Professional Development News in Brief

Harvard Network to Tackle Teaching-Quality ‘Nonsystem’

By Stephen Sawchuk — October 13, 2015 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A new Harvard University initiative, Transforming Teaching, will oversee projects to boost the coherence of the nation’s systems for scaling up great teaching.

The impetus behind the network is what a white paper, released by the group last week, calls the United States’ “nonsystem” for supporting high-quality teaching. It argues, for instance, that there is virtually no coherent research-and-development system for studying teaching and learning, and that there’s a drastic mismatch between what teachers learn in their preparation programs and in subsequent professional development.

Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers and Steven Farr of Teach For America are among the many who have signed on to the effort.

A version of this article appeared in the October 14, 2015 edition of Education Week as Harvard Network to Tackle Teaching-Quality ‘Nonsystem’

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Jobs Regional K-12 Virtual Career Fair: DMV
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Education Funding Webinar Congress Approved Next Year’s Federal School Funding. What’s Next?
Congress passed the budget, but uncertainty remains. Experts explain what districts should expect from federal education policy next.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Professional Development Spotlight Spotlight on Teacher PD: A Key to the Best Literacy Gains
Strong student reading outcomes require sustained, high-quality teacher PD to build expertise and improve instruction across grades.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Whitepaper
The Three Cornerstones of Coaching Collaborative Teams in a PLC
This white paper introduces a powerful coaching framework built on Clarity, Feedback, and Support to help leaders strengthen collaboratio...
Content provided by Solution Tree
Professional Development Three Ways Principals Are Reinventing Professional Development
Give teachers more ownership over their learning, say principals.
1 min read
Professional Development Principals Need PD, Too. Here’s What They List as Top Priorities
Teacher retention and improving academic performance often top the list.
5 min read
Photo of group meeting with questions and answers session
iStock