In those moments, it occurred to me as an educator that when teachers talk about coaches, this role is viewed very differently. In sports, coaching signals that talent can be developed and excellence can be cultivated and sustained.

That same assumption should guide how educators think about schools.  

In the world of education, coaching is often misunderstood and regarded with mistrust. It鈥檚 framed as support for novice teachers or for veterans who need additional help, often the last step before termination. But effective coaching is neither remedial nor judgmental. It鈥檚 ongoing professional learning that鈥檚 rooted in growth. If students are to thrive, it’s important for their teachers to receive quality coaching.

Last year, I observed my 2-year-old niece in preschool as she navigated managing big emotions. Since I鈥檓 a former preschool teacher, my sister asked me to watch the class. In school, my niece was prone to tantrums, had toileting accidents and was reluctant to share classroom materials. 

I saw there was no clear plan for helping my niece learn the age-appropriate skills of naming her feelings or redirecting her energy. Her teacher was early in her career and navigating a classroom without consistent coaching. She was not alone, and my niece, her twin sister and the other students in her class were not outliers 鈥� they represent thousands of children whose learning experiences depend on whether their teachers receive the support necessary to improve.

A 2021 analysis by revealed that Black students across the country are disproportionately taught by novice teachers: 15% of educators in schools with most Black students are in their first or second year, compared with 10% in schools that have fewer Black students. In some states, the gap is twice as large. In Florida, at least 30% of Black students are enrolled in schools with a high concentration of early career teachers.The issue is not inexperience itself; every teacher has a first year. The issue is whether those educators receive the support necessary to improve.

Research reinforces what classrooms reveal. According to the , teachers who receive coaching implement academic strategies more often and more consistently than teachers who are not coached. And across , coaching is associated with improved student learning.

Coaching can also help educators be , teaching them to recognize how culture shapes thinking, communication styles and student engagement. It can enable them to analyze classroom interactions, examine student participation patterns and reflect on how instructional decisions may unintentionally advantage or disadvantage students from certain backgrounds.

Coaching, when done well, builds teachers鈥� capacity to reflect, adjust instruction and respond to youngsters鈥� cultural and linguistic assets. 

Yet access to that kind of sustained coaching is uneven and inequitable.

For most of my teaching career, I either didn鈥檛 have a coach or when I did have one, I rarely saw them. And I wasn’t the only one: A national found that while teachers overwhelmingly find coaching helpful, most report they don鈥檛 get enough of it. And all too often, coaching is rushed, underresourced, or led by individuals without sufficient training or subject-matter expertise, leaving teachers feeling judged rather than supported. 

I was one of the lucky ones. As a first-year teacher in , I had two coaches 鈥� one from the school district and one from TFA. Initially, I was annoyed to have two coaches. I assumed it would be twice the judgment and no real help. But their guidance became critical when, three months into the school year, I was reassigned from a third grade class to Head Start at a different school. Their consistent feedback helped me navigate that transition. They helped model strategies for supporting multilingual learners and showed me how to incorporate my students鈥� home languages into daily instruction. And as a result, most of my students met or exceeded key benchmarks in literacy and math. Without my coaches’ guidance, the outcomes would likely have been very different.聽

State departments of education and school districts must invest in sustainable coaching and professional learning that goes beyond one-time workshops. This investment includes training coaches, setting aside time during the school day for them to observe teachers and provide feedback, and giving them time to model classroom lessons.

Development for coaches can include observing other coaches and engaging in training that allows them to observe classroom instruction in order to refine their strategies.

In sports, even the most elite athletes and programs rely on coaches. Education should be no different. If schools are serious about improving outcomes 鈥� such as ensuring that children like my niece have access to responsive and skilled teachers 鈥� then administrators must invest in consistent, high-quality coaching that treats teachers as professionals capable and deserving of continuous improvement. 

鈥淚 had nothing, no resources,鈥� Defreese said. 鈥淚 built the curriculum from scratch.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Though Defreese was the lead teacher in her 11th- and 12th-grade English classes 鈥� designing and delivering lessons, grading student work and offering feedback 鈥� she was not operating alone. Technically, she was still an apprentice. Her first year in Beech Grove was part of a partnership with local Marian University, a residency program where she鈥檇 agreed to be the 鈥渢eacher of record鈥� at the school while still receiving training and taking courses to earn her master鈥檚 degree in teaching. 

During her first year, Defreese had both a mentor teacher at the high school plus professors at Marian providing her with ongoing coaching and training.

Marian professors said the design of the program, which began in 2019, was intended to increase the skill set of new teachers by exposing them to the research on learning, but also to get teachers 鈥渙n their feet鈥� and into classrooms sooner. 鈥淲e have a teacher shortage,鈥� said Karen Wright, director of residencies and clinical experiences at Klipsch Educators College at Marian. The one-year residency, she said, 鈥済ives an opportunity for us to truly partner with our community as well as fully train our candidates.鈥�

It covers the $21,000 tuition for a new teacher鈥檚 master鈥檚 degree, plus provides a living stipend that ranges from $18,000 to $39,000, depending on teacher qualifications.

Local schools and the university see the arrangement as a win/win: understaffed schools get qualified teachers into classrooms quickly, and new teachers get ongoing coaching and support to hone their skills.

Marian University is one of a growing number of programs overhauling how teachers get trained, moving away from short, uneven practical experiences in classrooms to something more closely resembling a medical residency. Residents do more of the day-to-day work of a licensed teacher but in a more junior position, under the supervision of more experienced teachers. 

