Press Release: Ed-Policy Fellows to Testify Before House Public Education Committee

CONTACT: Erika Beltran	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TEL:  (214) 206-3849	April 15, 2013
CELL PHONE: (650)269-8544
EMAIL:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

AUSTIN – On Tuesday, April 16^th, several Dallas area teachers will appear before the House Public Education Committee at the State Capitol in Austin to discuss teacher evaluations and a proposal for educator innovation grants.

Legislators at the State Capitol have a renewed focus on teacher quality this session, an encouraging step in the right direction for Teaching Trust’s Ed-Policy Fellows.  “We have had multiple opportunities to chime in on this important conversation.  Though there are some good proposals out there, we still have a long way to go in order to improve teacher quality.” said Erika Beltran, Teaching Trust’s Policy Program Director.

Texas State Representative Jason Villalba, representing District 114, which includes parts of North Dallas, has introduced a bill that requires the state to develop a comprehensive framework for teacher evaluations.  This proposal would require that evaluations include student academic performance as one of multiple measures.  It also requires tight alignment of evaluations with professional development for teachers.  Ed-Policy Fellows will testify on the bill, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive and multi-dimensional teacher evaluations.

“In Dallas, 98% of teachers ‘meet expectations’ according to our current evaluation system,” said Katie Brattain, Teaching Trust Ed-Policy Fellow, who will be speaking on Tuesday.  “Unfortunately, this data does not correlate with student outcomes.  Clearly, we need to have a system that better equips teachers to improve their instruction.”

Teaching Trust Ed-Policy Fellows are at the forefront of teacher quality conversations and are being called upon by various stakeholders across the state to be a voice for concerned teachers at the State Capitol.  They have an unwavering commitment to advocating for an effective teacher in every classroom and will be commenting on a variety of proposals while in Austin.

###

Teaching Trust programs prepare educators to lead change from the "inside out" by developing the values and skills essential to transformational school and district change.  For more information on Teaching Trust, please visit www.teachingtrust.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Press Release: Teaching Trust CEO, Rosemary Perlmeter, Featured Speaker at National Forum on K-12 Philanthropy

CONTACT: Jacque Rauschuber	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TEL: 214-206-3849	April 8, 2013
EMAIL:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

DALLAS – This Tuesday and Wednesday, Dallas will be hosting the National Forum on K-12 Philanthropy.  Convened by the Communities Foundation of Texas and the Conference for Southwest Foundations, the forum will gather philanthropists and education experts from across the country to discuss innovative ideas for developing strong school leadership, funding effective early childhood education, engaging middle class families in reform, and improving schools of education.  The conference will feature several Dallas-based programs, including Teaching Trust’s Aspiring Leaders Program.

The Aspiring Leaders program, one of Teaching Trust’s three programs, is a rigorous competency and experiential-based program designed to prepare leaders for the challenging environment of complex schools. Program participants are awarded a Masters in Educational Leadership with Urban School Specialization offered through a unique partnership between Teaching Trust and SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

On Tuesday, Rosemary Perlmeter, Teaching Turst CEO, will be featured on a panel titled, “How Philanthropy Can Support Strong School Leaders,” along with Dallas Independent School District Superintendent, Mike Miles and Bush Institute Director of Education Reform, Kerri Briggs – a timely discussion given the growing need for effective school leaders in our community.

“The Aspiring Leaders Program has been a success as measured by our early indicators.  Our first cohort will be graduating in May and are already being hired as principals and assistant principals in schools – it’s a true testament to the rigor of our program and to the need for excellent school leaders.” said Rosemary Perlmeter.  “Teaching Trust is preparing these candidates for leadership in a fast changing environment by coaching them on distinct practices critical to developing and sustaining a culture of high achievement and instructional quality and to manage the change needed for school transformation.”

In addition to being featured on the Tuesday panel, Teaching Trust staff and program participants will be leading tours of campuses where our Aspiring Leaders are already in leadership positions.

“We are thrilled to show these guests the great work we are doing on behalf of children in North Texas – we couldn’t be more proud of our work.” said Tonya Horton, Teaching Trust President.

Teaching Trust develops programs to prepare educators to lead change from the “inside out” and to build trust across organizations central to transformational change: districts, charters, higher education, and other non-profits. For more information on Teaching Trust, please visit www.teachingtrust.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

###

Press Release: Teaching Trust Ed-Policy Fellows Requested to Testify Before Senate Education Committee on Teacher Quality 

CONTACT: Erika Beltran	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TEL:  (214) 206-3849	April 1, 2013
CELL PHONE: (650)269-8544
EMAIL:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

DALLAS – On Tuesday, April 2^nd, several Dallas area teachers will appear before the Senate Public Education Committee at the State Capitol in Austin to testify on components of SB 1403, which focuses on teacher quality.   Research has consistently shown that teachers are the most important school-based factor in closing the achievement gap, yet Texas’ systems of educator preparation, professional development, compensation, and evaluation are outdated and in need of significant reform.  SB 1403 attempts to address many of those areas.

Few teachers have a voice at the State Capitol, yet their perspective is critically important.    The teachers testifying are members of the Ed-Policy Fellows program created by Teaching Trust, a Dallas-based organization that prepares educators to lead change from the "inside out" by developing the values and skills essential to transformational school and district change.

Ed-Policy Fellows are teacher leaders who are participating in a six-month long leadership and advocacy training experience and they are laser-focused on policies that will bring the best results for students.

