In this edition of our newsletter, see the high student learning growth in schools using Opportunity Culture® teaching teams; hear from the Midland ISD superintendent about how their Opportunity Culture® “reset” has paid off in learning growth for students, sustainable higher pay for teacher-leaders, and stronger teacher support and retention; and learn how you can step up to the plate in our summer professional learning sessions! Plus get updates on certification, the portal, tools and more! Read all about it in our March 2025 newsletter!
Public Impact
#16. Reset for Success: How Midland ISD Revamped Teaching Teams for Results
When Superintendent Stephanie Howard came to Midland ISD in the Permian Basin of Texas, she knew what success with Opportunity Culture® teaching team models should look like, after working with them in neighboring Ector County ISD as a deputy superintendent. Although Midland ISD was using these teams as well, several Opportunity Culture® fundamentals weren’t being followed. Howard and Jessie Garcia, who came to Midland from Ector County as well, took a year to do a complete reset—an effort now paying off in learning growth for students, sustainable higher pay for teacher-leaders that can reach six figures, and stronger teacher support and retention. Hear how they did it in our latest audio piece.
Opportunity Culture® Portal Tour
Bryan Hassel, co-president of Public Impact®, leads a 2-minutes virtual tour of our online design and professional learning portal for educators, with visits to the Design, Learn, Monitor and Tools rooms.
With pioneering collaboration, districts share excellent educators
From EdNC, March 18, 2025 by Bryan Hassel and Sharon Contreras
Opportunity Culture roles, created by Public Impact, make it possible for schools to have small teaching teams led by a teacher with a record of student success and adult leadership competencies. This Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL) role gets a significant pay supplement, made possible by school budget reallocations, and takes formal accountability for the results of all the team’s students.
For collaborating districts, cohorts have power to address teacher shortages, student outcomes
From EdNC, March 18, 2025 by Sharon Contreras and Bryan Hassel
No school wants to gamble with their students’ futures. But when teacher shortages loom — with educators leaving the profession and fewer graduates opting to make the classroom their career — schools confront tough odds. Too often, schools are trying to find great teachers to serve every student after being dealt a losing hand.
When The Innovation Project (TIP) and Public Impact joined forces in 2024 to support the inaugural cohort of the TIP Opportunity Culture Consortium, bringing together leaders from five school districts — big and small, rural and urban — to rethink school staffing models, the large conference room was abuzz with renewed hope.
Navigating the Opportunity Culture® Certification Process
Learn how your school can assert for certification by watching a brief walk-through of the certification process. Want to learn more? Join us for our next live webinar, which will include work time for receiving personalized assistance from our team. Keep an eye on our upcoming events page for future webinar dates!
Free Webinar: Navigating the Opportunity Culture® Certification Process
Is your school implementing or designing its strategic staffing model, using the Opportunity Culture® portal? Join us March 12 from 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET for a free webinar to deepen your understanding of the why and how of the certification process—to maximize the...
New Data, Big Results: Opportunity Culture Roles Outpace Others in Learning Growth
February 21, 2025, CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—In a year of bleak NAEP outcomes nationwide, the latest data on schools using Opportunity Culture® teaching teams provides hope for scaling up student learning results nationwide. Title I schools that had Multi-Classroom Leader®...
New Data, Big Results: Opportunity Culture® Roles Outpace Others in Learning Growth
In a year of bleak NAEP outcomes nationwide, the latest data on schools using Opportunity Culture® teaching teams provides hope for scaling up student learning results nationwide.
Both experience with Multi-Classroom Leader® teams and the percentage of students reached by them affected schoolwide outcomes.
Title I schools that had several years of experience with these teams, which can include new educator roles, and reached students schoolwide showed the best growth results—boosting their odds of high-growth learning schoolwide by 83 percent over schools without the roles.
Multi-Classroom Leaders help to improve MISD student success
From First Alert 7, by Rachel Fortunato, February 12, 2025
MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) – Over the past few years, MISD has been teaching its teachers how to be Multi-Classroom Leaders otherwise known as MCLs. The district says teachers that have become Multi-Classroom Leaders have led to student success overall. The program allows teachers to serve as coaches and mentors for other teachers and train them in proven instructional techniques.
“What a great way to help other teachers,” said Emily Terry, an MCL and 6th Grade Math Teacher for Midland ISD.