Apprentice teachers take education courses at night and on weekends while spending their days working directly with students, through tutoring and academic intervention as well as full-time teaching. And unlike traditional programs, apprentice teachers often get paid for their time.

Though the number of residency, apprenticeship and mentorship programs is hard to quantify, experts say the model is not just in university programs, but in non-traditional, alternative certification and 鈥溾�� programs as well. 

Program leaders say longer residencies are happening in part due to the profession鈥檚 rising demands and changes in the field. Some residency programs focus on specific targets, like equipping teachers with the research鈥� such as on the science of reading 鈥�  to understand how learning works; others look to create a more diverse workforce or address chronic teacher shortages. 

The apprenticeship model has promise, said Suzanne Donovan, executive director of the incubated at the National Research Council. Programs like SERP 鈥� the Strategic Education Research Partnership 鈥� are looking to add a research element to new teacher residency programs, making early teaching look much more like young doctors training in a research hospital.

鈥淚’m convinced it’s the thing that could make education a system that continuously improves in the way that,鈥� she said. 

New teachers now outnumber any other group

improving student teaching is one of the most efficient ways to strengthen student achievement and teacher retention overall. Over the last 30 years, novice and first-year teachers have grown to make up the of the workforce, researchers say, outnumbering teachers who鈥檝e worked for five, 10 or any other number of years or more.

According to a 2017 analysis, about 7% of all teachers, or 245,000 out of 3.5 million, are either first-year or novice teachers. In 1987, by contrast, those just entering the field made up 3% of the teacher workforce. 

Since new teachers tend to be less effective than experienced ones, and leave in higher numbers, especially the that work in high-poverty schools, the student teaching experience becomes critical to success. Teachers in training who have positive student teaching experiences with effective, experienced mentor teachers to teach. 

But according to a 2023 report from EdResearch for Action, many state regulations come up short, offering bare minimum requirements ranging in quality. Only 27 states require at least 10 weeks of student teaching under a mentor teacher in the building; even fewer, the report says, mandate a student teacher work full-time during those weeks. Few programs set criteria for what student teaching should include. Mentor teachers often receive , and if they are paid at all, receive an average $200 to $250 stipend. 

 鈥淭he frequency and quality of support provided to teacher candidates by mentor teachers and field instructors vary significantly and are often inadequate,鈥� researchers wrote.

鈥淧eople are not paying enough attention to this issue,鈥� Dan Goldhaber, director of the at the American Institutes for Research, told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of low-hanging fruit when it comes to making student teaching better.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Studies have shown, for example, that a for novice teachers reduced teacher attrition within the first few years. 

骋辞濒诲丑补产别谤鈥檚 links mentor teacher quality to how effective new teachers are once they get in front of students. While only about 5% of working teachers volunteer to be mentors, student teachers who do get highly effective mentor teachers perform substantially better once they鈥檙e in classrooms. 

鈥淚f you work with a very effective, two-standard-deviations-above-average mentor teacher, you end up looking almost like a teacher who has two years of teaching experience instead of a novice,鈥� Goldhaber said.

But several obstacles stand in the way of higher quality training for novices, said Matthew Kraft, an education economist at Brown University. Teacher compensation continues to be a factor, and districts and universities can鈥檛 pay for long training periods like in medicine. No such thing exists for educators. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 alluring to characterize teaching as medicine, but we鈥檙e not going to have anything close to that until we have something that even approaches medical pay,鈥� Kraft said. 鈥淭hose things go together. You train many, many years to become a doctor, not only because it’s necessary, but because there are returns to that multi-year investment in your education.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Getting into the nitty-gritty of teaching 

Some new residency and apprenticeship programs are paying more attention to breaking down the steps of teaching. They鈥檙e spending more time on research and practical tools in the way new doctors practice the 鈥渉ow鈥� while learning the 鈥渨hy鈥� of treating patients. 

When professors overhauled the student teaching program at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in 2020, school of education dean Douglas Cost said they needed better measures to know whether their clinical teacher training was doing a good job preparing teachers for the classroom. Teacher licensure was the bare minimum.

鈥淎ccreditation is an important goal,鈥� Cost said. 鈥淏ut it doesn鈥檛 get into the nitty-gritty of teaching. Understanding the science behind learning has given us a real lever to begin thinking about what makes a good teacher.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; 

Cost and colleagues adopted , an evidence-based educator curriculum focused on improving student learning. It gives new teachers specific techniques like connecting students鈥� prior knowledge to what they鈥檙e learning, or how to make sure all students are thinking about the material. 

鈥淥ur professors gave us a template for designing our lesson plans, based on prior knowledge, gaps in knowledge, how to get students up to speed who might have gaps,鈥� said Sarah Cardoza, a former resident and social studies teacher at Wasilla High School in Wasilla, Alaska. 鈥淲hat do you want students to know, and how do you know if they know it? It takes that simple concept and gives you a roadmap for it.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Cardoza said her first year as a resident teacher, her class had eight students with mandated special education support, three English language learners and several Ukrainian refugees  鈥� a lot for a new teacher to handle. 

鈥淚 appreciated having a plan for how you are going to handle those situations when everybody鈥檚 needs are so different,鈥� she said.

