Celine Coggins, Ph.D. Founder & CEO

BE PART OF THE EQUATION

Celine Coggins, Ph.D. Founder & CEO

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Table of Contents

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• Mission Statement

• T+ Network

• Teach Plus Capacity & Experience

• Memphis

• Massachusetts

• Chicago

• Examples

• What We’ve Learned


Mission Statement

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The mission of Teach Plus is to improve the achievement of urban children by ensuring that a greater proportion of students have access to excellent, experienced teachers.

Teach Plus runs three programs designed to place teacher leaders at the center of reform. They are the:

Teaching Policy Fellowship, T+ Network, and T3: Turnaround Teacher Teams.

Our programs focus on demonstrably effective teachers in the second stage of their careers (in most cases, years 3 through 10) who want to continue classroom teaching, while also expanding their impact as leaders in their schools and in state and district policy.


T+ Network

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The T+ Network is a rapidly-growing national movement of teachers who believe a critical voice has been missing from education policy decision-making: the voice of teachers for kids.

Through an expanding series of interactive in-person and virtual forums, we provide opportunities for teachers to give direct feedback to policy makers.

Multi-tier engagement strategy to reach and mobilize the greatest number of reform-minded teachers.

We work with over 3,500 teachers in the following cities: Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Memphis.


Teach Plus Capacity & Experience

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Teach Plus has Recruited over 1,500 teachers to participate in in-

person T+ Network events.

Developed an evaluation reform question bank with more than 60 questions (and predicted responses).

Experience operating Audience Response Technology, consisting of 8 base stations and 540 keypads to support events with large numbers and multiple sites.

Developed an online forum space with polling capability.

A 20-person national staff to deliver effective network events.


Teacher Engagement in Evaluation Reform: Memphis

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In Memphis:

Over 350 teachers have attended in-person events and offered direct feedback on changes to the teacher evaluation system.

Four Teach Plus events have focused on the rollout of the new teacher evaluation process.

Memphis Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Irving Hamer, and Tennessee state education policy leaders met with teachers at Teach Plus Network events.

The Teach Plus partnership with Memphis City Schools has trained teachers as Ambassadors to provide information to other teachers on the new teacher evaluation rollout.


Teacher Engagement in Evaluation Reform: Massachusetts

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In Massachusetts:

Teach Plus is hosting a “Listening Tour” for Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Dr. Mitchell Chester during a public comment period for new teacher evaluation regulations. The tour consists of 5 T+ Network events around the state.

Teach Plus has trained teachers to serve as spokespersons at public events involving teachers and policy leaders.

Teach Plus Policy Fellows have released two briefs on evaluation reform, served on a state-level task force, and provided testimony on proposed changes to the teacher evaluation system.


Teacher Engagement in Evaluation Reform: Chicago

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In Chicago:

Teach Plus has held major events with Illinois State Superintendent of Education Dr. Chris Koch, Illinois Education Association Executive Director Audrey Soglin, The New Teacher Project President Tim Daly, and the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute Director Dr. Tim Knowles.

Teach Plus is supporting The Chicago Public Education Fund in an outreach campaign to 200 CPS schools to gather feedback from 1,000+ teachers on the key components of a new evaluation system.

Chicago Teach Plus Policy Fellows are releasing a policy brief on evaluation reform at an event on June 1.


Demonstrated Expertise

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Teach Plus has demonstrated expertise in conducting teacher feedback on new policy measures by:

Hosting solutions-oriented events on politically-charged topics;

Turning out large numbers of teachers;

Asking the right sequence of questions;

Holding technical expertise using Audience Response Technology; and

Obtaining high teacher satisfaction with events (polled at the conclusion of each).


Audience Response Technology Sequence: An Example

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Audience Response Technology Sequence: An Example

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Teach Plus Online Discussion Forum: An Example

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Poll Question & Results

Host Question (ex. Rick Hess)

Teacher Responses

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Lessons Learned

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Teachers don’t understand why evaluation reform is happening or why it matters. They need information on the differential impact highly effective teachers and ineffective teachers have on students’ lives.

State and district leaders often default to “telling” rather than “listening” and gathering superficial information rather than critical information.

Teachers are often more supportive of reform than other stakeholders would predict.

Celine Coggins, Ph.D. Founder & CEO

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