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Paola Gilliam

Committing to Anti-Racism: Public Impact®’s Statement

June 2, 2020

By Public Impact Team, June 2, 2020

The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are the tip of a mammoth iceberg of racial injustice in our nation.

Behind these three injustices are millions of others, large and small, that, when unaddressed, leave those in power unchecked and emboldened to perpetuate more. As loud as the shouting of protestors may be right now, the sound of silence at the routine, everyday wrongs is the most deafening.

When a Black man in his own yard is assumed to be an intruder. When a birdwatcher is threatened for politely asking a white woman to follow park rules. When a shopper is followed around the store because of the color of her skin. When the promotion goes elsewhere, the pay is lower, and the police baton is wielded sooner. None of these are due to the actions of the victims, but all because of their race. This isn’t just unfair: It’s systematic, psychological warfare. Read more…

What is an Opportunity Culture®? Broadening the reach of the most effective teachers

June 2, 2020

From Little Things First, June 2, 2020

Public Impact has been serving urban and rural schools for many years, helping them rethink what is possible in schools.  Opportunity Culture is a subset of Public Impact that explores ways to increase the reach of our best teachers.  is it time to rethink our model of instructional coaching?  Research shows that instructional coaches spend very little time working directly with teachers to improve instruction.  Opportunity Culture involves multi-classroom leaders who teach students and support teachers simultaneously, all within the constraints of a school’s regular budget.  In this episode of Little Things First, we discuss the potential of an Opportunity Culture with Public Impact’s Lucy Steiner.  Listen to the podcast.

Opportunity Culture® Year in Review 2019-20

May 28, 2020

By Paola Gilliam, May 28, 2020

As the 2019–20 school year draws to a dramatically different close, we’ve heard repeatedly from Opportunity Culture educators about the personal and professional difficulties and stresses of making the move to at-home learning.

But through the entire year, their compassion for students and drive to bring them the best education persisted. Opportunity Culture educators continued to provide one another and students with support, help their schools reach for high learning growth, and spread the benefits of excellent teaching and leadership in Opportunity Culture schools to more students and teachers. Here are just a few highlights of Opportunity Culture news and resources from this year that would not have been possible without the excellence of Opportunity Culture educators. Read more…

Bright Spots: Celebrating Teachers During COVID-19

May 26, 2020

From Overdeck Family Foundation, May 26, 2020, by Irene Chen

To wrap up Teacher Appreciation Month, we wanted to celebrate and highlight stories of educators who are playing a critical role in supporting and teaching their students. As funders of teacher preparation and professional learning organizations, it makes us incredibly proud to see the positive impact that teachers continue to have during this difficult time.

These stories remind us that human connection and relationships are central to the work of teaching and learning, regardless of whether it happens in or out-of-school. Read the full article…

3 Model Options Give Schools Budget-Neutral Plans, Schedules, Roles for Partial School Closures

May 15, 2020

By Public Impact, May 15, 2020

Districts and schools are confronting the learning loss caused by missed school time so far. Opportunity Culture schools—90 percent of which are Title I—have a special responsibility and opportunity to reverse that learning loss with the same method they’ve used for years: highly connective, high-standards instruction that helps more students achieve high-growth learning. Multi-Classroom Leadership by teachers with a high-growth track record is the foundation.

What can that look like if some students and teachers need to stay home, or if schools open, then shut, in waves in the coming school year? Read more…

From math to PE, teachers creating online video library for Guilford County Schools students

May 6, 2020

From News and Record, May 6, 2020, by Jessie Pounds

Guilford County Schools is pulling together a new resource for parents and students, who are finishing the school year virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is an online library of district-made videos explaining topics that students should or would be learning about in their grade levels. Teachers and others have been working for weeks to make the videos. This week, the district started uploading them to a special spot on its website for distance learning. The school system called on teachers like Brandi Turner involved in its Opportunity Culture program to help make the videos. Read the full article…

Why Choose an Opportunity Culture®?

May 5, 2020

Teachers, principals, and superintendents describe the impact Opportunity Culture has made in their schools’ student and teacher growth.

Opportunity Culture® Gets Results

May 5, 2020

Principals and superintendents describe some of the positive impacts of Opportunity Culture on student achievement and school culture.

With Opportunity Culture®, Teaching is a Team Effort

May 5, 2020

Multi-classroom leaders (MCLs) describe the collaborative relationships formed in an Opportunity Culture, making teaching a supportive, true team effort.

For Many Students, Teacher Feedback Is the New Grading System

April 30, 2020

From Education Dive, April 30, 2020, by Linda Jacobson

In Vance County Schools in North Carolina, teachers are also expected to provide feedback on all student work, “even if it’s just a thumbs up,” explained Casey Jackson, who teaches 3rd grade math at Aycock Elementary School, but also serves as a multi-classroom teacher as part of the Opportunity Culture model.

When students take online quizzes, they immediately see what they missed and what they answered correctly, she said. She also provides written feedback in Google Classroom. Read more…