New teachers often don鈥檛 have the experience to know how to execute these techniques in a classroom full of students, said Zach Groshell, an independent coach and teacher trainer in Seattle, Washington. Giving them step-by-step specifics 鈥� like how to gather students on the rug in an organized way or how to capture attention with a simple arm gesture 鈥� might seem basic, but can make the overwhelming first days of teaching much more manageable. 

鈥淭he generalities of 鈥榖uild relationships,鈥� 鈥榟ave a positive classroom climate,鈥� 鈥榩lan your lessons effectively,鈥欌�攖hey’re just too nebulous and vague for new teachers to act on them,鈥� Groshell said. 鈥淵ou need to get more specific.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

A  鈥榞radual release鈥� to full teaching responsibility 

Traditional student teaching offers new teachers two stark realities: practice lessons in controlled environments, and then full responsibility in a classroom of students. But residency models emphasize 鈥済radual release鈥� to full independence, especially in hard-to-staff areas like special education. 

鈥淢y first year as a teacher, I cried almost every day,鈥� said Geri Guerrero-Summers, a special education teacher at Mariner High School in Everett, Washington. New teachers went from 鈥測ou鈥檙e going to observe鈥� to 鈥渏ump right in,鈥� she said. 鈥淪tudent teaching was unpaid. 鈥� It’s really a rough type of process in becoming a teacher.鈥�

Guerrero-Summers now works as a mentor teacher with the Washington Education Association鈥檚 , the first teachers鈥� union to step into training and licensing teachers. Originally funded with federal pandemic relief money, the union residency launched in 2023 and has recently obtained status as a registered apprenticeship program with the U.S. Department of Labor, which comes with an investment of $3.4 million. 

鈥淲e strive to make sure our residents are classroom ready, no matter where they鈥檙e placed,鈥� said Jim Meadows, dean and director of educator career pathways center at WEA.

Future educators begin with 18 weeks working as a paid assistant in special education classrooms, often called a paraeducator, followed by seven weeks of classes, finishing with 36 weeks of clinical rounds, slowly taking over responsibilities as full-time teachers. 

Apprentices spend time in a variety of special education settings and age groups. The residency was created to address a specific challenge, an of special education teachers in Washington state. A found that 1.5% of special ed teachers were unqualified to teach, nearly three times the state average for other types of teachers. in the state make up more than all other vacancies鈥攊ncluding STEM teachers and English language teachers鈥攃ombined. 

Gradual release has been critical for learning the detailed skills of a special educator, said current resident Beck Williams. For example, writing, reading and interpreting Individualized Education Programs, which lay out a student鈥檚 classroom supports and accommodations and their learning goals, are covered in coursework but look much different when working with families and young people.   

鈥淚n special education teacher training, there鈥檚 not enough practice with IEPs and parent interaction,鈥� said Williams鈥� mentor teacher, Angela Salee. Special education teachers often have to play several roles in IEP meetings, advocating for the student鈥檚 best interest while explaining accommodations to other teachers, administrators and families. 

In Mississippi, where have a teacher shortage, alternative licensure programs like the Mississippi Teacher Corps offer two-year residencies and accompanying master鈥檚 degrees to get more teachers up to speed as quickly as possible.聽

Residents jump right into classrooms and start teaching summer school. They plan lessons and figure out classroom management, all under mentors and supervisors, right away. 

鈥淧art of the difficulty of teaching is that you can’t fully prepare someone for the classroom,鈥� said corps director Joseph Sweeney. 鈥淪o part of it is that experience they need in the classroom. You have to get them on their feet to show them what it鈥檚 like.鈥�

But if classroom instruction isn鈥檛 improving, we shouldn鈥檛 be surprised that test scores are stagnant or dropping. 

How teachers are taught to teach鈥攁long with what curriculum materials they use with students and how they use those materials鈥攁re the most critical factors for improving student learning. Many state education leaders are doing their part to ensure school districts adopt high-quality curriculum materials and help teachers use them well. The colleges and universities that prepare teachers to enter the profession largely have not. 

Back in 2017, the Council of Chief State School Officers formed a of interested state departments of education 鈥� called the High Quality Instructional Materials and Professional Development Network 鈥� to put good curriculum into the hands of teachers.

The network is getting its job done: According to and that of the states themselves, more teachers are using curriculum materials for English language arts and mathematics that are aligned with rigorous state standards. More schools are also providing professional development to teachers that is grounded in their curriculum materials. 

Louisiana 鈥� a network state that is also for state curriculum reform efforts 鈥� was the only state to see gains in fourth-grade reading scores on NAEP since 2017. Louisiana and Mississippi, another network member, were two of only four states that have seen gains in fourth-grade mathematics since 2017.

But one area where we consistently have seen little change is in college and university teacher preparation programs. In surveys every year since 2019, RAND has asked teachers across the nation which approach their teacher preparation program emphasized: 

(a) 鈥渉ow to develop my own lessons and unit plans,鈥� or

(b) 鈥渉ow to skillfully use and modify curricula provided to me.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Year over year, only about 10% of U.S. teachers indicate that their program emphasized helping them use curriculum materials. A little less than half say the emphasis was on how to develop their own lessons and unit plans. The balance say their program emphasized both or neither.

These percentages hold regardless of the teacher鈥檚 state, whether the teacher is in an elementary or high school; in an urban or rural school; in an English language arts/reading, math or science classroom; or was trained 20 years ago versus in the past five years. 

