.  The Taliban has vowed t
10-10-13 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Calling Wendy Kopp!With the government shutdown, a great opportunity exists for those entrepreneurs who see education as fertile ground for their innovative innovations.Wendy Kopp, here is an idea for you—free of charge:Govern for AmericaCall on bright young college grads with no expertise or experience in government to commit to 2-year (House) or 6-year (Senate) stints in the U.S.
Feds give seed money to help get older students off SSI rolls SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Feds give seed money to help get older students off SSI rollsBy Kimberly BeltranThursday, October 10, 2013California won $50 million grant from a federal program aimed at developing creative new strategies for reducing the number of families and young adults receiving Supplemental Security Income.The Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental
A PURE plan for Chicago schools
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » A PURE plan for Chicago schools: A PURE plan for Chicago schoolshe Chicago Tribune, the noted corporate reform cheerleader, has requested the public’s input into various phases of a proposed master plan for Chicago. This week they are looking at the schools.Although the paper has been reluctant to share other pieces of wisdom from PURE and
Alberta Darling Proposal Could Evict 3500 Public School Students to repalce with Private Schools | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
Alberta Darling Proposal Could Evict 3500 Public School Students to repalce with Private Schools | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Senate proposal could evict 3,500+ MPS students from their schools, including some of the most successful in the cityPublished: October 9, 2013 MPSProposal to strip local control over school facilities comes as MPS sees first enrollment increase in a decade
Cali Education Headlines Thursday, October 10, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education HeadlinesThursday, October 10, 2013Somis school board decides to build new school instead of renovatingVoting unanimously, the Somis Union School District board agreed to move forward with plans to buy property to build a school. The decision means leaving the 90-year-old Somis School on North Street, which sits on four pipelines.Si
Kindergarten gets tough as kids are forced to bubble in multiple choice tests - NY Daily News
Kindergarten gets tough as kids are forced to bubble in multiple choice tests - NY Daily News: Kindergarten gets tough as kids are forced to bubble in multiple choice testsThey don’t even know how to hold a pencil yet, but kindergartners are getting a taste of the tough side of education with Common Core standardized math tests.Comments (54)BY RACHEL MONAHAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWSTHURSDAY, OCTOBER
Morning Wink 10-10-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYFred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Sports section.  Andy Pafko, Don Newcomb and Jackie Robinson, 1951. Andy Pafko is dead. And so are the World Series chances for the Pirates. My Dodgers are sti



California accuses owner of Everest College and Heald College of 'predatory' ads | OregonLive.com

California accuses owner of Everest College and Heald College of 'predatory' ads | OregonLive.com:

California accuses owner of Everest College and Heald College of 'predatory' ads

corinthian colleges demo.jpg
California Atorney General Kamala Harris gestures while standing by a display showing the target demographic of Corinthian Colleges during a news conference. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)


 SAN FRANCISCO — California's attorney general filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing a for-profit college company of misrepresenting job placement rates, false advertising and other deceptive practices to lure low-income residents to take out student loans to attend its schools.
The lawsuit against Corinthian Colleges Inc. was part of a larger investigation of the entire for-profit college industry, state Attorney General Kamala Harris said in San Francisco.
Santa Ana-based Corinthian operates Everest, Heald and WyoTech colleges, which have a combined 81,000 students nationwide and 27,000 students in California. It operates Everest College in Portland, Everest Institute in Tigard and Heald College in Portland.
Harris said the majority of those students are minorities in their mid-20s with annual 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Taking back Chicago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Taking back Chicago:

Taking back Chicago

I'm looking forward to next Tuesday, October 15th when a coalition of union and community groups will come together to "Take Back Chicago." Several thousand people are expected to take part in this community meeting at the UIC Forum. Things will start with a 5 p.m. march and rally and continue on with a forum.

