The Importance of Professional Learning
Recently I had the privilege of testifying before the Florida Senate and House Education Committees on the vital importance of ensuring that Florida teachers are provided with robust, meaningful learning opportunities to continually refine their teaching practice. I was honored to present alongside a number of Florida superintendents and other experts in the field who…
Hope, Help and a Bright Future for Students Learning, Reading, Writing
Note: In a session at Impact Florida’s 2019 Summit, panelist Sue Pimentel was asked about instructional practices and challenges that kept her up at night when it comes to literacy instruction in our schools. Here she reflects on the thoughts she shared at the summit. There is hope for literacy instruction. I am encouraged about…
Teaching Reading in the United States, Reconsidered
Note: In a session at Impact Florida’s 2019 Summit, Dr. David Steiner talked about the importance of building knowledge in the teaching of literacy. Below, he expands on his thoughts about what is needed to improve student success in reading. Policymakers in the United States often focus on the achievement gap in reading competencies between…
A Shared Vision for Great Teaching
At the 2019 Impact Florida Summit, Kurt Browning discussed how he and Pasco County educators created a shared vision that puts students at the center of their work and gives teachers and leaders clarity about what great teaching means. In Pasco County, we’re on a journey to be an “A” rated school district and, more…
Reflecting for A Successful School Year
Note: Tequilla was a speaker at Impact Florida’s 2019 Summit where she spoke about upending The Opportunity Myth. Four years ago, TNTP partnered with five school districts to try to answer this essential question: How can so many students graduate from high school and yet not be ready to meet their goals for college and…
Together We Are Better: The Necessity and Beauty of a Professional Learning Network for Upending the National Literacy Crisis
Note: In a session at Impact Florida’s 2019 Summit, Robin McClellan described her efforts to transform literacy instruction in public schools in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Here, she reflects on that process, and the Professional Learning Network that helped her along the way. “Together We Are Better.” At one of our district’s elementary schools, the teachers…
Impact Florida Launches “Districts For Impact”
New Initiative in Partnership with Florida Association of District School Superintendents Aims to Help Districts Share Promising Instructional Practices Across Districts TALLAHASSEE — Impact Florida, in partnership with the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS), today announced the launch of Districts for Impact, an initiative focused on sharing and promoting promising instructional practices across…
Getting Specific And Descriptive About Our Challenges With Equity
At the 2019 Impact Florida Summit, Sonja Santelises spoke about leading her district through a review of the materials, practices, and opportunities it provides to students and determining whether the district is providing those resources in an equitable way. In her speech and this blog post, she describes how looking at and combating this “educational…
My Educational Journey: Teachers Matter
Ahead of my senior year at Florida State University, this summer I have been gaining professional experience for my Family and Child Sciences practicum by working at Impact Florida. I was drawn to Impact Florida’s devotion to the type of education all students deserve and the organization’s commitment to enhancing experiences between students and teachers….
Elevating Great Teaching
Everyone loves a great teacher. This is an indisputable maxim of our culture. Each school year, we seek them out for our children and shower them with ceramic apples, gift cards, and more mugs than they can count. Very rarely, though, do we as a culture invest in what teachers do to become great at…