All teacher preparation programs should show teachers-in-training how to skillfully use the curricula they are given. This is a prerequisite to ensuring that most children meet state academic standards. Think about it: If every teacher uses a school-provided curriculum that is aligned with their state standards, the chances of meeting those standards is better than if teachers are reinventing the wheel by developing their own lessons.

Other data beyond our surveys underscore this point: Teacher preparation is slow to incorporate what we know about good classroom instruction. 

For example, the and confirmed that elementary schoolers need instruction in five key components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Yet, in NCTQ鈥檚 2023 nationwide of the elementary reading course syllabi of nearly 700 teacher preparation programs, they found that only 25% of those programs adequately addressed those five core components of reading instruction. Another 25% didn鈥檛 adequately address any of those components. 

The idea that teachers should write their own curriculum is outdated and ill-serving; it鈥檚 a holdover from the era before the advent of academic standards in the U.S. and growing knowledge about what makes a good curriculum material. These days, according to a recent RAND American Instructional Resources Survey, encourage teachers to develop their own curriculum. Instead, most principals expect teachers to use their required curriculum materials.

At their best, professional curricula are developed by experts in subject matter and pedagogy, are written to build students鈥� knowledge over time, and have been endorsed by third party organizations such as that deem the material aligned with state academic standards. 

Adopting a prepared curriculum needn鈥檛 turn teachers into robots; it takes considerable skill and subject-matter knowledge to use any materials thoughtfully and productively. Teacher prep programs should give teachers ample, hands-on training on how to use their grade-level curriculum materials and the expertise to make just-in-time adjustments that help students catch up when they are struggling to master those materials. 

States and school districts know that curriculum matters. Many have revamped their policies accordingly. It鈥檚 time for teacher preparation programs to do the same.

Most teacher evaluations, however, are just another check box on an administrator鈥檚 to-do list and a lesson in futility for those on both sides of the table. State reforms have tied success to high-stakes standardized test scores and other rigorous quantitative measures, which one study found have 鈥�.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

As school leaders reimagine education, they have focused intensely on student growth. But they must also 鈥� and perhaps first 鈥� rethink how to help educators grow and improve. Prioritizing teachers’ professional development is crucial. Educators need support and guidance to enhance their practice and benefit student learning. Too often, administrators point out issues and wash their hands of the problem, expecting teachers to construct their way out without any support.

At, where I serve as superintendent, we unearthed some uncomfortable truths about the traditional evaluation processes. Teachers reported that evaluations induce anxiety, often lack accuracy and fail to facilitate professional growth. Administrators found the system burdensome, obstructing genuine conversations focused on improvement.

This isn鈥檛 merely an implementation issue; it鈥檚 symptomatic of a on both the macro level and in one-on-one implementation that needs to be fixed 鈥� not just here in small-town Indiana, but also in.

When speaking with my fellow superintendents, district administrators and, most importantly, teachers, flaws that devalue what should be an empowering process emerged:

• Unrealistic expectations placed on evaluators鈥� expertise. Twenty years ago, I student-taught kindergarten. However, this doesn鈥檛 qualify me to offer nuanced guidance to current kindergarten teachers. An overreliance on evaluators鈥� instructional and content expertise is a critical defect, leading to evaluations that are subject to criticism from those who work in classrooms every day.
  
• Averaging scores from multiple classroom visits. This approach shifts the focus from the qualitative aspects of teaching to a quantitative score, which can be misleading and distracts from meaningful, constructive feedback. Once scores are assigned, they tend to overshadow the actual practices and areas for improvement that led to them. Teachers preoccupied with a high rating may neglect valuable insights and constructive criticism that could help them strengthen their practice. This score-centric approach creates a stressful and competitive environment, detracting from what should be a collaborative and developmental evaluation process.
  
• Limiting observations to rubric-based evaluations. Performance metrics are often prioritized over teachers鈥� abilities, turning 鈥�.鈥� Scores are often inflated because administrators may feel unqualified or insecure about giving lower scores and fear a backlash. Conversely, some administrators suggest that achieving the highest standards outlined in rubrics is nearly impossible, discouraging the pursuit of excellence. Both scenarios undermine the integrity and effectiveness of the evaluation.
  
• Lack of mentorship for teachers. There鈥檚 a common misconception that administrators cannot simultaneously serve as evaluators and coaches. On the contrary, our primary responsibility should be to facilitate educators鈥� professional improvement and foster a culture of continuous growth. 

To truly reform evaluations, administrators must shift from a system of judgment to one centered on teacher improvement. At Eastern Hancock, we began reimagining our approach in fall 2022 and continued refining it throughout the school year through meetings with teachers and administrators. We began implementing the Teacher Growth Plan in fall 2023, placing educators at the heart of the process and empowering them to own their professional growth.

Most teacher evaluation systems start with an administrator rating a teacher’s performance during classroom observations, then awarding grades ranging from 1 to 4 and averaging those scores. Those marks are entered in a four-column rubric, ranking the teacher’s performance for various criteria as “not good at all,” “needs improvement,” “good enough” or “best.”

This gives educators limited opportunities to share their experiences and provide input into their growth and feedback. We wanted to change that. Instead of relying primarily on administrators judging a series of classroom visits, we give each teacher a three-column rubric that focuses exclusively on best practices in different areas, such as classroom environment and student engagement. These are listed in the middle column, while the left and right columns are blank. The left column is headed “areas of needed help/support,” while the right side is headed “areas of strength/confidence.” The teachers use this rubric to reflect on their practices and assess their confidence in meeting these standards, and then fill in the blanks with their thoughts. On the left, they note areas for growth, and on the right, their strengths. This sets a framework for vital and honest conversations with the evaluator, focused on creating a plan for individual development.

