Extending the Reach of Excellent Teachers - Opportunity Culture

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Blog
  • .
  • .

 

  • What Is An Opportunity Culture?
    • Opportunity Culture Principles
    • Why Excellence Matters
    • Redesigning Schools
    • School Models
    • Infographic
    • STEM in an
      Opportunity Culture
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Where Is This Happening?
    • Opportunity Culture
      Voices on Video
    • Case Studies
  • Build An
    Opportunity Culture
    • OC Design Toolkit
    • Human Resource Tools
      • Recruit
      • Select
      • Evaluate
      • Pay
    • Train & Develop
      • MCL Training
      • Direct-Reach Teacher Training
      • Reach Associate Training
    • Pay Teachers More
    • Create Career Paths
    • Design Scenarios
  • For Educators & System Leaders
    • Teachers & Teacher-Leaders
    • Principals
    • System Leaders
    • Instructional Leadership & Excellence
    • Job Openings in
      Opportunity Culture Schools
    • Opportunity Culture Fellows
  • How Can Policymakers Help?
  • Opportunity Culture Resources
    • Blog
    • Teacher Columns
    • Publications
    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Multimedia
    • Appearances
    • Press Releases
    • In the Media
    • OC Newsletters
    • E-Blast Archives
  • Opportunity Culture Dashboard

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Project L.I.F.T.

charlotte-mecklenburg-schools-sm-thumb

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Project L.I.F.T., an innovative zone within a large urban school district where leaders are committed to reaching every student with excellence, became the first implementation site in Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture initiative, extending the reach of excellent teachers and their teams in the 2013–14 school year.

In January 2014, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) announced that it would scale up the Opportunity Culture initiative across the district, with 17 additional schools implementing the new models in the first year and more schools implementing during each of the following two years. Nearly half of the district’s schools will be implementing by 2017–18.

The schools have worked with Public Impact and its partners, Education First and Education Resource Strategies, to select, adapt, and implement Opportunity Culture school models. The Belk Foundation funded transition costs of the scale-up with a grant of $505,000, one of the foundation’s largest ever. The additional teacher pay is funded from regular school budgets, not the foundation’s grant.

CMS teachers in Opportunity Culture roles earn pay supplements of up to $23,000, approximately a 50 percent increase above average teacher pay in North Carolina. In spring 2013, Project L.I.F.T. was flooded with 708 applications for the 19 new reach-extension teaching positions in the pilot schools, where some teaching jobs previously went unfilled. Subsequently, 50 district schools expressed interest in joining the initiative.

See information about current Opportunity Culture job openings with CMS or Project L.I.F.T.

 

READ these related resources about CMS and Project L.I.F.T.:

  • Columns by multi-classroom leaders
  • Days in the Life: The Work of a Successful Multi-Classroom Leader
  • Recruiting in an Opportunity Culture—Lessons Learned
  • Ranson IB Middle School Launches an Opportunity Culture
  • Ashley Park PreK-8 Launches Multi-Classroom Leadership and Blended Learning
  • New Teaching Roles Create Culture of Excellence in High-Need Schools
  • One Teacher’s View of Becoming a Paid Teacher-Leader
  • Project L.I.F.T. News Release
  • CMS News Release
  • WFAE news report on flood of applications for Opportunity Culture jobs

 

WATCH these videos about CMS and Project L.I.F.T.:

How do Opportunity Culture multi-classroom leaders fit all their duties into a typical week? This video follows Ranson MCL Okema Owens Simpson through several typical days that illustrate the essentials of the MCL role.

 

Principals at Ashley Park PreK-8 and Ranson IB Middle in Charlotte discuss why they chose to create an Opportunity Culture in their schools—and how it helps them recruit and retain great teachers.

 

District leaders and principals discuss how an Opportunity Culture is attracting teachers to previously hard-to-staff schools.

 

Erin Burns describes her role as a multi-classroom leader at West Charlotte High School, where she leads a team of biology teachers reaching 500 students.

