Learning
Forward and NCTAF Name 12 Finalist Teams in Agents for Learning Challenge
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Twelve states represented;
finalists to convene in Chicago to present plans detailing ESSA-ready
professional learning strategies to panel of educators and experts
WASHINGTON, June 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Learning Forward and the National Commission on Teaching &
America's Future (NCTAF) today announced 12 finalists in its Agents for Learning challenge,
a nationwide call to action designed to engage educator teams in advocating for
the best use of federal funding for professional learning under the Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
The 12 teams - representing 56 teachers, administrators,
and learning leaders from 12 different states - proposed plans that described a
comprehensive vision for effective professional learning for their states,
identified needs that exist and strategies to address them, and outlined roles
and responsibilities for states, districts, and individual educators to achieve
their visions. In addition, the plans discussed how educators would advise
states and districts to use Title II funding to address critical needs of
teachers and directly impact student learning outcomes.
The finalists will travel
to Chicago July 21-22, where each team will present its plan to a
panel of judges and a moderator:
·
Virginia Edwards,
Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Education Week (moderator);
·
Stephanie Banchero, Program
Director for the Education Program, Joyce Foundation;
·
Jahana Hayes, 2016 National Teacher of
the Year;
·
Chris Minnich, Executive Director, CCSSO;
·
Rachel Wise,
Chair, Nebraska Board of Education, NASBE.
"We're so grateful to all of the educators
who participated in the challenge. We were proud to offer an opportunity to
amplify teachers' voices in advocating for the professional learning that will
make a difference for educators and students," said Stephanie Hirsh,
executive director of Learning Forward. "States tell us they are looking
for ways to capture stakeholder input, and the creative and bold ideas in the
applications show how much these engaged educators have to offer as we enter
the implementation phase of ESSA. I can't wait to learn more from them during our
time in Chicago," continued Hirsh.
Before presenting their plans, teams will have
time to engage in learning and coaching to refine their plans and build skills
in advocating with policymakers. Learning Forward and NCTAF will webcast the
presentations and disseminate the finalists' plans on the Learning Forward
website to serve as models for educators around the country. Prizes and
recognitions will be awarded to finalists by sponsors of the
challenge.
As states and districts work to develop
comprehensive plans to implement ESSA, Learning Forward and NCTAF believe it is
critical that teachers' expertise, experiences, and input are heard. "As
one of our finalist teams noted, 'teachers are an untapped resource to reform
professional development,' and through this challenge we are incorporating the
expertise of our nation's educators into the broader policy conversation,"
said Melinda George, president of NCTAF. "The plans submitted by
these teachers make it crystal clear that great teaching for all students will
only happen when teacher voice is included at every level – school, district,
state and national. Including their insight into what works for students,
themselves and their colleagues makes the difference in successfully
transforming teaching and learning."
Visit Agents for Learning for
more information on the challenge. For additional information or questions, or
to request interviews or credentials to cover the event in Chicago, please
reach out to the media contacts or send an email to teacheragencycompetition@learningforward.org.
For team member names, school affiliations, and
city/state of school, see the chart below.
TEAM
MEMBERS
|
SCHOOL/AFFILIATION
|
CITY,
STATE
|
Trey
Ferguson
Cassie
Reding
Carly
Baldwin
Natalie
Coleman
Debbie
Hickerson
|
Leesville
Road High School
Stevenson
Elementary
Boyd
County High School
Shafer
Middle School
Cason
Lane Academy
|
Raleigh,
NC
Russellville,
KY
Ashland,
KY
Gallatin,
TN
Murfreesboro,
TN
|
Kelley
Cusmano
Sarah
Giddings
Heather
Gauck
Matt
McCullough
|
Rochester
High School
Washtenaw
Alliance for Virtual Education
Grand
Rapids Public Schools
Schoolcraft
Community Schools
|
Rochester,
MI
Ypsilanti,
MI
Grand
Rapids, MI
Schoolcraft,
MI
|
Clara
Carroll
Nancy
Fancyboy
Lori
Martin
Leslie
Sharp
Deb
Walter
|
