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Opportunity Culture® Educator Columns

No More “Zoo Wallace”: Becoming a Welcoming, Successful School

By Jeremy Baugh, February 15, 2021

In 2015, when I came to Lew Wallace Elementary in Indianapolis Public Schools as its fourth principal in four years, the community referred to the school as “Zoo Wallace,” and families openly expressed disappointment in being placed there.

Still, after sending out flyers and emails and making calls home about our meet-the-teacher night, I was shocked to have only one parent show up. In my 10 years as a principal, I had never seen anything like it.

Like the parents, teachers were demoralized and disengaged. One day, the school’s only other leader, an instructional coach, and I wanted to ask a quick question of some teachers. But at 3:30, just five minutes after the kids left for the day, the teachers had all disappeared, too. Read more…

Suspending student suspensions: How teaching teams created calm classrooms

By Philip Steffes; first published by EducationNC, December 5, 2019

How can kids learn when they’re not in the classroom? That’s the issue I confronted when I arrived at Albemarle Road Elementary in Charlotte four years ago. Despite teachers who truly cared about their students, we had far too many suspensions. And students were struggling. When I first came here, 95% of our teachers had been in the red — not meeting student growth targets — in literacy for multiple years.

Be the Bridge: How Multi-Classroom Leaders Smooth Teacher-Administrator Communication

By Brandon Warren, September 3, 2019

Teachers, how many times has this happened to you?

The classroom door opens, and in comes the principal, maybe with an assistant principal in tow. Your stomach plunges as you think, “Oh my goodness, they’re here, what are they looking for, what do they like, what don’t they like?” Your purpose in teaching that day flies out of your head, and it’s all downhill from there.

To Support Teachers and Students, Pass House Bill 1008

By Jessica Smith, May 30, 2019

“We need House Bill 1008 to pass in this legislative session, to give more districts and schools support to put Multi-Classroom Leadership in place and to expand it to more schools.” This column is adapted from the remarks made by Multi-Classroom Leader® Jessica Smith before the Indiana Senate Committee on Education and Career Development. Ultimately, the legislation passed, providing $3.5 million for up to 30 districts to plan career ladders that may include Opportunity Culture. Read more…

The Best Tool—Sometimes: Using Tech in Elementary School

By Amber Hines; first published by EducationNC, March 5, 2019

“Our students are digital natives, so they’re confident with technology; it can give them the freedom to share their thoughts and think critically about both their own and their peers’ work.” For Multi-Classroom Leader® Amber Hines, who uses two-way video recording and QR codes with her students, technology enhances instruction by drawing out and engaging her teaching team’s students. Read More…

Learning to Lead as a Multi-Classroom Leader®

By Hadley Moore, March 4, 2019; published by EducationNC, April 3, 2019

“The MCL role allowed me to grow and feel confident as an instructional leader. Without this experience, I would not have pursued administration.” Hadley Moore gained skills as a multi-classroom leader that helped her succeed as an assistant principal. Read More…

The Risks and Rewards of Using Blended Learning to Reach More Students

By Elizabeth Annette Bartlett; first published by EducationNC, August 8, 2018

“In the end, it wasn’t quite that simple—but the lessons we learned will continue to benefit students.” Middle school Blended-Learning Teacher Elizabeth Annette Bartlett saw blended learning in an Opportunity Culture as a means to reach more students and give them more time for hands-on labs—but, she discovered, age mattered for student success. Read More…

Fostering Teaching Efficiency Through Teacher Leadership

By Tu Willingham; first published by Georgia Public Broadcasting, May 23, 2018

“I have never been part of a more thoughtful, practical, and effective classroom model than this.” For Expanded-Impact Teacher Tu Willingham, leading an aspiring teacher throughout the year not only helped him effectively reach more students, but also increased classroom efficiency and allowed him to boost the school’s home-grown teacher pipeline. Read More…

Finding Inspiration Again Through Teacher Leadership

By Candace Butler; first published by EducationNC, February 23, 2018 

“I wanted to inspire more; I wanted to reach more. How could I take this ‘inspiring gig’ on the road?” Candace Butler found her passion for teaching renewed by becoming a multi-classroom leader—leading her teaching team through challenges with repeatedly renewed inspiration. Read More…