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Paola Gilliam

Lead Instructional Excellence with New Tools, Resources

February 6, 2020

By Public Impact, February 6, 2020

To help Opportunity Culture multi-classroom leaders, their teaching teams, and other teachers lead student success, Public Impact has added to its suite of instructional excellence support. Our tools and professional development are based on experiences and feedback of top Opportunity Culture educators, as well as hard research.

We provide a free, full set of tools on Instructional Leadership and Excellence to help educators master each element—free training, teaching team study guides, educator videos, and other help for teachers, multi-classroom leaders, principals, and others in Opportunity Culture schools. Read more…

Twelve Memphis Charter Schools Will Be Implementing Opportunity Culture® This Fall

January 29, 2020

From Teach901, January, 29, 2020

In an effort to extend the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to more students, an initiative known as Opportunity Culture will launch in select local schools this fall. Developed by the organization Public Impact, the Opportunity Culture model helps schools and districts design an innovative structure to extend the reach of excellent teachers to more students by asking them to lead small teaching teams that work with larger numbers of students.

Hope Public Schools Board Takes First ‘Opportunity Culture®’ Step

January 21, 2020

From SWARK Today, January 21, 2020, by Shelly Byrd

The Hope Public Schools Board took the first steps Monday toward orienting the Hope Public School District to an enhanced culture of teacher excellence through its participation in the pilot of the “Opportunity Culture” model.

The board approved job descriptions for two key elements of the model, the “Multi-Classroom Teacher” and the “Direct Reach Teacher” Monday night.

12 Memphis Charter Schools Plan Opportunity Culture® Implementation

December 18, 2019

By Public Impact, December 18, 2019

With support from the Memphis Education Fund, 12 Memphis schools from several charter organizations will implement Opportunity Culture models in 2020–21 in an effort to improve student achievement by extending the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to more students, for more pay, within schools’ recurring budgets.

Leadership Preparatory, STAR Academy, Compass Community Schools, Frayser Community Schools, and Memphis Scholars will all participate in the cohort. The schools serve student populations that are largely economically disadvantaged and students of color.

ECISD, MISD to implement Opportunity Culture®

December 12, 2019

From OA Online, December 12, 2019, by Ruth Campbell

Ector County and Midland independent school districts will implement Opportunity Culture with paid teacher residencies in partnership with the University of Texas Permian Basin. UTPB and its partner schools are the newest members in the University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP), a news release said. Ector County ISD and Midland ISD are designing their Opportunity Culture plans now for implementation in fall 2020 in 16 schools — eight in each district. Both districts have experienced large teacher shortages. ECISD has 350 openings. 

Texas Districts Launch Paid, Financially Sustainable Opportunity Culture® Teacher Residencies

December 9, 2019

ODESSA and MIDLAND, Texas— Two Texas districts—Ector County ISD and Midland ISD—will implement Opportunity Culture with paid teacher residencies in partnership with the University of Texas Permian Basin (UT Permian Basin). UT Permian Basin and its partner schools are the newest members in the University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP). Read the full press release…

Yearlong Residencies Put Aspiring Teachers from Ector County and Midland ISDs on Teams Led By Excellent Teachers

December 9, 2019

By Public Impact, December 9, 2019

For two Texas districts—Ector County ISD and Midland ISD—teacher shortages present an immense and ongoing challenge: Combined, the districts began the school year with 500 teacher vacancies. To give new teachers a jump-start into the profession, the districts are implementing Opportunity Culture with paid teacher residencies in partnership with the University of Texas Permian Basin  (UT Permian Basin). UT Permian Basin and its partner schools are the newest members in the University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP).

Ector County ISD and Midland ISD partner with University of Texas in the Permian Basin and US Prep for Teacher Preparation Residencies

December 8, 2019

From News West 9, December 8, 2019, by Leatra Hernandez

Ector County ISD and MISD will now have help with the struggling teacher shortage that has plagued the school districts. With the assistance of the University of Texas Permian Basin and US Prep, the school districts will introduce Opportunity Culture with paid teacher residencies. Opportunity Culture is a model that will provide teachers with greater support as well as give teachers a chance to lead small teams for higher pay and helping with developing new teachers. The model will be for strengthening the teacher pipeline for better education nationwide.

Winter 2019 Newsletter

December 6, 2019

The Winter 2019 edition of our newsletter for Opportunity Culture educators includes free online training tools on the science of reading, a column by a Charlotte principal who saw Opportunity Culture dramatically lower suspensions in his school, an announcement about new Opportunity Culture districts, a spotlight on Spring Branch ISD in Texas, and new resources for Opportunity Culture advocacy. Read the Winter 2019 newsletter here.

Suspending student suspensions: How teaching teams created calm classrooms

December 5, 2019

By Philip Steffes; first published by EducationNC, December 5, 2019

How can kids learn when they’re not in the classroom? That’s the issue I confronted when I arrived at Albemarle Road Elementary in Charlotte four years ago. Despite teachers who truly cared about their students, we had far too many suspensions. And students were struggling. When I first came here, 95% of our teachers had been in the red — not meeting student growth targets — in literacy for multiple years.