Compliments of the American Institutes for  Research (AIR).  Glad that growing your own (GYO) teachers is mentioned, as well as collaborating with teacher preparation programs, supporting new teachers, and increasing teacher salaries.  We definitely need systemic, comprehensive approaches rather than piecemeal ones.  Outsourcing it as we do to organizations like TFA is not a solution and is even harmful to the profession overall.  Not that there aren't some good teachers that come out of this, but for most TFA-ers, teaching is a pass though and not a destination.  They also average here in Texas little more than two years in the classroom.  Hence, our revolving door.

To this AIR report, I'd like to add the importance of having teachers that are culturally relevant and bilingual.  So very needed if our profession is to be responsive to current demands.  Fortunately, they cite these pieces that should be helpful to those of us concerned with such things of great importance. A whole bunch to digest here, my friends.

Angela Valenzuela

6 Apr 2016

Blog Post

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What Will ESSA Mean for English Learners?

English learners (ELs) are an increasingly significant student population, outpacing the demographic growth of non-EL students by more than 40 percent nationwide, and growing by as much as 800 percent in some states. In this blog post, Diane August and Erin Haynes take a look at how the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) helps or hinders this critical student population.

Topic: 

P-12 Education and Social Development, English Language Learners, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

13 Apr 2016

Blog Post

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ESSA and Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawai'ian Students

A large body of research supports the idea that Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawai'ian students thrive in instructional environments that honor their unique cultural and linguistic heritages. In this blog post, Erin Haynes says the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) promises unprecedented opportunities and funding for incorporating our nation’s many indigenous cultures and languages into public schools if implemented properly.

Topic: 

P-12 Education and Social Development, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

 

22 May 2017

Blog Post

Teacher Shortages: Top 10 Ideas from the First State ESSA Plans

Earlier this month, the first deadline for states to submit their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plans passed. Seventeen state education agencies submitted their plans, laying the foundation for states’ educational priorities for years to come. American Institutes for Research (AIR) is conducting an analysis of the state plans as they are submitted, and this is the first in a series of summaries and analyses.

Here are the first 17 state to submit ESSA plans. Click on the state to see their plan:

·       Arizona
·       Colorado
·       Connecticut
·       Delaware
·       Illinois
·       Louisiana
·       Maine
·       Massachusetts
·       Michigan
·       Nevada
·       New Jersey
·       New Mexico
·       North Dakota
·       Oregon
·       Tennessee
·       Vermont
·       Washington, DC
Note: Vermont did not include strategies for filling teacher gaps.



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