This self-assessment forms the basis for setting goals in five focus areas: an orderly and relationship-focused classroom; clarity around what students will learn (not just what they do); a deep understanding of students to anticipate their varying needs; ability to create engaging learning activities; and reflective and responsive instructional practices.

Teachers meet with evaluators throughout the year to discuss their progress. Unlike traditional models, points are earned through the teacher鈥檚 willingness and ability to reflect, set goals and demonstrate improvement. Classroom observations are conducted frequently, sparking meaningful conversations and allowing exemplary practices to be shared and learned from. Ongoing discussions help monitor progress, and midyear conferences provide updates on goals and plans 鈥� particularly for teachers who are new to the district or at risk of low performance ratings.

At the end of the year, teachers and evaluators sit down to talk about progress on goals set for the year. The teachers present updated self-assessments and final reflections. Then, together with the evaluators, they use collected evidence and professional judgment to complete the evaluation. Those meeting proficiency criteria can step into leadership roles, contribute to professional development and peer mentorship, earn additional points and become eligible for a highly effective rating. 

The evaluation process is transparent, supportive and aligned with the district’s mission of continuous improvement and exceptional educational outcomes, ensuring that teachers can actively engage in their personal growth.

Both teachers and administrators have responded positively. During meetings with evaluators, teachers reported increased confidence and a stronger focus on their improvement goals compared to prior years. Administrators say the new system makes it easier to engage in meaningful, growth-oriented conversations with teachers.

By prioritizing improvement and emphasizing teachers鈥� confidence in their abilities, we have created a more effective environment that fosters professional development and career growth for our educators. Most traditional teacher evaluation systems neglect the role of educators in addressing their own progress. This new approach allows administrators to support teacher growth, leading to a more collaborative and supportive environment for educators, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for students.

Like so many before me, I decided to go into education because of a teacher 鈥� in my case, Hillary Hollandsworth, my high school English teacher, who inspired me to wrestle with what sort of positive change I鈥檇 like to see in the world and empowered me to dream of what a better world could look like.

I was accepted to the Uncommon Schools Summer Teaching Fellowship program and assigned to teach six high school students world history during summer school in Newark. I always knew I wanted to teach at a school that educates students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, so I was eager to learn more about the curriculum, instruction and classroom management. After seven weeks in the program, I鈥檓 fortunate to say that I wasn鈥檛 let down.

I had tutored students before, but this was my first experience teaching in a classroom. I was overwhelmed during the first few days. My ice-breakers to get to know the students were a failure, and I was concerned they would think I was too dull and become disengaged. I tried to battle my fear by remembering the practical strategies for effective teaching I had learned in my training, such as how to prepare lessons and respond to students鈥� mistakes in the moment.

I asked my supervising teacher for guidance. She recommended allowing more time for students to talk with each other in pairs about complex questions that related to my lesson鈥檚 content. After making time for more peer-to-peer conversations, as well as having whole-class discussions, I found I was starting to reach the students. I experienced further success after putting in the time to build rapport with students through small acts, like greeting them in the hallway, as well as having lively discussions that gave them a chance to voice their own ideas around the academic content. These discussions were integral to improving student engagement, and it was at those times that I grew the most as a teacher. 

One of the greatest lessons I鈥檝e learned is that for whole-class discussions to be productive, students must have a depth of knowledge related to the topic beforehand and have precise guidelines on how to communicate during the discussion. If these prerequisites are met, the insights that emerge from students are surprisingly thoughtful and makes one reassess what young people are capable of understanding.

When students can see the relevance of what they鈥檙e learning and connect it to issues they deeply care about, they become passionate and thoughtful. The greatest example I experienced was during a discussion about nonviolent resistance movements and Mahatma Gandhi鈥檚 tactics. During the discussion on peaceful resistance, students connected Gandhi鈥檚 approach to the current forms of civil resistance that African Americans engage in around police brutality. One student said, 鈥淚 used to think that violence had to be used. Now I feel like there really is another way.鈥� Another student, reflecting on why Gandhi鈥檚 organizing was effective, brought to the attention of the class that 鈥淏lack people used to be part of a strong community, now Black people are more going solo.鈥� This led to a conversation about the importance of building strong communities and the opportunity to create solidarity among members of different races struggling for justice.

What amazed me even more was that this insightful discussion occurred while I was doing the least amount of speaking, just throwing out a question or occasionally reiterating what students had said. The program had taught me how to enable students to have highly productive discussions, by ensuring they have enough background knowledge and facilitating these conversations to ensure no student is dominating or left out. I gradually grew in my confidence and comfort level in leading the classroom and adding my own flaIr to what I taught. 

I believe that teaching history is part of raising civically minded students. One example was our closing discussion on the Industrial Revolution. After lessons about the horrors of child labor and the abuse of women workers during that period, I asked my students during a discussion about what this history teaches in terms of developing and using technology for social good. To my astonishment, one announced to the class that the inequalities found in the Industrial Revolution occurred because of the lack of democratic input around developing and governing technology. One contemporary parallel they came up with is current issues around cellphones.

