In order to best serve students and maximize their own effectiveness, educators need to work in schools where there is sufficient time to collaborate, strong leadership support, an atmosphere of trust, and professional development opportunities.  Since 2001, the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey has assessed to what degree these critical conditions are in place.  

 

The New Teacher Center has partnered with the North Carolina State Board of Education and the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission (NCPTSC) in gathering and using this data for school improvement and educator support.  Since 2009:   

• NTC facilitated a statewide task force on teacher induction. With survey data showing wide disparities in mentoring support, the State Board approved recommendations and revised policy to: 1. Adopt new Program Standards and a continuum of practice for Beginning Teacher Support Programs; 2. Adopt new Standards and a continuum of practice for teacher mentors; 3. Create greater accountability; including the submission of annual induction plans and a formal review every five years; and 4. Provide assistance through a regional peer support network and revised training.      

• North Carolina is the only state in the country with Teacher Working Conditions Standards.  In March, the State Board adopted revised standards and a continuum to guide school improvement planning developed by NTC and the NCPTSC.     These standards, aligned with NTC's Teaching & Learning Conditions (TELL) Survey, serve as a model for all states in assessing whether teachers have what they need to do their best work.   

• NTC has worked with universities and school districts throughout the state to improve teaching conditions and reflect on their induction programs. Creating customized induction data dashboards for more than 30 districts, NTC has worked with two universities and their partners throughout the state to reflect on the state's induction standards and put program improvements in place.   

For more information, please read the NTC Policy Brief on the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions initiative and NTC's report on Improving Teacher Working Conditions: Lessons from North Carolina Schools.

The North Carolina Association of Educators named the NTC's Chief External Affairs Officer Eric Hirsch as its 2011 Friend of Education for his impact on teachers throughout the state through NTC's Teaching and Learning Conditions Initiative. Eric is pictured here with Carolyn McKinney, Executive Director of the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission and former NCAE President.

The final report of the Alaska Advisory Task Force on Higher Education and Career Readiness calls upon the state to make professional support for new teachers a higher priority. One of the report's key recommendations is: "The Legislature should fully fund and encourage the continuing work of the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project (ASMP) ... for teachers seeking professional development to improve their classroom instructional skills. The ASMP has demonstrated success in improving quality and effectiveness of new teachers entering the workforce." Read the HECR Task Force Final Report.

 

The NTC assisted in the development of this bill and has partnered with the Hawaii Department of Education since 2006 to provide support to new science teachers who are spread across eight islands.  Through NTC's Electronic Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS) initiative, Hawaii is able to provide content- and grade-specific e-mentoring to math and science teachers -- an excellent solution for new STEM teachers who are remotely located where the opportunity for a personal mentor is restricted. 

 

Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor of Education at Stanford University, offered her thoughts on the Washington Post's The Answer Sheet blog. Dr. Darling-Hammond highlighted strategies being used in Finland, Singapore and China to build and reward a highly qualified teaching force and address inequity in schools.

 

We welcome your comments about the Summit on NTC's Facebook page.

Generation Y Teachers

A new report from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) finds that "Generation Y" teachers want feedback on their performance, fair evaluations, time to collaborate with their colleagues, differentiated pay for high performance and access to technology to incorporate into instruction. AFT President Randi Weingarten said, "We asked our new teachers what they need to help grow the next generation of teachers. They told us loudly and clearly that they need the tools, resources and working conditions to make teaching a lifelong career." Read the AFT/AIR report: "Workplaces That Support High-Performing Teaching and Learning: Insights from Generation-Y Teachers."

 

Lessons Learned from High-Performing Nations

A new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education investigates Teacher and Leader Effectiveness in High-Performing Education Systems. It

outlines lessons learned from three high-performing education systems-Finland, Ontario (Canada), and Singapore-that the federal government and U.S. states can apply to create a highly effective educator workforce. Among the lessons are the importance of attractive teaching conditions and the provision of comprehensive induction programs for new teachers. Read the report and/or the shorter issue brief.

 

"U.S. Is Urged To Raise Teachers' Status" (New York Times)

 

"Today's teacher layoffs threaten tomorrow's classrooms" (L.A. Times)

 

"Minnesota losing its new teachers" (Star Tribune)

U.S. Congressman Mike Honda (California) invites you to participate in the U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission event on the evening of April 21, 2011 in San Jose, California.  The Equity Commission represents an important step in the fight to obtain educational finance equity for each child. Please RSVP to equitycommission@ed.gov if you are interested in attending.  

 

The NTC Symposium on Teacher Induction will be held February 5-7, 2012 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, CA.

 

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NTC Staff:

 

Policy  

Liam Goldrick, Director 

David Osta, Associate Director Dara Barlin, Associate Director 

Teaching & Learning Conditions

Andrew Sioberg, Director

Communications

Jane Baker, Director 

Tracy Kremer, Senior Manager  

 

External Affairs
Eric Hirsch, Chief Officer
Ann Maddock, Senior Policy
                     Advisor
Jennifer Burn, Project Manager/
                     Newsletter Editor