By Judy Newhouse Does your professional learning inspire? See how Learning Forward Virginia ignites the spark with designs for educator leaning. Designs for Educator Learning “Good professional learning is hard to do — and few people have the deep knowledge and expertise to plan and execute it” (Stephanie Hirsh, “How we can stop the cycle…
At Learning Forward, we fundamentally believe every child deserves access to excellent teaching and learning every day, regardless of his or her ZIP code or family income. Socioeconomic conditions, race, ethnic background, and other factors should not be predictors for educational attainment. We believe school systems and other learning environments have to be relentless in…
By Frederick Brown A new report about The Wallace Foundation’s Principal Supervisor Initiative (PSI) offers insight into the types of professional learning that are most effective for helping principal supervisors develop the instructional leadership capacity of principals. Among their findings, researchers noted that principal supervisors in PSI districts were able to reduce the number of…
Learning Forward Executive Director Stephanie Hirsh issued a statement about the bipartisan conference bill that funds defense, labor, health, human services, and education. “I applaud the bipartisan and bicameral agreement on the FY19 spending bill that provides level funding for Title IIA of ESSA, which funds critical support so educators can meet the needs of…
By Leigh Wall It has been just a few months since the unimaginable tragedy that occurred here in Santa Fe, Texas, when a high school student shot and killed 10 classmates and teachers and wounded 13 others. Our community is healing, and we know the healing process will be long. As we move forward —…
I have worked for 30 years at Learning Forward and that has required a tremendous amount of travel. On every trip, I ask the people I meet to tell me about their schools. While my data collection methods are quite unscientific, my findings are very similar to those highlighted in national polls. Taxi drivers who…
I’d like to send a shout-out to New America and authors Melissa Tooley and Taylor White for their recently released report, Rethinking Relicensure: Promoting Professional Learning Through Teacher Licensure Renewal Policies. After exploring how states handle relicensure, particularly when it comes to creating systems that contribute to enhancing educators’ effectiveness through professional learning, the authors…
Judy Newhouse, executive director of Learning Forward Virginia, is a passionate advocate for the power of professional learning on schools and students. When she was recently invited to a conference, she saw an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Representative Bobby Scott (VA-3), Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee, was…
While Title II has been maintained for the 2018 budget cycle, in large part due to the voices of educators, including many Learning Forward members, we are not in the clear. We must continue to advocate for high quality professional learning, a critical component of the work of all educators, to ensure that vital funding…
By Janice Poda Several years ago, I was an expert witness in an equitable funding lawsuit in my home state on behalf of the plaintiff school districts. After court recessed on a very tense day on the witness stand, I took a drive through the small town where court was being held — the same…