It was in moments like this that I felt most connected to my goals around civic education. Over time, as I became more experienced and received feedback from my instructional coach, I was able to help students recognize connections between the past and the present. I also grew in my ability to create a sense of community with my students and to respond to each student’s learning style. For example, some needed multiple verbal recaps of the information, while others needed extra time to read the documents we were studying.

After my training this summer, I am just as committed and proud of how much I have learned to become a better teacher. Now, I can say with pride, that I鈥檓 starting to follow in Ms. Hollandsworth鈥檚 footsteps.

Brooklyn Laboratory Charter High School can most certainly be counted among the borough鈥檚 hidden gems for its innovative approaches to challenges that now plague schools nationwide.

Getting students back on track to graduate. Decreasing absenteeism. Supporting students鈥� and teachers鈥� well-being, all while preparing for the end of pandemic relief funds next year.   

Two Brooklyn-raised Black women, who reflect much of the student body at the small 9th to 12th grade college prep school, are leading into a new era coming out of the pandemic, revamping the status quo that left many educators exhausted and students dissatisfied.

Leaders and staff went to the drawing board, mining for solutions that filled gaps and brought joy back into school. 

Brooklyn Lab Charter鈥檚 social workers visited nearly 100 homes to find students, as absenteeism soared post-pandemic. Each student has a personal advocate both at school and with their families, an advisor who starts each day with a non-academic meeting to build relationships and discuss health or current events over free breakfast. Free photobooths, music, dinner, sports and games await those who show up on-time at weekly 鈥淣o-Tardy Parties.鈥�

Two teachers now lead each class, at least one of whom is special education certified, as the school adopts an all-inclusion-model. Morning office hours and a 6-week night school offer more chances for students to bridge academic gaps made worse by the pandemic. Teachers are now paid to lead and attend professional development sessions. 

鈥淚’m really proud of the work that we’ve done to strengthen us where we need to be strengthened,鈥� said CEO Garland Thomas-McDavid, who became a career educator after growing up in a low-income Brooklyn neighborhood, becoming a teen mother and dropping out of high school. 

鈥淢ost schools are experiencing a lot of the same challenges鈥� Everyone was facing staff shortages, everyone was facing a great resignation.鈥�

Amid the uncertainty, she and her team are finding new solutions to provide rigorous academic opportunities for students of color and students with disabilities who are frequently ignored and left unchallenged. 

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to lower the bar,鈥� she said. 鈥淚’m not going to go quietly into the night because I always think, what about the parent who can’t speak up? What about the parent who doesn’t have the resources? What about the parent who doesn’t even know what to ask for?鈥�

Excellence is for Thomas-McDavid, a mother of five and parent to a 10th grader at Brooklyn Lab Charter. Having navigated special education services for her youngest, she knows how draining it can be for parents trying to advocate for what their children deserve. And being a native of East New York, where some students also live, she knows the difference schools can make.

The change at Brooklyn Lab Charter is palpable. Since October, the school has seen a 15% decrease in daily absences. Students and staff say students are more excited to come to school amid an almost-180 degree shift, after years of feeling flatlined. Nearly all, about 96%, of teachers are returning next school year.

鈥淚t was visible to some teachers that things had to change,鈥� said Jeckesan Mejia, dean of instruction. 鈥淭his year at every opportunity, we’re trying to implement feedback, changes, updates鈥� Just be in a space where we are not only reacting, but intentionally reacting.鈥�

Over a hundred students participate in nine new sports, from e-Gaming to basketball.  A washer and dryer is open to all and a prayer room was set up during Ramadan. 

Roughly 80% of teachers are Black or brown, serving about 450 students who are predominantly Black, Latino and low-income. 

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鈥淲hen you’re a school of this size, you have the ability to respond and cater to the community that you’re serving, and be more personable with the families that you meet, the people that you work with, and the staff that you hire,鈥� assistant principal Melissa Poux told 蜜桃影视.

The school鈥檚 high expectations have continued since the school鈥檚 inception. 

External partnerships bring students into college classes at nearby universities. Mandatory AP classes and a microeconomics course at a local college helped senior Daniel Shelton see a future in law. His time management skills got better; he learned how to keep focus and retain info from long lectures. 

鈥淚t really opened my eyes,鈥� Shelton said. 鈥淧rior to that, I would have really never known and been able to prepare myself to have the level of dedication to study 鈥� I had to devote all my weekends to it. And honestly I wouldn’t take any second back.鈥�

鈥淏ack in the Lab鈥�

Many of the Lab鈥檚 innovations this school year address multiple goals. 

In daily advisory, led by teachers or administrators, students discuss anything from mindfulness and health to current news and how to advocate for yourself. Low-cost 鈥淣o-Tardy Parties鈥� hosted in the gym help reinforce that school can be a joyful, positive place. 

Their inclusion model for special education also reduces isolation among students, while making classes more accessible and boosting teacher morale.

鈥淢s. Morales, my co-teacher, is not only my favorite person to work with but she has expedited my development more than I could even imagine,鈥� said first-year earth science teacher and pre-med advisor Branden Medary, who came to the classroom after a career in neuroscience and has bridged a partnership to offer aerospace workshops by New York University students.

鈥淚f I’m doing something whack, she will happily pull me aside and be like, 鈥楬ey, you can do this, this, or this. I know those to work. What do you think?鈥欌��

Co-teachers lesson plan together as well so lessons are modified to support students of all ability levels.  

Some families have come specifically because of its inclusive approach to supporting students with disabilities. 

