Forum Outlines Comprehensive Plan for Investing in Teachers
On October 22, in conjunction with its involvement in the Rethink Learning Now campaign, the Forum for Education & Democracy held the first of its three scheduled policy briefings – one for each of the campaign’s core pillars of successful education reform – powerful learning, high-quality teaching, and a system committed to fairness for all children.
Speaking to a capacity crowd in the Library of Congress, Forum Conveners Linda Darling-Hammond and Angela Valenzuela were joined by the Education Trust’s Kati Haycock and Renee Moore, the 2001 Mississippi Teacher of the Year. Together, the panelists outlined a comprehensive plan for investing in the long-term creation of a teaching profession – as opposed to the short-term acceptance of a teaching force.
To read more about the Forum’s seven-step plan for a comprehensive teacher policy, and/or to watch videos of the panelists’ presentations, click here.
Darling-Hammond to Offer Two Webinars on Student Assessment
On Tuesday, November 17, Forum Convener Linda Darling-Hammond will discuss her latest research on international standards and assessments through two unique webinar events.
The first webinar, scheduled for 11:30am EST/8:30am PST, is titled, “What Would It Mean to Be Internationally Competitive? How the United States Can Learn from Standards and Assessments in High-Achieving Nations.” To register for this event, click here.
The second session, scheduled for 6:30pm EST/3:30pm PST, is titled “Lessons from Abroad: International Standards and Assessments.” To register for this event, click here.
Myatt to Address the Role of Classroom Teachers in Preventing School Exclusion and Dropout
On November 17, at 4:30pm EST, at the Marran Theatre in Cambridge, MA, Forum Convener Larry Myatt will participate in a public discussion about how to normalize high academic achievement for students of color.
The event, which is part of the Race, Culture, Identity and Achievement Series, is designed to create a location for teachers, teacher-educators, community leaders and involved citizens to engage in sustained conversation about how race, culture and identity are implicated in the school achievement of Boston's increasingly multiracial and multiethnic student population.
To RSVP for this or any of the other events in the series, click here.
New Book Helps Educators Create More Democratic Schools
In his new book, American Schools, Forum National Director Sam Chaltain has outlined a flexible framework for educators to use in creating well-structured democratic learning communities.
As Forum Convener John Goodlad writes, "A powerful concept provides the organizing theme of this refreshing book: our nation's school leaders must strike the right balance between freedom and structure in order to create healthy learning environments. But there is a pervasive, more subtle one that slips along with the turning of the pages: the curriculum provides knowledge and skills relevant to daily functioning, but the persona of the teacher powerfully shapes the becoming of each unique being." Linda Darling-Hammond adds: “American Schools provides a framework for democratic leadership that is accessible, actionable, and grounded in good pedagogy."
To learn more about American Schools, click here.