“We are eager to speak to the Senate Public Education Committee and let them know that we support more rigorous teacher and principal evaluations and professional development that supports individual teachers’ needs,” said Stacey Hodge, Teaching Trust Ed-Policy Fellow who will be speaking on Tuesday.

 “We also are in favor of compensation potential that is not tied to years of service, and that can attract and keep talented professionals as classroom teachers,” said Isaac Freeman, another Fellow, also a teacher in Dallas ISD, who will be speaking.

The Fellows will be advocating to ensure:

• Teacher preparation and alternative certification programs are more rigorous and are accountable for the performance of their graduates
• Teacher evaluations are more comprehensive and include measures of student outcomes
• High quality professional development supports teachers’ diverse needs and is tied to evaluations, and
• Educator compensation shifts away from pay tied to years of service, to pathways that attract and reward excellent  teachers by accelerating salary potential based on performance.

Also testifying on Tuesday will be Erika Beltran, Policy Program Director for Teaching Trust, and Danielle Wisniewski, a high school science teacher from Dallas ISD.

###

Teaching Trust programs prepare educators to lead change from the "inside out" by developing the values and skills essential to transformational school and district change.  For more information on Teaching Trust, please visit www.teachingtrust.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Press Release: Teaching Trust Convenes Partners for Training with National School Leadership Expert, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo

March 25, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jacque Rauschuber

TEL: 214-206-3849

EMAIL:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

DALLAS – This Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Teaching Trust is hosting workshops led by national school leadership expert, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, author of Driven by Data: A Practical Guide to Improve Instruction, Leverage Leadership, and Great Habits, Great Readers: A Guide to K-4 Reading in the Light of Common Core.  Paul Bambrick-Santoyo is the Managing Director of Uncommon Schools Newark and has led tremendous gains in student achievement, reaching 90+% proficient on state assessments in almost every category and grade level.  Bambrick-Stantoyo has trained over 7,000 school leaders nationwide and is returning to Dallas to engage almost 400 representatives from Teaching Trust partners in the use of “core levers” for school transformation.

This week’s trainings are for principals as well as for Assistant Superintendents and Executive Directors from local school districts and charter organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  Workshops will focus on school culture, data driven instruction, and observation and feedback – three essential practices for successful schools.  Bambrick-Santoyo’s trainings are timely, given Teaching Trust’s plans to launch a new program this summer called the Executive Ed Institutes, an initiative aimed at providing training for school leadership teams on topics essential to high performing schools.

Bambrick-Santoyo has served as a signature speaker for Teaching Trust’s Aspiring Leaders Program and continues to inspire the work of many schools and organizations nationwide.

“We are thrilled to convene such amazing talent in one room.  We are certain that Paul Bambrick-Santoyo’s training will inspire us to leverage our collective work to transform schools across North Texas.” said Rosemary Perlmeter, Co-Founder and CEO of the Teaching Trust.

Teaching Trust develops programs to prepare educators to lead change from the “inside out” and to build trust across organizations central to transformational change: districts, charters, higher education, and other non-profits. For more information on Teaching Trust, please visit www.teachingtrust.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

###

Press Release: Dallas Area Educators Gather In Austin Calling For Effective Teachers In Every Classroom

March 11, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Erika Beltran

TEL: (214) 206­‐3849 x312

EMAIL: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

AUSTIN – Next Tuesday, March 12th, Teaching Trust’s Ed-­Policy Fellows will make their way to the state capitol in Austin to call on policymakers to ensure that all children in the state of Texas have access to effective teachers and school leaders. Ed-­Policy Fellows are teacher leaders who are participating in a six-­‐month long leadership and advocacy training with Teaching Trust, a Dallas-­based organization that prepares educators to lead change from the "inside out" by developing the values and skills essential to transformational school and district change.

Ed-­Policy Fellows will visit with state legislators to advocate for policies that help attract, support, and retain effective teachers in every classroom. Research has consistently shown that teachers are the most important school-­based factor in closing the achievement gap, yet Texas’ systems of educator preparation, professional development, compensation, and evaluation are outdated and in need of significant reform.

“The Ed­‐Policy Fellows have a unique perspective. As teachers, they are learning first-­‐hand what works and what doesn’t in the classroom and they know what’s best for their profession,” said Ellen Wood, Teaching Trust Co-­Founder. “Teachers who are strongly committed and dedicated to eliminating the achievement gap must have a voice at the state capitol.”

Students in Dallas County are facing significant challenges. According to an analysis of SAT and ACT scores conducted by Commit!, a local non-­‐profit, only 13 percent of Dallas County students are graduating ready for college. The statistics are even more startling for African-­‐American and Latino students, of whom 4 percent are graduating ready for college. Without effective teachers in every classroom, these statistics will only become more alarming.

“We are eager to tell our state representatives and senators that we support more rigorous teacher and principal evaluations and compensation potential that is not tied to years of service. Changes are needed in order to attract top talent to the teaching profession.” said Kristen Watkins, Teaching Trust Ed­‐Policy Fellow.

This breakfast serves as a catalyst for those conversations, and it provides an opportunity to expand the conversation in two critically important ways. The event's five-person panel, moderated by Dean David J. Chard of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, will discuss our ethical responsibility in providing high quality education for every child in Dallas, as well as explore ways we - individually and collectively - can lend our support to the new DISD superintendent to strengthen public education. May 7th, 7:30-9:30am at the Umphrey Lee Center on the SMU Campus. For more information, click here.