What does the start of a school turnaround look like? When Mark Johnson left West Charlotte High School as his Teach for America stint ended, he likely could not have imagined a bright future for the school. I arrived a year later, in 2009. The high-poverty, highly...
What’s Happening
Opportunity Culture® News and Views
ICYMI: Opportunity Culture® Columns on Class Size, Multi-Classroom Leadership
In today's Education Next, Public Impact® Co-Directors Bryan C. Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel take a look at the seductiveness of the concept of reducing class sizes--and why policymakers should resist temptation. "The answer’s pretty simple," they write. "A...
Opportunity Culture® Voices: New Series in The 74
A decade ago, inspired by the best teachers we’ve known, we formed the seed of an idea — the notion that great teachers, those who induce high-growth learning and strong student thinking skills, could and should have far more power to lead instruction, help colleagues...
In the News: Opportunity Culture® in Indianapolis, NC districts
Indianapolis is experimenting with a new kind of teacher — and it’s transforming this school: At School 107 in Indianapolis, Principal Jeremy Baugh said, “We needed to find a way to support new teachers to be highly effective right away.” Chalkbeat covers how Baugh...
Opportunity Culture® Voices: Scheduled for Success
When I became a multi-classroom leader for the exceptional children’s (EC's) team, I expected to be able to use my 15 years of experience as an EC teacher and dean of students to coach teachers, especially special education teachers, and help them grow. But I...
Vance County Becomes 18th Site in National Opportunity Culture® Initiative
Vance County Schools, based in Henderson, 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 recurring budgets. The initiative now includes 18 sites in seven...
How 2 Pioneering Blended-Learning Teachers Extended Their Reach
What makes blended learning different in an Opportunity Culture®? As two pioneering high school teachers in North Carolina show in new vignettes, blended learning gives them a tool to reach 40 to 100 percent more students per class period with great teaching. Students...
Opportunity Culture® Voices: A Teacher’s Smart Advice for Serving Students’ Emotional Needs
Walking into Grant Middle School in 2014 was very intimidating. How many people would willingly move from a successful middle school in Queens to Syracuse's largest and notoriously poor-performing middle school? Probably not many, but I was seeking a challenge. And I...
Edgecombe County, NC, “Thrilled” to Join Opportunity Culture® Initiative
To attract and retain great teachers, Edgecombe County Public Schools, located along the Tar River in flood-ravaged North Carolina, has joined the national Opportunity Culture® initiative to extend the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to more students, for...
Free Tools for Teacher-Leaders, Turnaround Principals
Start off the new year with support from a large selection of new, free tools from Public Impact®. Whether you are leading a teaching team or leading a school—especially one attempting a turnaround—you'll find tools based on research and the practices of the best...