Administrators and teachers at Brooklyn Lab Charter are leaning on each other, too. Staff get paid extra to lead or attend professional development sessions, and now have free access to a local gym. Academic teams are probing deeper into assessment data to see how more subjects can reduce gaps. 

At the start of this school year, math scores showed many students struggled with word problems 鈥� at its core, a literacy problem. 

English and history teachers built in more time for reading comprehension, while math teachers introduced a 鈥渨ord problem checklist鈥� to help students past initial panic and freeze-up: read the problem, restate what it鈥檚 asking, identify variables, etc. 

鈥淭he sheer fact that kids have the ability to check something off allows them to feel that progress, to be a little bit more resilient with what鈥檚 in front of them, and hopefully get to that last check.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Teachers also offer morning drop-in office hours, usually more amenable to teen鈥檚 schedules, particularly those who work. 

Those who need to finish more credits to graduate than is possible during the school day attend a 6-week night school program. 

Cultural responsiveness in and out of the classroom

Innovations underway boil down to understanding students and their families 鈥� being culturally responsive. 

At Brooklyn Lab Charter, administrators, a few of whom spent years at larger network charters criticized for pushing students with disabilities out or cultivating rigid or racist cultures, embrace the bustle that comes with being a school.

Students are themselves in hallways 鈥� as loud or as quiet as they want to be. Through the glass walls of the once-office space, hugs, fist-bumps, waves and smiles abound. 

Though their adjustment to being fully back in person was challenging at first, students describe the environment as more engaging and challenging than their previous schools. That they still feel a sense of community, feel welcomed. 

When asked why, the differences that stick with them speak to their experiences and dreams:

In February, dozens of local Black professionals presented and met one on one with students at their first ever 鈥淪uccess Looks like Me鈥� , shaped by student input. 

鈥淚t’s not everyday that you find somebody from Coney Island who’s up there,鈥� said Brooklyn Lab Charter senior Jayla Eady, an aspiring dermatologist. 鈥淏eing that we’re from the same place, it shows that I can do it, too.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Like all schools, Brooklyn Lab Charter is still working through challenges, including enrollment – which dropped by nearly 100 after they ended remote options this school year – and a $5 million decline in funding as ESSER funds expire in 2024. 

On the student side, attention spans are dwindling as students adjust to the daily grind.

鈥淭he only way to allow for the attention to come back is to make things culturally relevant, make things relevant to them and what they can literally walk outside of this building and utilize today,鈥� added Mejia.

Eleventh graders in Karen Asiedu鈥檚 AP Environmental Science course, learned about blood diamonds, cocoa farming, food supply chains and the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio in the weeks after the AP exam. 

Anaya, a senior, compared her experience of walking into the building to showing up for family Thanksgiving: even if you didn鈥檛 know everyone beforehand, you fit in, feel comfortable and look after each other. Coming to the Lab after being treated like a nerdy outcast at her last school felt like a fresh start, a place where, 鈥淚 can maybe be who I am.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淚 feel very confident that like everyone that we’re in class with now will not just walk across the stage but be given their diploma,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat’s what I like 鈥� I’m glad it’s a no one left behind type thing.鈥�

Disclosure: The XQ Institute provides financial support to Brooklyn Lab High School and 蜜桃影视.

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]]> /article/school-leaders-crisis-overwhelmed-by-mounting-mental-health-issues-public-distrust-mass-exodus-of-principals-could-be-coming/ Sun, 20 Feb 2022 16:01:00 +0000 /?post_type=article&p=585156 As Derek Forbes began his third pandemic school year as a high school principal in Washington state, he was facing an uptick in disruptive behavior 鈥� kids talking back to teachers, getting into disagreements with their peers. 

Perhaps, he thought, young people had lost some maturing time in pandemic isolation, since the behavior was more typical of younger students. Or maybe, like him, they were . 

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The mental health positions he鈥檇 posted stayed vacant for a fifth month. He and his principal colleagues in the Meridian School District were now logging upwards of 60 hours a week, taking on responsibilities of counselors, nurses, subbing as teachers, and food service workers. All while being verbally attacked at local school board meetings over curricula and mask guidelines. 

鈥淢y students aren’t learning the way I want them to, they’re dealing with their own mental health issues that I can’t help them with, my staff are struggling with those same things. And more and more stuff just continues to pile on,鈥� he said. 

For the first time in his 22-year education career, a depleted Forbes has thought about leaving the job he loves, to pursue district leadership. 

鈥淚 always thought that I would always stay in education, and I have no doubt that I will continue鈥� But, I thought about what else might be out there. And I never thought I would do that,鈥� he said.

His experience is hardly rare. Across the country, many principals are preparing to leave the field altogether. 

A of more than 500 this fall by the National Association of Secondary School Principals has found nearly four in ten expect to leave their post within the next three years. More than a third will leave education as soon as they can find a higher-paying job. 

Dubbed a looming 鈥渕ass exodus鈥� by NASSP, numbers were even higher for principals with four years or less on the job: 62 percent of early-career principals said they will leave within the next six years. Many others are .

The crisis has hit principals of color, women and those leading schools with higher proportions of lower-income students and students of color particularly hard. They are more likely than their peers to experience job-related stress during the pandemic, a new study found. 

According to NASSP鈥檚 fall survey, 91 percent of principals were very or extremely concerned about student wellness, more than any other challenge (in comparison, mask mandates had about 51 percent very or extremely concerned). More than a third said there鈥檚 not adequate student services staff, like nurses and counselors.

