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Leaders need to give teachers the time and opportunity to share ideas and to have leaders listen. The teachers’ voice in decision-making and policy-making must be heard.
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Create a teacher evaluation process that honors excellent teaching and learning, while also being productive and meaningful.
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Networks are needed to provide teacher support and mentoring so teachers can be empowered and motivated.
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There’s a low return on investment in focusing on the worst teachers. We need far more focus on the middle of the curve versus the bottom few percent.
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Change the structure of educational systems and the school year to allow greater teacher collaboration, reflection and discourse.
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Teachers need support, in the form of collaboration with colleagues, intensive mentoring, and constructive feedback.
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Schools need strong leadership: administrators who know curriculum, best practices, and who are instructional leaders.
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Focus efforts on creating professional learning communities and teacher leadership rather than teacher dismissal.
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Teachers need the ability to design and run their own professional development that is effective, meaningful and rigorous.
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Change needs to be made at all levels—classroom, school, district—and there isn’t one thing that needs to be changed. Collective action, networks, and mutual support are all crucial.
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Administrators and teachers need to have a common and open goal for their schools. Teachers must trust administrators and administrators must use teachers to develop policy.
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Institute year-round teaching—make teaching a “real” profession.
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Principals must change the school culture from blame and accountability to collegiality and mutual learning.
