Inside the Instructional Materials Taskforce (Part 1)
By Lisa Goldschmidt, Digital Director, Student Achievement Partners Representatives from six districts from across the United States are embarking on a project that will culminate in their ability to support an instructional materials selection process that trains reviewers to identify alignment to the key shifts of the Common Core State Standards. It can be a […]
Read More →The Core Truths of Mathematics Education
Get involved in the dialogue for mathematics learning of all students! Diane J. Briars, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, urges us all – especially parents and teachers – to “distinguish the Common Core State Standards Math facts from the fallacies” in her message, Core Truths.
Read More →Holshouser Continues Legacy of Bi-Partisan Collaboration
By The Hunt Team
Last month, Ginny Holshouser Mills delivered an impassioned welcome to North Carolina legislators during The Institute’s Holshouser Legislators Retreat – named in honor of her father, Governor Jim Holshouser. She recalled her father’s steadfast commitment to public education and bi-partisan collaboration as he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of North Carolina’s students. Her captivating remarks left all in attendance inspired and thinking about the importance of teamwork for the greater good. The following are excerpts from her speech.
“When he was in office, dad was serious about education, rural healthcare, the environment, and economic development. But after leaving office, dad dedicated most of his public service time to the areas of education and economic development. Why? Because he believed that education mattered more to the future of our state than any other area, and without it, there would be no way to build the North Carolina economy for generations to come. In short, education matters. And, dad thought that there were some things that mattered more than others.
Read More →RECAP: The 2014 Holshouser Legislators Retreat
By The Hunt Team
Sweeping education legislation in 2013 has resulted in monumental changes for teaching and student assessment in North Carolina’s public schools. Local school districts are working hard to implement these new policies and are calling on policymakers to re-examine the pace of change, the efficacy of these reforms, and the expectations being placed on classroom teachers.
Last month, The Hunt Institute convened North Carolina legislators in Greensboro, NC, for the 2014 Holshouser Legislators Retreat amidst this backdrop of trepidation and change. This bi-partisan group of 60 policymakers spent two days with national and state education experts discussing key topics such as teacher effectiveness and compensation, student assessments, school accountability, partnerships that promote college and career readiness, and the role rigorous standards play in securing North Carolina’s economic future.
Read More →Transforming Teaching through Collaborative Practice
By Katherine Bassett, CEO of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY)
Teaching is often referred to as the most isolated of professions. In fact, many teachers remain inside their classrooms with little to no interaction with their colleagues during the day.
Yet collaboration is essential for learning, and the Common Core State Standards demand that teachers teach through collaborative practice models, requiring students to work in groups, building problem-solving and collaboration skills. In addition, we know that new teachers grow best through collaboration and mentoring in order to become effective and to persist in a challenging profession.
As states and school districts across the country focus on effective teaching as a strategy to improve student achievement, we must find new ways to increase opportunities for collaborative practice. In some cases, this may mean changing the very structure of school.
Read More →Turning America’s Education System Around with Common Core
Business leaders Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Governor John Engler, president of the Business Roundtable, are straight forward about America’s public education system not making the grade in their op-ed, “Common Core Brings Benefits to Both Education and Our Economy.” This op-ed originally appeared via the McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
Donohue and Engler discuss how K-12 public education is “setting our nation up to fail,” noting that it’s not preparing students for college or career success, not delivering skilled works for businesses and a stronger economy, or enabling our country to compete and lead in the global economy. They conclude that “proficiency in fundamental disciplines is slipping,” and that it is an impending national crisis that requires urgent action at the K-12 level.
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