鈥�…For people to start saying, 鈥楳an, you know, I’m not ready to die. I’m not dying yet but this thing is killing me,鈥� really scares me,鈥� said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. 鈥淏ecause people, especially our members, don’t say that stuff. And they don’t say it lightly and they sure as heck don’t say it publicly.鈥�

The surveys and widespread stories of principals鈥� well-being plummeting point to the need for mental health support, mentorship and leadership development programs for principals, said Nozoe. 

Principals told 蜜桃影视 the exodus may begin as early as the end of this school year. Some may want to leave mid-year but, understanding the stress it would cause for their schools, are waiting until summer break. 

Nozoe has seen red flags for the profession throughout the pandemic: Fewer candidates are entering training, higher education and . Superintendents are also experiencing burnout and reaching retirement, so some principals will go on to district roles.

But the biggest flag, he said, is that teachers across the country have expressed the same care and concern that they express for students, now for their supervisors. 

鈥淚t’s the first time I’ve really seen it – our teachers saying, 鈥榃e’re struggling, but man, I’m really worried about our principal,鈥欌�� said Nozoe.

鈥溾�楬e or she is getting beat up, and he doesn鈥檛 look good or she doesn’t look good. They’re all stressed out and I don’t want to lose her or him.鈥欌��

Strategizing on how to better support students and staff mental health has had a ripple effect. Principals are now pointing the spotlight on themselves, taking stock of their own well-being.

鈥淚 have sought out and have been seeing a therapist, because I think it’s important 鈥� not just for me as a principal to talk to my kids about [their] mental health 鈥� it’s also important for me to walk that walk,鈥� said Michael Brown, president-elect of NASSP鈥檚 Maryland chapter and principal at Winter Mills High School. 

Brown said the 鈥渉ighly politicized nature of education鈥� has taken its toll on the state鈥檚 educators, many of whom never fully clock-out, making evening calls and communications about the latest pandemic guidance to families. 鈥淵ou struggle to have positive days, positive thoughts.鈥�

鈥業 had to choose myself鈥�

Nadia Lopez, former principal of the Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a middle school in Brooklyn鈥檚 Brownsville neighborhood, criticized the lack of support for principals of color during the pandemic and constant race-based violence.

While trying to keep students on track academically, their schools were disproportionately taxed by racism, police brutality, COVID-19 deaths and pandemic job loss. 

鈥淣ot once was there a convening of leaders to say 鈥榳e recognize that there’s an issue that’s happening across our nation, and you all are having to shoulder a lot of this,鈥欌�� said Lopez.

Now a leadership coach, she continually sees the impact of unsupportive superintendents and disproportionately concentrated student needs. On New Year鈥檚 Eve, she got a call from one distraught New York assistant principal of color, who regularly subbed for teachers on top of her usual duties. She was finally signing her resignation papers, accepting another offer. Another in California left her post mid-year to become a consultant. 

They and dozens of others have recounted their health issues, insomnia and depression to Lopez, their mentor who鈥檇 the Brooklyn middle school she founded and led for a decade. She resigned in June 2020 after developing a crippling kidney disease from the professional stress.

鈥淚 had to choose myself and say, this no longer aligns with who I am as a person. It doesn’t represent who I am as a parent. It doesn’t represent the leader that I’ve been to my scholars and telling them that education is a form of liberation,鈥� Lopez told the 74. 鈥淚t perpetuates the idea that you accept abuse when you shouldn’t have to.鈥�

My experience as a school principal right now鈥�

鈥� Greg Moffitt (@Greg_Moffitt)

Clear across the country, educators in Wyoming are tapping out, too. 

This school year alone, Principal Brian Cox has hired seven new teachers; at least two 鈥渓eft the field of education altogether, mid-year.鈥� His workday starts at 2:30am to address daily staffing challenges. 

鈥淪ome principals feel like the job is becoming untenable. Like there is no way to win,鈥� said Cox, who heads up Cheyenne鈥檚 only predominantly low-income middle school. 

With media and public officials disrespecting their expertise, those in the profession feel, 鈥渓ike your boss had it out for you, the community hated you for the job you do,鈥� he said. The fallout will create a 鈥�massive void 鈥� of interventions, of instructional and behavioral frameworks.鈥�

Strengthening the pipeline

Top of mind for all principals 蜜桃影视 interviewed is creating more balanced workloads, to change the reality that they cannot succeed without sacrificing their own health. 

States must also back ways to recruit and the next generation of teachers and administrators, Brown said. Investing funds in teacher retention alone will not have the domino effect it once had. 

鈥淭hey think it’s just going to be a natural pipeline. But if you see somebody leave鈥� it’s going to give people hesitation鈥︹�業’m not exactly sure now, because this person, I really looked up to them鈥nd they weren’t able to handle it. How am I going to be able to handle it?鈥欌�� Brown said. 

Principals on the brink are also looking for more support from states to match students鈥� growing wellness needs, to provide services that go beyond what schools can offer, such as partnerships with licensed mental health providers or clinics. 

Having district leaders act as thought partners, who can help them manage shortages or partner with universities to rebuild educator pipelines, has become a priority for principals debating their futures, said Lopez. 

鈥淲e need to have good programs to teach them. We need to have good mentoring programs to support them. We need to have great support systems in the districts to do it,鈥� said Nozoe. 鈥淭hat all has its infrastructure, and you can’t just snap your fingers and build it.鈥�

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