Opportunity Culture® Columns

Real Clear Composite 1 SMOpportunity Culture® multi-classroom leaders, blended-learning teachers, and elementary school subject specialists write a series of columns that appeared on RealClearEducation.com and then on The 74, and elsewhere.

These Opportunity Culture® educators are eager to share what their jobs are like, the differences they make for students, and the lessons they’ve learned as they extend the reach of their great teaching to many more students.

These pioneering educators have been critical to refining the Opportunity Culture® initiative and materials that support the creation of an Opportunity Culture®, aimed at meeting our collective, ambitious goals to reach all students with excellent teaching consistently and provide outstanding career opportunities for teachers, too.

The best way to understand these new roles and models is to hear straight from those educators themselves. We encourage you to read their thoughts, because they are leading this work where it counts: in schools.

May 8, 2015: Opportunity Culture®: A New Model for Education, by Public Impact® Co-Directors Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel

May 15, 2015: An Opportunity for Change, by Multi-Classroom Leader Kristin Cubbage

June 15, 2015: Giving and Receiving Professional Development Every Day, by Multi-Classroom Leader Joe Ashby

July 15, 2015: 1 Teacher, 400 Scholars—and Loving It, by Multi-Classroom Leader Bobby Miles

August 17, 2015: Riding the Roller Coaster Together: Real Support for New Teachers, by Multi-Classroom Leader Karen Von Klahr

September 15, 2015: Teachers, It’s Time for Us to Say, ‘Show Me the Money, by Multi-Classroom Leader Romain Bertrand

October 15, 2015: Keep on Keeping on: Using Data to Keep Students Moving Forward, by Multi-Classroom Leader Maggie Vadala

November 16, 2015: A Win-Win Model for Students and Teachers, by Multi-Classroom Leader Danielle Bellar

December 15, 2016: When Top Students Drop: Why Even Good Schools Need to Grow, by Multi-Classroom Leader Amy Sparks

January 19, 2016: More Powerful Than a Department Chair, by Multi-Classroom Leader Erin Burns

February 17, 2016: Blending the Best: Better Learning for More Kids, by Blended-Learning Teacher Scott Nolt

March 15, 2016: Raising My Teacher Voice to Save My Job—and My Students’ Success, by Multi-Classroom Leader Karen Wolfson

April 20, 2016: Want Veteran Teachers to Learn New Things? Show Them Some Love, by Multi-Classroom Leader Sharon Archer

May 16, 2016: “What Is My Job, Anyway?” Teacher Hindsight From a Multi-Classroom Leader, by Multi-Classroom Leader Kristin Cubbage

September 20, 2016: My Unexpected Journey to Teacher Leadership, by Multi-Classroom Leader Kristen Duffy

October 18, 2016: Getting the Recipe Right for Teacher Leadership, by Multi-Classroom Leader Cyndal Brenneman

November 23, 2016: For Truly Personalized Learning, I Had to Try, Try Again, by Blended-Learning Teacher Lori Treiber

December 20, 2016: Teacher Collaboration Time That Students (Yes, Students) Love, by Multi-Classroom Leader Melissa Wilbert

January 20, 2017: A Teacher’s Smart Advice for Serving Students’ Emotional Needs, by Multi-Classroom Leader Gregory Lawson

February 15, 2017: Scheduled for Success, by Multi-Classroom Leader Frank Zaremba

March 15, 2017: Teachers in an Opportunity Culture®: Well-Paid, Powerful, and Accountable, by Public Impact® Co-Directors Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel

April 25, 2017: How to Extend the Reach of Great Teachers in Turnaround (or Any) Schools, by Multi-Classroom Leader Erin Burns

May 15, 2017: When Students Own Their Academic Results, They Transform Their Schools, by Multi-Classroom Leader Erin Williams

June 19, 2017: How My West Texas School Elevated Struggling Young Readers (and Their Teachers), by Multi-Classroom Leader Maina Cisneros

November 9, 2017: From Action Plan to Teacher of the Year — in One Year, by Multi-Classroom Leader Stacie Bunn

February 7, 2018: When Teachers Leave Midyear, Instructional Teacher-Leadership Keeps Classes Strong, by Multi-Classroom Leader  Molly Whelan

February 23, 2018: Finding Inspiration Again Through Teacher Leadership, by Multi-Classroom Leader Candace Butler

May 23, 2018: Fostering Teaching Efficiency Through Teacher Leadership, by Expanded-Impact Teacher Tu Willingham

August 8, 2018: The Risks and Rewards of Using Blended Learning to Reach More Students, by Blended-Learning Teacher Elizabeth Annette Bartlett

April 3, 2019: Learning to Lead as a Multi-Classroom Leader, by Multi-Classroom Leader Hadley Moore

March 5, 2019: The Best Tool—Sometimes: Using Tech in Elementary School, by Multi-Classroom Leader Amber Hines

May 30, 2019: To Support Teachers and Students, Pass House Bill 1008, by Multi-Classroom Leader Jessica Smith

December 5, 2019: Suspending Student Suspensions: How Teaching Teams Created Calm Classrooms, by Principal Philip Steffes

February 24, 2020: Can I Really Keep at This? What Kept One Great Teacher in the Classroom, by Steven Kennedy

February 15, 2021: No More “Zoo Wallace”: Becoming a Welcoming, Successful School, by Jeremy Baugh

Keep Learning

Educators get first-hand look at ECISD Opportunity Culture

From Odessa American, by Ruth Campbell, November 7, 2024 Now in its fifth year of implementing Opportunity Culture, Ector County ISD got some visitors from across the state and country Thursday to see how it’s done. Educators from Florida and Fort Worth and officials...

MISD welcomes visitors to highlight strategic staffing initiative

From Odessa American, November 7, 2024 School district leaders from across Texas were in Midland Wednesday to observe Midland ISD's successful implementation of Opportunity Culture. The visit included campus tours, observing classrooms at South Elementary and Alamo...