Summer Institutes Prepare Incoming T3 (Turnaround Teacher Teams) Teachers in Indianapolis, Boston and Washington, DC
BOSTON, MA, July 16, 2014 — The incoming group of teachers selected to serve as Teach Plus T3 (Turnaround Teacher Teams) Teacher Leaders will come together for intensive Institutes this summer to learn the leadership practices that are helping transform outcomes for students and teachers in high-needs, low-performing schools nationwide. The Institutes, held in Indianapolis (July 15-17); Washington, DC (August 5-7); and Boston, MA (August 12-14), will prepare the new Teacher Leaders to begin work this fall in the schools that are part of the T3 Initiative in Indianapolis, IN; Washington, DC; Holyoke, MA; and Boston, MA. The T3 program, a teacher-designed, teacher-led turnaround model that places high-performing teachers in high-poverty schools, launched in Boston in 2010 and has expanded every year since then. This summer marks the fifth group of new T3 partner schools.
“These exceptional teachers will join the returning T3 Teacher Leaders, school-based coaches and staff for a multi-day, hands-on training designed to build on teachers’ own leadership knowledge and expertise as they learn T3’s foundational skills and tools,” said Elisa MacDonald, T3 National Director for Teacher Leader Development. “This focus on professional learning is a critical element of the program. The Summer Institutes are the start of a year-long series of professional development sessions that are led by the very people who are living and doing the work – the T3 teachers and coaches.”
The Summer Institute curriculum encompasses learning what it means to be a Teacher Leader; how to collaborate with teacher teams and use evidence to reach instructional goals; and how to skillfully lead adult learners.
“I hope to acquire the tools necessary to be an effective leader and agent of change in our school,” said Katrina Richardson, Indianapolis, Clarence Farrington School #61.
Each T3 partner school has a cohort of T3 Teacher Leaders who comprise a critical mass (20-25% depending on school size) of the total teaching staff. In addition to being full-time classroom teachers, the T3 Teacher Leaders lead collaborative inquiry among the members of their teacher teams as well as participate in school-wide strategic instructional decisions. Teachers also actively pursue leadership development with guidance from the school’s principal, T3 coach and T3 leadership staff.
“T3 is grounded in our belief that support of Teacher Leaders must be ongoing and professional learning must be embedded in everyday work in order for teachers to thrive and succeed in high-needs schools,” said Ms. MacDonald. The program’s next professional development milestone is the T3 National Conference, a leadership conference for Teacher Leaders by Teacher Leaders, held in November.
Over the past four years, T3 has grown into a highly competitive program, with an average of seven qualified applicants for each Teacher Leader position. Minimum qualifications for teachers who apply include at least three years of teaching experience in an urban, high-poverty school and a track record of effectiveness with students. Rigorous selection criteria also include evidence of prior effectiveness and the existence of skills required for success in a turnaround environment. T3 Teacher Leaders hail from California, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, in addition to Massachusetts and DC.
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus aims to improve outcomes for urban children by ensuring that a greater proportion of students have access to effective, experienced teachers. Teach Plus runs three programs designed to place teacher leaders at the center of reform: Teaching Policy Fellows, the Teach Plus Network, and T3: Turnaround Teacher Teams. The programs focus on demonstrably effective teachers who want to continue classroom teaching while also expanding their impact as leaders in their schools and in district, state and national policy. Since its inception in August 2009, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 17,000 solutions-oriented teachers in six major cities across the country. www.teachplus.org
