Valentina Tovar Schelhaas’ Post

The teaching job is in crisis. And state education leaders can play a critical role in helping district leaders address it. This latest Education Resource Strategies release reveals three ways that state leaders can (and should) create enabling conditions to help school system leaders drive change, including do-now to start providing that support. We also share two case studies from Texas and Maryland of this work in action, and a tool for state leaders to assess the conditions for this work in their state. It was such a pleasure working on this project with my colleagues: Ventura Rodriguez, David Rosenberg, Tara Anderson, Sarah Waldman, Ash Holland, Valentina Tovar Schelhaas, Kaitlyn Chantry, and Karen Hawley Miles. https://lnkd.in/edhehC9r.

The District Framework for Enabling Postsecondary Success is here to help schools & districts create the ideal environment for students to thrive after high school. If you're a district leader, superintendent, or counselor, this is a must-read! https://lnkd.in/eeuN-TKE

The Hoover Institution, Stanford University, convened a group of innovation leaders to take stock of K–12 public education in the United States. The Education Futures Council (EFC) quickly focused on designing a new approach for America’s traditional public school system.  In a new report issued this month the EFC made some observations that should get the attention of us all. The EFC is calling to the attention of policymakers, school leaders, and elected school board members to embrace new foundations; operational essentials and a new system design for TK-12 public education. “The Council was unanimous in the view that dramatic action is no longer a matter of public urgency (in TK-12 public education); it is a matter of public emergency.” Is this just another report and another effort that will go unnoticed?  Why is it that most of the adults in the system don’t stop, look up and around, and work together with their faces to the wind, and make the changes needed so that every student secures a great public education? Because maintenance of the current system is easier than embracing change.  It’s human nature to fear the unknown. From my vantage point, it is fun to challenge the status quo and do what critics say is impossible.  If we start today, yes, the mess in the preverbal garage and basement will take some time to empty.  Yet the renewed enthusiasm once the space is cleared is the starting point to reimagine, rethink, and redesign what works best for students and their learning.  The closure of public education during the pandemic was the single greatest disruption to the system in my lifetime.  It’s sad that school leaders and board members squandered the opportunity to work towards immerging from the pandemic with new ideas and operational norms meant to better the system instead of racing to embrace their normal. Today, this week, and this month are here.  What are you doing as a leader in public education to address the emergency in TK-12 public education for the benefit of students?  Remember, the thinking that got us here is not the thinking needed to get us where we all need the system to be.  #leadership #change #publiceducation https://lnkd.in/gs9eZCVE

Yesterday, we held the final convening of the East Side Alliance Transformation Network, a four-year partnership of nine schools in San Jose, CA. The network focused on improvement in middle grades math for the first two years and whole-school transformation for the final two years. Partners is very proud to have supported collective action to improve on-track outcomes for students on the East Side. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll share highlights from the convening including opening remarks from Glenn VanderZee, superintendent of the East Side Union High School District; our honoring of Oak Grove School District Superintendent Jose L. Manzo, who is retiring at the end of the school year; and recognition of five individuals who’ve been awarded scholarships to support them as they earn their administrative services credential and become even stronger results-oriented change agents (ROCAs). In addition, we’ll share the reflections of the school teams that were the heroes of this four-year journey. Because Partners believes in the power of story-telling as a way for schools to capture their continuous-improvement work and spread successful practices, we invited each team to encapsulate their growth in five-minute Ignite presentations. For example, pictured below is the team from Davis Intermediate – Ginelyn Kudsi, Jose Acosta, and Rachel Pike – who reflected on several improvement efforts over the past four years, including a refinement of professional learning communities that has resulted in greater teacher engagement and agency, increased collaboration among teachers of different grades, and improved student-teacher relationships. The Davis team’s story is just one example; stay tuned for more! #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationForAll #ProfessionalDevelopment #StorytellingForChange

Transitioning to a new Superintendent can be a time of upheaval for any school district. BERKELEY SCHOOL DISTRICT #87 leveraged this transition to refine and clarify its direction by partnering with the Catalyst for Educational Change (CEC). With CEC’s collaborative approach, the district engaged students, parents, community members, staff, and administration to create a comprehensive strategic plan. This plan, which defines the district’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values, outlines five long-range goals: 🌱Student Growth & Achievement ♥️Inclusive Learning Environment 🏅High-Quality Staff & Leadership 🌐Connected Community 📚Equitable Resources CEC's reputation for being with the district every step of the way, through challenges and successes, made them the perfect partner. Together, they are fostering a culture of continuous improvement and setting a strong foundation for the future. Read more about how CEC helped Berkeley School District 87 navigate this critical transition: https://lnkd.in/gAih-Y9y #Education #StrategicPlanning #ContinuousImprovement #SchoolLeadership #CEC

