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What does it mean to be a “teacher leader” and how does an educator become one? How do teachers exercise leadership without having to pursue a career in administration? How can teacher leaders be identified and cultivated?
These are some of the questions being explored by educators in the ASCD Forum. From now through April 11, the ASCD Forum is inviting educators to weigh in with ideas and feedback on teacher leadership in a variety of easily accessible ways. These include a Twitter chat, ASCD EDge® group discussions, blog posts, and a face-to-face session during our Annual Conference. The ASCD Forum discussion of teacher leadership gets to the core of what it means to be an educator, the career potential of teachers, and the essential elements of professional development needed to support aspiring leaders. School administrators are also encouraged to participate, because their first-hand perspective is especially valuable in this discussion on the benefits of teacher leaders with respect to student, staff, and school improvement efforts.
Conversations developed through the ASCD Forum will be used to inform ASCD positioning on teacher leadership and support. Join the ASCD Forum Group on ASCD EDge to participate in this discussion.
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The Federal Communications Commission is doubling its previous annual high-speed broadband funding commitment by directing $2 billion in down-payment funding through the E-Rate program. The funds will provide high-speed broadband internet connections to 15,000 schools and libraries, giving an additional 20 million students online access over the next two years and making strides towards reaching its five-year connectivity goals. The additional aid is expected to come from repurposing existing unspent agency funds. The agency also plans to solicit public comments on how to phase out other services that are not contributing to digital learning. In addition, President Obama announced that private-sector companies including AT&T, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon have committed more than $750 million through cash and in-kind supports to expanding technology in the classroom.
Model state legislation developed by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education would provide college scholarships to academically talented high school seniors who commit to teach in high-need public schools for four years after graduation. Supported by organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the legislation would also require participating institutions of higher education to provide professional development, community engagement, and leadership opportunities to support the growth and commitment of these new teachers. The legislation was modeled after the North Carolina and South Carolina Teaching Fellowship programs, through which most teaching fellows stay beyond their four-year service obligation.
Legislation to help schools establish a safe learning culture for teachers and students (PDF)—especially students with individual education plans (IEPs)—as well as the findings from an investigation on the use of seclusion and restraints in schools (PDF), were unveiled by Senate Education Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA). Supported by more than 200 local, state, and national organizations, the legislation would eliminate the use of seclusion and limit the use of restraints to emergency-only situations, ensure families are notified within 24 hours of the use of restraints on their child, eliminate the inclusion of restraints in students’ IEPs, and require schools to annually collect and publicly issue data regarding the use of restraints.
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