NNSTOY to Hold Congressional Briefing on Teacher Career Continuums, ESSA Implementation
Editor’s Note: This briefing has been postponed due to weather challenges. Please stay tuned for an announcement of the new date.
On Wednesday, January 27, the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) will hold a congressional briefing to release its new study Teacher Advancement Initiatives: Lessons Learned From Eight Case Studies. Completed in conjunction with Pearson, the report is the product of a 3-year study of schools and districts with established career advancement initiatives. The study identifies components of successful, sustainable teacher career continuums with positive impacts on teacher recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction.
The eight case studies include schools and districts in urban and rural areas of Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Iowa, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. The report identifies key elements of effective career continuums such as structured roles for teacher leaders, opportunities for release time and collaboration, compensation differentiation, peer coaching and evaluation, embedded professional development, and structured opportunities for teacher voice in decision making.
These lessons are particularly timely as states and districts begin thinking about choices they will make under the new federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act – reauthorized in December as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA provides ample options for investments in career advancement paths for teachers – for states, districts, and national nonprofits. As states and districts look to improve recruitment and retention to strengthen their teacher workforces, these examples of success offer guidance.
The study represents the second phase of a project researching how the teaching profession needs to evolve to meet 21st-century career expectations for a new generation of teachers and learners. The first part of the research is captured in the 2013 report Creating Sustainable Teacher Career Pathways: A 21st Century Imperative.
I will be speaking at next week’s briefing in my role as the NNSTOY government affairs adviser. I will be joined by the following panelists:
- Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) (invited)
- Katie Natale, Education Consultant, Connecticut
- Lynn Gaddis, 1995 Illinois Teacher of the Year
- Kathy McKight, Principal Director of Research, Center for Educator Learning and Effectiveness, Pearson
- Josh Parker, 2012 Maryland Teacher of the Year
- Moderator: Katherine Bassett, 2000 New Jersey Teacher of the Year and NNSTOY CEO
The briefing will be held in Washington, DC, on January 27 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. in 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building. To register to attend, contact jessica@nnstoy.org.
For additional information about NNSTOY, visit www.nnstoy.org.
Tags: AACTE partner organizations, events, federal issues, state policy, teacher leaders, workforce development