 

Multi-Classroom Leader Amy Sparks highlights how even high-achieving schools and students can continue to grow with an Opportunity Culture, which extends the reach of great teachers and their teams to more students.

 

Danielle Bellar describes her role as a multi-classroom leader, leading a team of three subject-specializing teachers.

 

Bobby Miles explains why his role as a multi-classroom leader is “the best of both worlds.

 

Watch this video about Project L.I.F.T. and an Opportunity Culture, from the 2014 N.C. Emerging Issues Forum.

 

 

 

 

Opportunity Culture Sites

  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Project L.I.F.T.
  • Syracuse City School District
  • Cabarrus County Schools
  • Indianapolis Public Schools
  • Texas Education Agency
  • Fulton County Schools
  • Maricopa County
  • Edgecombe County Public Schools
  • North Little Rock
  • Vance County Schools
  • Metro Nashville Public Schools
  • Opportunity Culture Charter School Network

Featured Publications

Days in the Life: The Work of a Successful Multi-Classroom Leader

November 28, 2017

Pioneering Blended-Learning Teachers Reach More Students

October 25, 2016

ESSA: New Law, New Opportunity

July 28, 2016

Understanding the Opportunity Culture Principles

July 28, 2016

Paid Educator Residencies, Within Budget

June 20, 2016

Principal Tools

June 7, 2016

Pioneering Multi-Classroom Leaders

June 1, 2016

More Publications...

Opportunity Culture News & Views

Guilford County Becomes N.C.’s 5th Opportunity Culture District

Under Superintendent Sharon Contreras, Guilford County Schools, based in Greensboro, N.C., has joined the national Opportunity Culture initiative to extend the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to more students, for more pay, within schools’ recurring budgets. Researchers at the … Read more...

Public Impact Is Hiring: Paid Internships Available

We're hiring! Public Impact seeks interns to start immediately and in June, focused on two data projects. As part of their role, interns will: Gather both quantitative and qualitative data using a wide variety of sources, including research journals, online publications, interviews, and … Read more...

Opportunity Culture by the Numbers: 2017-18 Dashboard Updates

Quick Stats from the Opportunity Culture Dashboard, updated for 2017-18: 225+ schools committed to Opportunity Culture 1,450+ teachers with advanced roles or on-the-job development 41,000+ students reached by excellent teachers extending their reach $3.3 million in extra pay for … Read more...

Finding Inspiration Again Through Teacher Leadership

This column first appeared on EducationNC on February 23, 2018. As a young child I was always taught the famous proverb: If you love your job, you will never work a day in your life. I discovered my passion in education—my love for learning and teaching. So I have truly never “worked” since I was … Read more...

Job Opportunity at Public Impact: Entry-Level Research Analyst

Public Impact continues to grow and hire great new members of our team. See our latest opportunity, for an entry-level research analyst, and apply now! Work includes quantitative and qualitative analysis, learning from experienced professionals, and working independently and as a collaborative … Read more...

Public Impact Keeps Growing! Media & Communications Assistant Wanted

We're hiring--now seeking a media, communications, and editorial assistant. Public Impact is a national education policy and management consulting firm based in Chapel Hill, N.C. Our mission is to improve education dramatically for all students, especially low-income students, students of color, … Read more...

Join the Growing Public Impact Team!

We're hiring entry- and mid-level consultants to start this summer--join us! We are a team of professionals from many backgrounds, including former teachers. We conduct research to understand what leads to better outcomes, and we develop and implement innovative solutions to create dramatic … Read more...

More News...

Please Use Our Materials — But Cite the Source!

We encourage the free use, reproduction, and distribution of our materials, but we require attribution. If you adapt the materials, you must include on every page "Adapted from OpportunityCulture.org; © Public Impact." Materials may not be sold, leased, licensed, or otherwise distributed for compensation. See our Terms of Use page or contact us for more information.
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Blog
  • Twitter
  • Facebook


Public Impact | 919-240-7955 | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © Public Impact 2012–2018 | Opportunity Culture® is a registered trademark of Public Impact

We are grateful to the funders who support the improvement and growth of the Opportunity Culture work.