Advocating for High-Quality Professional Development
Learning Forward's Definition of Professional Development
Working with our allies and advocates, we created a new definition of professional development for use in the reauthorized version of ESEA. Federal policy makers have the opportunity to promote a significant improvement in teaching quality in American schools by supporting legislation that will strengthen the quality of educators’ professional learning.
Read the full definition here. |
Policy Update
Educators have enough stress in their life without worrying about the world of Washington politics. But as any good civics teacher will tell you, government informs and affects our lives and careers – especially those of us in public institutions. To help keep you informed of federal policy and news, we’ll be sharing updates each month online and in Connect.
From the President
On August 10, President Obama spoke these words as part of a longer address on education:
“I want to commend some of the teachers unions across this country who are working with us to improve teaching -- like the Delaware Education Association, which is working with state leaders as part of their Race to the Top efforts, not only to set aside 90 minutes of collaboration time a week to improve instruction, but to strengthen teacher development and evaluation. That's the right way to go.
So, for anyone who wants to use Race to the Top to blame or punish teachers -- you’re missing the point. Our goal isn’t to fire or admonish teachers; our goal is accountability. It’s to provide teachers with the support they need to be as effective as they can be, and to create a better environment for teachers and students alike.”
Week of August 9: Legislative Developments
- Edujobs: The biggest story in education policy is the passage of the $10 billion "Edujobs" bill. This week the Senate voted to approve the measure, which provides funding to prevent over 140,000 teachers from being laid off this fall. With the upcoming school year in mind Speaker Pelosi has said she will call back members of the House to vote on the measure next week.
- Teacher and Principal Improvement Act: The Learning Forward-approved Teacher and Principal Improvement Act S.3242, sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed, and the Great Teachers for Great Schools Act of 2010 H.R. 5218, sponsored by Rep. Jared Polis, were referred to the respective houses' education subcommittees. Should these bills become law, they will redefine professional development in ESEA to provide a clear definition of high-quality professional development and incentivize schools to practice it.
Call to Action
- Round 2 of Race to the Top is entering its final stages. Find out more about the grant program and your state's application here. Write a letter to your state board of education expressing your opinion on the importance of high-quality professional development in your state's Race to the Top application.
Advocacy Tip
- There is truth in the phrase strength in numbers. One letter to one congressperson is great, but if you truly believe something, mobilize like-minded believers to ACT by writing letters, making calls, and speaking out for an issue.
Education Advocacy Toolkit
We believe that affecting the policy context is critical to achieving our purpose. Therefore we have designed this toolkit to help you become an effective advocate for sound federal education policy. Developed by B & D Consulting, this 24-page guide answers questions about who you should contact, what your message should be, and how to deliver the message.
NSDC Policy Points
Made possible through funding from College Board, NSDC Policy Points, a four-page newsletter, is sent to members of Congress and their staffs to help them develop greater understanding of government's role in supporting teacher learning that directly affects student achievement. We invite members to share these newsletters with state-level policy makers and other key decision makers within their own spheres of influence.
- NSDC Policy Points, December 2009, Vol. 1, No. 4
Read about the importance of collaboration to professional development, both within and beyond education. See how a school district in Iowa uses collaborative professional learning to better serve students.
- NSDC Policy Points, July 2009, Vol. 1, No. 3
What does effective professional learning really look like in schools and what are the results? See our definition of professional learning come to life in three districts across the country.
- NSDC Policy Points, April 2009, Vol. 1, No. 2
The April issue explores specific aspects of our definition of professional development. To see three online videos illustrating the definition, visit the definition page.
- NSDC Policy Points, January 2009, Vol. 1, No. 1
The first issue establishes the importance of professional development for our nation and illuminates what we can learn from high-performing school systems in the U.S. and other countries. This issue excerpts a JSD interview with international reformer Michael Barber. Download the full JSD interview here.
What can you do?
