From News and Record, October 12, 2019, by Jessie Pounds
Nine local schools that added a new staffing model for teachers last academic year saw student performance on key subjects improve more than Guilford County Schools as a whole, state test data show. Taken together, the schools that implemented “Opportunity Culture” last year improved more than the district as a whole in both reading and math at the fourth-, sixth- and seventh-grade levels.
In the Media
How Can We Extend the Reach of Great Teachers? A Q&A with Stephanie Dean on Opportunity Culture®
From Ahead of the Heard, August 19, 2019, by Chad Aldeman
How should we train teachers? How do we ensure that all students have access to great teaching? I reached out to Stephanie Dean, the vice president of strategic policy advising and a senior consulting manager at Public Impact. In that role, Dean is working with schools and districts to implement what they call “Opportunity Culture,” a way to re-organize schools into collaborative leadership teams.
Three Guilford County Educators Recognized by National Organization as Leaders in their Schools
From Guilford County Schools, June 11, 2019
One principal and two teachers were recognized for their outstanding leadership in the Opportunity Culture program by being inducted into the fifth class of Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture Fellows. Public Impact’s goal is to improve education for all students by finding, developing, and expanding the impact of outstanding educators.
Vance County Schools Staff Named Opportunity Culture® Fellows
From The Daily Dispatch, June 8, 2019, by Miles Bates
Cherie Dixon from L.B. Yancey Elementary School, Casey Jackson from Aycock Elementary School and Aycock Principal Kristen Boyd are among the fifth cohort of “Opportunity Culture Fellows” recognized by a group called Public Impact. This article is no longer available online.
Educators Receive Fellowship
From Rocky Mount Telegram, June 5, 2019, by Amelia Harper
Two teachers and one principal from Edgecombe County Public Schools have been selected to become Opportunity Culture Fellows for the coming year. Casandra Cherry, a multi-classroom leader at Phillips Middle School; Amy Pearce, a multi-classroom leader at North Edgecombe High School, and Jenny O’Meara, principal of Phillips Middle School, have been selected for this honor.
First Look: Remotely Located Teacher Leadership
From EdNC, May 8, 2019, by Sharon Kebschull Barrett
This semester, the College Board and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) joined with Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture initiative to test the remotely located Multi-Classroom Leadership model: An excellent NCSSM teacher would lead a small team of teachers spread across rural North Carolina districts, which often lack enough teachers who are prepared to ensure student success in advanced classes.
Dr. Anitra Wells: Opportunity Culture® Comes to Lexington City Schools
From The Dispatch, April 6, 2019, by Dr. Anitra Wells
It is every parent’s expectation that the children they send to us every day are being prepared for success after high school. Through our efforts with Public Impact, an organization that began developing ideas about how to best prepare teachers to support other teachers in 2009, we are embarking on a journey to transform teaching and learning in Lexington City Schools.
This Would Improve Arizona Schools More Than Anything Else
From Arizona Republic, March 17, 2019, by Joanna Allhands
Classrooms filled with highly effective teachers. I know. Duh. But the research is clear: Students who have effective teachers perform light-years ahead of their peers. And that accelerated performance sticks with students for years (though the converse is true for students who have ineffective teachers).
Teacher Awarded $175,000 Grant
From Rocky Mount Telegram, March 12, 2019, by Amelia Harper
One Phillips Middle School teacher received the surprise of a lifetime Monday when she was told she had just won a $175,000 grant for herself, her school and for Edgecombe County Public Schools. Casandra Cherry is in her second year as the math multi-classroom leader at the school. She previously taught math at South Edgecombe Middle School for eight years
Opportunity Culture® Dashboard Updates Data on Nationwide Initiative
From EdNC, March 6, 2019
Public Impact, which created and leads the national Opportunity Culture initiative, updates the Opportunity Culture annually and today released the latest results from 2018–19, showing that student learning continues to benefit, and teachers want to keep and grow Opportunity Culture.