“We
believe in the power of collaboration to strengthen public education’s human
capital in its critical and unparalleled role to improve student
achievement. Teachers represent the most
important school-related factor in student achievement, and leadership is
second only to teaching in determining how much students learn”
-
Harriet
Sanford, President and CEO, NEA
Foundation
In order to strengthen the
growing movement among education unions seeking to re-position their locals to
engage in innovative reform in partnership with their school district, the
Foundation is launching the Institute
for Local Innovation in Teaching and Learning.
With more than $1.3 million in support of from the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation and the GE Foundation, the Institute will engage local union and district leaders in
a multi-year, capacity-building process that will lead to significant,
measurable changes in collective bargaining agreements and in teaching and
learning, including new approaches to the management of human capital and new
ways of measuring student learning. By modeling successful new practices with
their school districts, these local union leaders also will become catalysts
for cultural and organizational change.
Some local unions have
already collaborated with districts on human capital practices, including the
creation of performance evaluations, peer assistance and review programs, new
induction and professional development models, differentiated compensation, and
innovations in school design and governance. The Institute will allow them share
this work more broadly through this new national network of teacher leaders.
During the first half of
2010, the NEA Foundation will create a collaborative architecture for the
Institute; complete an initial scan to identify potential local unions and
partner school districts; design the content, process, and launch the institute.
We invite you to return to this page to
stay current on the news about the Institute.
Institute Partners
Links
Teacher Union Reform Network
Website: http://www.turnexchange.net.
