Reforming Policy to Extend Excellent Teachers’ Reach

State and federal policymakers can support an Opportunity Culture by giving schools ways to change teacher roles and pay so they can reach more students with excellence and develop teachers on the job—without violating current rules and policies. To date and despite substantial policy advocacy, no state has adopted all the policies needed to give every child access to excellent teaching. Instead, states have adopted a mostly uniform set of policies that fall far short.

These policy changes can enable schools to meet the Opportunity Culture Principles, which help schools ensure that roles extending the reach of excellent teachers and principals to far more students, and to their colleagues, are sustainable and effective.

Students need excellent teaching, consistently. Students starting behind need multiple years of high-growth learning to catch up. And no matter where they start, all students deserve the chance to leap further ahead and gain the problem-solving skills that great teachers develop so well.

Here are some resources to help you get started:

The Introduction to an Opportunity Culture slide deck with brief speaker notes provides a useful overview for educators, policymakers, and anyone else interested in dramatic improvements in education of why students and educators need an Opportunity Culture, how it works, the research supporting it, what states and districts can do to support it, and a list of more resources.

State policymakers will find much room for leadership in five policy categories in our Seizing Opportunity at the Top II Policy Brief and Checklist. See a table from the Checklist, below, listing urgent and optimal state policies.

Federal policymakers can see how to play a critical role in expanding students’ access to excellent teaching in Giving Every Student Access to Excellent Teachers: A Vision for Focusing Federal Investments in Education

See how policy can boost student outcomes when schools combine digital instruction with great in-person teaching in A Better Blend: A Vision for Boosting Student Outcomes with Digital Learning

Learn how state and district leaders can go beyond the requirements of ESSA to achieve a culture of excellence in ESSA: New Law, New Opportunity

How Can Policymakers Help?

Opportunity Culture Impact

committed to
Opportunity Culture
in 2018–19

with advanced roles
or on-the-job
development
in 2018–19

reached by
excellent teachers
extending their reach
in 2018–19

for Opportunity
Culture teachers
in 2018–19 and
$14.7M since OC began

News & Views

Opportunity Culture Year in Review

Opportunity Culture News: Summer Newsletter, Remotely Located Teacher Leadership

Public Impact Welcomes Fifth Cohort of Opportunity Culture Fellows

To Support Teachers and Students, Pass House Bill 1008

First look: Remotely Located Teacher Leadership

Doing Teacher Residencies Right: Yearlong, Well-Paid, and Led by Excellent Teachers

Opportunity Culture News: New Opportunity Culture Site, Multi-Classroom Leaders Share Impact

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Featured Publications

Excellent Teaching for Every Young Child

Multi-Classroom Leadership

Introduction to an Opportunity Culture

Career Paths and Pay in an Opportunity Culture

Multi-School Leadership

Days in the Life: The Work of a Successful Multi-Classroom Leader

Pioneering Blended-Learning Teachers Reach More Students

Opportunity Culture Impact

committed toOpportunity Culturein 2018–19

with advanced rolesor on-the-jobdevelopmentin 2018–19

reached byexcellent teachersextending their reachin 2018–19

for Opportunity Culture teachers in 2018–19 and $14.7M since OC began

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