Opportunity Culture® Educator Columns

Fostering Teaching Efficiency Through Teacher Leadership

By Tu Willingham; first published by Georgia Public Broadcasting, May 23, 2018

“I have never been part of a more thoughtful, practical, and effective classroom model than this.” For Expanded-Impact Teacher Tu Willingham, leading an aspiring teacher throughout the year not only helped him effectively reach more students, but also increased classroom efficiency and allowed him to boost the school’s home-grown teacher pipeline. Read More…

Finding Inspiration Again Through Teacher Leadership

By Candace Butler; first published by EducationNC, February 23, 2018 

“I wanted to inspire more; I wanted to reach more. How could I take this ‘inspiring gig’ on the road?” Candace Butler found her passion for teaching renewed by becoming a multi-classroom leader—leading her teaching team through challenges with repeatedly renewed inspiration. Read More…

From Action Plan to Teacher of the Year—in One Year

By Staci Bunn; first published by EducationNC, November 9, 2017

“You didn’t give up. And you listened a lot—you understood where I was coming from.” Multi-Classroom Leader Stacie Bunn interviews her team teacher, Expanded-Impact Teacher Kenyetta Davenport, about how Bunn’s support helped her zoom from being put on an action plan to becoming teacher of the year. Read More…

How My West Texas School Elevated Struggling Young Readers (and Their Teachers)

By Maina Cisneros; first published by The 74, June 19, 2017

“Finally, I had an aha moment! We had to unchain ourselves from our one-teacher-one-classroom setting.” After her school incorporates Opportunity Culture models, the boost in planning time and collaboration allow Multi-Classroom Leader Maina Cisneros and her team to develop a small-group strategy to increase literacy—and great student growth follows. Read More…

When Students Own Their Academic Results, They Transform Their Schools

By Erin Williams; first published by The 74, May 15, 2017

“I was shocked to discover in student conferences how few students knew about grade-level expectations; even fewer were aware of their own performance on the previous state end-of-grade test.” Multi-Classroom Leader Erin Williams tells how she and her team of teachers create the “Strive for 5” campaign to combat negative learning growth and empower students. Read More…

How to Extend the Reach of Great Teachers in Turnaround (or Any) Schools

By Erin Burns; first published by The 74, April 24, 2017

“These are the changes policymakers can’t fully grasp when they look just at a school’s report card. But Superintendent Johnson saw up close the “different world” we’re creating.” Biology Multi-Classroom Leader Erin Burns shows how Multi-Classroom Leadership and its intensive support could help change school culture and student results at West Charlotte High School. Read More…

Opportunity Culture® Columns on The 74

Our series of columns for The 74, whose motto is 74 Million Kids. 74 Million Reasons to Talk Education, will come from Opportunity Culture educators eager to share what their jobs are like, the differences they make for students, and the lessons they’ve learned as they extend the reach of their great teaching to many more students.

At West Charlotte High, Opportunity Culture® Making a Difference for Students and Teachers

By Erin Burns, first published by EdNC, March 8, 2017

“Since this corrosive culture had been my number 1 deterrent, it became my number 1 thing to change when I returned to West Charlotte as the leader of D hall.” West Charlotte High School had high teacher dissatisfaction and indifference, but when former teacher Erin Burns came back as a multi-classroom leader, she could offer her teaching team higher support and collaboration—positively affecting students’ academics. Read More…