Blog

For the past two years, we have facilitated a community of practice (CoP) of five teacher preparation technical assistance centers–Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, National Center for Teacher Residencies, TeacherSquared, TeachingWorks and University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Prep–working to reimagine the way teachers are prepared for the classroom. They support teacher preparation programs in their networks...
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In partnership with the NoVo Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, we are proud to announce the 2018 teacher and district awardees of the Social and Emotional Learning Innovation Fund. This year, we received over 1,000 applications from more than 45 states. Through a competitive process, 12% of applicants were selected, 90 teachers and 34 districts. Read more about the teacher...
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Earlier this month, Alison Harris Welcher, one of our Harvard Residents and a former teacher and principal, gave remarks at the opening Convocation for Amelia County (VA) Public Schools. Her remarks, edited for length, are presented below. I feel like I am home, because this literally is where my story began, before I was even born. My mother and father...
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Back in 2010, we joined many educators and advocates in supporting the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. We believe that these standards, which are clearer and more rigorous than nearly all other state standards, can help to set up students for success in life. Unfortunately, over the past eight years many states have moved away from the Common...
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For decades, the US has largely relied on a one-size-fits-all approach to schooling. After over three decades of reform and a growing body of research on the science of learning, we still have too many students attending static schools that rely on traditional modes of schooling to meet the needs of diverse learners. Students continue to advance—or not—after a fixed,...
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When I was growing up, Puerto Rico was always my favorite place on Earth. Born in Boston to Puerto Rican parents, I spent my summers on the beaches of Rincon or hiking with my cousins in El Yunque. In 2004, we moved to the island to be closer to family. We moved into the same neighborhood as my grandparents, and...
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  Teachers understand, often better than anyone, what is and isn’t working well in their schools. Unfortunately, they rarely have the time, resources or support they need to take the lead in driving improvement. This year we took a step toward trying to change that dynamic by offering Teacher Leadership in Action grants. We selected six teams of Massachusetts teachers...
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 Many organizations offer technical assistance (TA) to teacher preparation programs seeking to improve their programming. But until recently, there was no common way to assess the impact of that technical assistance or even define what high-quality technical assistance looks like. How can TA providers better understand the impact their technical assistance actually has on teacher preparation and continuously improve their support?...
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In math and other subjects, students are taught skills and concepts, and have a variety of opportunities to practice prior to being assessed for mastery. Unfortunately, due to external pressures and requirements, the time educators in the classroom take to explicitly teach skills needed to recognize, understand, label, express, and regulate emotions has evaporated. Fortunately, three years ago I was...
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As a long-time educator, teacher and administrator, I have always instinctively understood the importance of social and emotional support. But as my career progresses, I continue to learn more. Early in my career, as an elementary school reading interventionist, I naturally incorporated the expressive arts—music, theatre, painting and sculpting, creative writing—into my literacy lessons. And as a result, I witnessed...
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