I'm so honored to be visiting the University of Antwerp next week to present a keynote about the work of the Center for Applied Policy in Education (CAP-Ed) and to lead a workshop on Collaborative Networks! See below for more on the keynote. California, Collaborative Inquiry Networks and Leading for Equity: The why, what and how of collaborative networks in the context of educational improvement    “Going through this last year with the Network has really helped—helped me to be more proactive rather than being reactive. It created that space where amongst the chaos I was able to think clearly, think forward. I think the Network really helped me seize the reins.” — Network Superintendent    “It is so crucial to receive a variety of perspectives on key issues from individuals who are in the job of superintendent… that enabled me to immediately reflect on additional implementation strategies and ideas.”  — Network Superintendent    In this keynote address, Dr. Christina Murdoch, Executive Director of the Center for Applied Policy in Education at the University of California, Davis, will share her insights on the networks of school district and school leaders that she has developed with her colleagues in California. For the past sixteen years, the Center for Applied Policy in Education (CAP-Ed) has been bringing cohorts of school district superintendents together annually to support each other in building shared leadership capacity. The CAP-Ed networks have benefitted hundreds of district superintendents, principals, and teachers throughout California. Their ultimate goal is to create an educational system where district and school leaders create the conditions for all students to learn, thrive, and grow. CAP-Ed is deeply committed to educational equity and social justice; we focus on building partnerships and collaborative approaches to research to support effective educational policy.    Collaborative inquiry, reflective practices, and collegial support are the building blocks of collaborative networks of district and school leaders. These networks can tap into and mobilize knowledge in profound ways, resulting in actionable next steps for leading improvement. Collaborative networks help superintendents and principals deepen their leadership knowledge and preparation to lead by enhancing systems thinking to see districts and schools as systems in action, by working with mental models to have reflective and collegial conversations, and by focusing on both personal vision and shared vision to cultivate a creative orientation that drives equitable, high-quality student outcomes.    Collaborative, inquiry-based networks have far-reaching implications for the future of professional learning in education system improvement and school improvement research, policy, and practice. #UCDavisGlobalAffaris #UCDavisCenterforAppliedPolicyinEducation

Introducing the Teaching Commission, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to tackling the most pressing challenges in education and shaping a thriving, sustainable future for the teaching profession. Chaired by the former joint general secretary of the National Education Union, Professor Mary Bousted, the commission brings together leading voices from across education to focus on Rebuilding Teaching: Shaping a Profession that Inspires and Endures. The commission is made possible with the support of key organisations, including Schools Week, NEU, EducationScape, and many more, who share a commitment to elevating and empowering the teaching profession. Thank you to our partners: Schools Week, EducationScape, National Education Union, NAHT - The school leaders' union, Association of School and College Leaders, The Key Group, UCL Institute of Education. About the Teaching Commission The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. But we do not have enough of them, and the shortage is getting worse.    Recruitment targets are missed by bigger margins each year. Experienced teachers leave in huge numbers, new teachers don’t stay, and vacancies are sky-rocketing.   Something is fundamentally wrong with what we expect of our teachers. And it is harming children’s prospects, most of all the least privileged.   The Teaching Commission aims to reveal the causes of this crisis and identify its solutions, at the political level and at the school leadership level. Over the coming months the Teaching Commission will gather evidence from the experts – most importantly teachers themselves.   More than ever, the nation needs qualified, effective and motivated teachers.   Together, we can make it happen. #TeachingCommission https://lnkd.in/eqnHacg2

A much needed discussion! Teaching has become an unsurmountable task for many educators and the role of the teacher/lecturer must be looked at with urgency to ensure those currently employed in the sector don't lose the passion that initially drove them to teaching and those starting out on their teaching career aren't put off by the current challenges.

High-quality #principals have a tremendous influence over their #schools. To increase #diversity, state policymakers must focus on expanding and improving principal preparation programs. Here, recent research from The Wallace Foundation and The Education Trust: https://lnkd.in/gV9uvz9z #LeadershipMatters #EdPolicy #PrincipalPipeline