With local elections on the horizon, the goal of TBC will be to forge a common vision for the city's future and then to hold candidates accountable to that vision. High on the agenda are school closings, the continued destruction of families, public housing, social services and employment opportunities.

The convening Grassroots Collaborative includes:
Action Now • AFSCME Council 31 • Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation • Brighton Park Neighborhood Organization• Chicago Coalition for the Homeless • Chicago Teachers Union • Enlace Chicago • Illinois Hunger Coalition • Kenwood Oakland Community Organization • ONE Northside • Pilsen Alliance • SEIU Healthcare • Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation • SouthsideTogether Organizing for Power • Southwest Organizing Project
You can sign up to take part in Take Back Chicago on Facebook.  I did.

Buying an Election

There's nothing grassroots about the coalition Rahm is building. It's focused solely on buying 

Teachers, Parents Rally at Eight Schools For Full Funding | WeArePCAPS

Teachers, Parents Rally at Eight Schools For Full Funding | WeArePCAPS:



Teachers, Parents Rally at Eight Schools For Full Funding

At eight schools across Philadelphia teachers, parents and community members rallied to  make the point that conditions are unacceptable and our schools must be adequately funded.   Part time nurses and counselors, closed libraries, split classes, and lack of support and security staff are pervasive problems across the District.   Here are some pictures from Full Funding Friday #5.   The campaign will continue with seven more rallies scheduled for next Friday.  
PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. Girl | Crooks and Liars
PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. Girl | Crooks and Liars: PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. GirlBy karoliAsthma doesn't have to be fatal. It can be fatal, but it doesn't need to be. One of the reasons school nurses are so important is because they are trained to understand the effects of an acute asthma attack. This is a tragedy that didn't ne

5 tips for building trust as a supervisor | Ronswithscissors's Blog

5 tips for building trust as a supervisor | Ronswithscissors's Blog:

5 ways to build trust as a supervisor

October 11, 2013


By 
One of the very robust conversations we’ve been having in our district has to do with the principal’s role as a supervisor of instruction, and the part this plays in framing relationships in our building. (View original post here)
In British Columbia, we are lucky to have strong Leadership Standards for school administrators.  These standards have recently undergone revision, and in the spring we started a closer examination of these.  One of the domains is Instructional Leadership, which is often the focus of principals’ growth plans.  (After doing the self assessment, I completed my own growth plan, which is a requirement for all administrators in our district)
For many of us, we’ve come from a long career of teaching and we’re in our positions because we know that role.  It’s been part of our career to develop our pedagogy, work as a collegial team, and perhaps be teacher leaders in this area.
But now, as administrators, our role has changed.  We need to manage the tension that comes from being responsible for the quality of teaching and learning, and for continually building relationships with our staff.  (My growth plan includes the goal of; Ensure Teaching and Learning Conversations occur on a regular and ongoing basis.)  As instructional leaders, sometimes that means having 

PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. Girl | Crooks and Liars

PA Gov. Corbett's Schools Strategy Leads to Death of 12 Y.O. Girl | Crooks and Liars:



Asthma doesn't have to be fatal. It can be fatal, but it doesn't need to be. One of the reasons school nurses are so important is because they are trained to understand the effects of an acute asthma attack. This is a tragedy that didn't need to happen:
Sixth-grader Laporshia Massey died from asthma complications, according to her father, who says he rushed her to the emergency room soon after she got home from school on the afternoon of Sept. 25. He says Laporshia had begun to feel ill earlier that day at Bryant Elementary School, where a nurse is on staff only two days a week. This day was not one of those days.
[...]
But neither Burch nor Mitchell realized how serious the situation was. Burch, who told his daughter they would take care of her symptoms when she got home, believes that a trained professional would have seen the danger. “Why,” he asks, “didn’t [the school] take her to the hospital?”
Seeing his daughter’s state when she arrived home at about 3:15 p.m., Burch says, he 

Teach Plus :: Opportunities for Teachers, Results for Urban Students

Teach Plus :: Opportunities for Teachers, Results for Urban Students:


Uploaded Image: http://www.teachplus.org/uploads/Images/1369171901_NEAT+Fellowship.png


Teach Plus and the National Education Association select 53 top teachers for new national fellowship

Teachers from across the country will advise the NEA on strategies for engaging early career teachers and advancing the profession

BOSTON – The nation’s largest teachers’ union is partnering with Teach Plus to launch a selective fellowship that will empower solutions-oriented teachers, most of whom are in the first 10 years of their careers, to advise union leadership on teacher engagement and retention.