Harding
University
Beebe
School District
Otter
Creek Elementary
Carnall
Elementary School
Rogers
New Tech High School
|
Searcy,
AR
Beebe,
AR
Little
Rock, AR
Fort
Smith, AR
Rogers,
AR
|
Rebecca
Wattleworth
Jennifer
Smith
Jacob
Carlson
Virginia
Valdez
Joseph
Fatheree
|
Warrensburg-Latham
High School
Monticello
Middle School
Civic
Memorial High School
Minnie
Mars Jamieson Elementary School
Effingham
High School
|
Warrensburg,
IL
Monticello,
IL
Bethalto,
IL
Chicago,
IL
Effingham,
IL
|
Christina
Jusino
Jennifer
Langdon
Desiree
Darling
Emily
Banta
Tuyet
Dinh
Michael
Macchi
Alicia
Serafin
|
Spark
Academy
Hurley
K-8 School
Spark
Academy
Lawrence
Family Development Charter School
Mather
Elementary
Phineas
Bates Elementary
Whittier
Elementary School
|
Lawrence,
MA
Boston,
MA
Lawrence,
MA
Lawrence,
MA
Dorchester,
MA
Roslindale,
MA
Everett,
MA
|
Cheryl
Corpus
Gina
Wilson
Tina
Harma
Carrie
Mattern
|
Center
for Excellence in Teaching & Learning
Early
College Alliance @ EMU
Kent
Lake Elementary
Carman-Ainsworth
High School
|
Mount
Pleasant, MI
Ypsilanti,
MI
South
Lyon, MI
Flint,
MI
|
Steven
Fouts
Lani
Luo
Gabrielle
Pike
Lynn
Osborne-Simmons
DeJernet
Farder
|
Douglass
Academy
Howe
School of Excellence
Burr
Elementary
Curie
Metropolitan High School
Morton
School of Excellence
|
Chicago,
IL
Chicago,
IL
Chicago,
IL
Chicago,
IL
Chicago,
IL
|
Ashley
Karlsson
Amy
Fettig
Susan
Boen
|
Washburn
High School
Ubah
Medical Academy
Washburn
High School
|
Minneapolis,
MN
Hopkins,
MN
Minneapolis,
MN
|
Maureen
Torrez
Laura
Burns
Kimberly
Chavkin Moreno
Andrea
Quintana
|
La
Mesa Elementary School
Kirtland
Elementary School
George
I Sánchez Collaborative Community School
George
I Sánchez Collaborative Community School
|
Albuquerque,
NM
Albuquerque,
NM
Albuquerque,
NM
Albuquerque,
NM
|
Stephen
Rountree
Sonia
Matthew
Kisha
Dorch
Rodney
Lewis II
Julie
Hughey
|
Frederick
Douglas High School
High
Bridge Elementary School
Frederick
Douglas High School
Barack
Obama Elementary School
Prince
George's County Public Schools
|
Upper
Marlboro, MD
Bowie,
MD
Upper
Marlboro, MD
Upper
Marlboro, MD
Upper
Marlboro, MD
|
Daniel
Chu
Christopher
Nielsen
Michael
Lubing
Miyilyn
Parra-Innocent
|
Murray
Hill Academy
Murray
Hill Academy
Murray
Hill Academy
Murray
Hill Academy
|
New
York, NY
New
York, NY
New
York, NY
New
York, NY
|
Shelly
Moore Krajacic
Amy
Mizialko
Ingrid
Walker-Henry
Chauna
Perry Finch
Heather
Sattler
|
National
Education Association
Milwaukee
Teachers Education Association
Milwaukee
Teachers Education Association
Milwaukee
Teachers Education Association
Milwaukee
Teachers Education Association
|
Madison,
WI
Milwaukee,
WI
Milwaukee,
WI
Milwaukee,
WI
Milwaukee,
WI
|
About Learning Forward
Learning Forward is a nonprofit, international membership association of
learning educators committed to one vision in K–12 education: Excellent
teaching and learning every day. To realize that vision Learning Forward
pursues its mission to build the capacity of leaders to establish and sustain
highly effective professional learning. Learning Forward supports its members and
the field through services, learning opportunities, networks, and publications
focused exclusively on what it takes to meaningfully build the capacity of K-12
educators to meet the needs of all students. Learning Forward's Standards for
Professional Learning, adopted in more than 35 states, define the essential
elements of professional learning that leads to changed educator practices and
improved outcomes for students. Information about membership, services, and
products is available fromhttp://learningforward.org.
About The National Commission on
Teaching & America's Future (NCTAF)
The National Commission on Teaching & America's Future (NCTAF) is a
nonprofit organization that was founded in 1994 as a bipartisan effort to
engage education policymakers and practitioners to address the entrenched
national challenge of recruiting, developing, and retaining great teachers in
order to ensure that all students have access to quality teaching in schools organized
for success. For 20 years, NCTAF has worked to drive and inform the national
dialogue about the importance of great teaching, especially in hard-to-staff
schools. NCTAF's research and recommendations inform innovations and
improvements in teaching quality nationwide, focus attention on the importance
of equitable distribution and retention of teachers, and promote promising
practices for the development of teachers' skills and career pathways. For more
information, visitwww.nctaf.org. Follow NCTAF on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to NCTAF's News Digest.