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Paola Gilliam

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…

Education Foundation gets grant for Opportunity Culture®

April 16, 2020

From OA Online, April 16, 2020

The Education Foundation of Odessa announced Thursday that it has received a $500,000 grant from The Prentice Farrar Brown & Alline Ford Brown Foundation to support the implementation of Opportunity Culture in Ector County ISD beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year.

This grant will be payable over 36 months, a news release said.

ECISD and Midland ISD are introducing Opportunity Culture, an innovative approach to staffing that multiplies the impact of highly effective teachers, thereby improving student performance. Read the full article…

District Policies for At-Home Learning; Stories & Tips from Top Educators

April 10, 2020

By Public Impact, April 10, 2020

As students and teachers shift to working from home, many district policies need to shift as well. In a publication released today, Recommended District Policies for At-Home Teaching and Learning, Public Impact provides recommendations with a focus on: What policies are both feasible and most likely to produce strong learning outcomes for all students, especially disadvantaged learners? Based on a review of policies of virtual schools and districts in response to COVID-19 and on Public Impact experience, these recommendations will be updated as districts, schools, and Public Impact continue to learn during the shift. We welcome your feedback. Read More…

Stories and Schedules: Making Highly Connected At-Home Learning Work

April 3, 2020

By Public Impact, April 3, 2020

During this unprecedented crisis, the right schedules, along with videoconferencing, can help keep students and educators emotionally connected, while ensuring continued instructional excellence by teaching teams.

Public Impact has created new schedule examples for at-home learning, either full-day or half-day, for elementary and secondary school Opportunity Culture multi-classroom leader teams and their students. These materials will help schools provide students with face-to-face connections with each teacher and classmates, optimize use of other online learning, limit total screen time, and provide flexibility for when technology shortcomings and family disruptions affect students. Read more…