Federal lawmakers need to hear from Learning Forward members and network partners to ensure that professional learning is a policy priority. They need to know that professional learning, and in particular Title IIA, deserves their full attention and support now more than ever. As educators and students struggle to recover from the setbacks of the…

Every year, Learning Forward brings together education leaders from districts nationwide and from global locations at our Annual Conference. For the past two years, these educators have persevered through so many new demands that the support they need now looks different from what they have needed in past years. We know that providing access to…

Each year, The Learning Professional team announces a slate of themes for the following year’s issues. We consider the field’s pressing needs, members’ roles and interests, and emerging research. We also look for areas where our staff and readers have unique insights to share. The Learning Professional themes speak to urgent issues facing the education…

On July 28, the Senate Appropriations Committee released drafts of all 12 of its fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills, none of which have been or likely will be marked up in the regular order of the Senate Committee process. The House, however, has marked up all 12 appropriations bill and passed six of them on…

Today marks my first day as Learning Forward’s President and CEO. I’m honored to serve in this role and fully recognize the importance of this position as we collectively work as an organization and as a field to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for all students. Today also marks the beginning of our Independence Day…

In 1994, National Staff Development Council (which later became Learning Forward) developed and released an industry-leading set of research-based recommendations to standardize professional development, establishing a playbook for educators around the world. Learning Forward has continued to invest in its Standards for Professional Learning with periodic revisions to ensure the standards provide the latest knowledge…

New research supported by The Wallace Foundation shares clear evidence of the influence principals wield on educator effectiveness, and in turn, student achievement levels and graduation rates. It is crucial that principals receive excellent job preparation and have access to high-quality learning throughout their leadership service.

Congress is back in session and is commencing a three-month run until the August recess during which it will attempt to make significant progress on federal education funding, a China competition bill, and perhaps budget reconciliation legislation that may contain childcare funding. Meanwhile, the FCC will close its third and likely final application window for…

The best gifts are reminders that someone sees us and that who we are is valued. Similarly, the best advice comes from someone who cares enough to notice the small things even while listening to the big ones. That’s why the best way to make progress in any coaching relationship is by dialing into the…

During this time of teacher shortages, it is tempting to leave instructional coaching vacancies unfilled in favor of placing—or keeping—those promising experienced candidates in classrooms. Especially now, when pulling teachers out of their classrooms for professional learning is no longer a viable option, instructional coaching is even more critical to meeting the learning needs of…