The NEA and Teach Plus, a national non-profit organization based in Boston, have selected 53 high-performing teachers and NEA members from school districts and charter schools across the country to become the inaugural Future of the Profession Fellows.  During the year-long program, Future of the Profession Fellows will gain a foundation in education policy, research, and best practices from around the nation. Together, they will advise the leadership of the NEA on policies that they believe will better serve students and retain excellent teachers.

For the NEA, the partnership represents a move to engage more intensively with union members who are in the first decade of their careers. At an historical moment when teachers with 10 or fewer years’ experience are a new majority of the teaching profession, the fellowship will allow the NEA to invest in these earlier career teachers and ensure that their voices and perspectives are represented. Future of the Profession Fellows have proven their commitment to working with their union rather than apart from it, while also challenging it to evolve.

“We are excited to partner with Teach Plus to help build the next generation of teacher leaders,” said Dennis Van Roekel, president of NEA. “Teachers must take the lead to ensure that every student has a qualified, caring, and effective educator in their classroom. The identified fellows will be instrumental in furthering NEA’s goal of providing great public schools for every student.”


To lead the fellowship, Teach Plus brought in Executive Director Arielle Zurzolo, who served most recently as President of Asociación de Maestros Unidos, the teachers’ union of Green Dot Public Schools in Los Angeles.

Zurzolo sees the fellowship as a step forward for making the NEA successful in a teaching profession that is undergoing significant changes and challenges. “As a former teacher and union leader, I’m a huge believer in the power of teachers’ unions to advocate for the teaching profession and be a force for change,” Zurzolo said.  “I want our unions to be successful, and I believe that leading the Future of the Profession Fellowship is the best way for me to support that success. These teacher leaders are proving that being union-involved and advocating for a teaching profession that values performance and constant innovation do not have to be mutually exclusive.”

“The NEA is proving that they recognize that teachers are not a monolith, and that they value the voices of teachers who want to see their profession evolve,” said Celine Coggins, Teach Plus Founder and CEO. “By joining together to elevate the voices of these solutions-oriented teachers, we are moving toward a profession that looks to its own practitioners to be the change they seek.”

Future of the Profession Fellows come from 14 states, representing schools from Massachusetts to Hawaii. In addition to monthly virtual working sessions, they will come together in Washington, D.C. three times over the course of the year to meet with NEA leadership and other key education policy makers. The new fellowship represents an important expansion of Teach Plus’ current teacher policy work. To date, the organization has trained nearly 500 teachers to be leaders in transforming their profession through its Teaching Policy Fellowship, based in six cities nationwide.


Teach Plus is a national non-profit based in Boston whose mission is to improve outcomes for urban children by ensuring that a greater proportion of students have access to effective, experienced teachers. Teach Plus runs three programs designed to place teacher leaders at the center of reform: Teaching Policy Fellows, the Teach Plus Network, and T3: Turnaround Teacher Teams. The programs focus on demonstrably effective teachers who want to continue classroom teaching while also expanding their impact as leaders in their schools and in national, state, and district policy. Teach Plus began with 16 founding teachers from urban district and charter schools in Greater Boston. Since its inception as a non-profit in August 2009, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 13,000 solutions-oriented teachers in six major cities across the country.  www.teachplus.org

The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professional, school administrators, retired educators, and student preparing to become teachers.