Indianapolis, IN, October 13, 2016 – Teach Plus, a national non-profit that empowers teachers to lead improvements in policy and practice, is expanding the scope of its Teaching Policy Fellowship for teachers across Indiana. The new Fellowship will engage teachers in the state to help guide policy decision-making and impact key state-level issues, such as the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the creation of teacher career pathways. The Fellowship is launching in January 2017 and is continuing into December 2017 to provide teachers with advocacy opportunities in conjunction with the legislative sessions in the state.
“Teacher voice is critical to ensuring meaningful, equity-oriented policy change for Indiana,” said Teach Plus Indiana Director of Policy Patrick McAlister. “We’ve been working to bring educators to the table in Indianapolis since 2009. I’m thrilled we have an opportunity to work with talented Hoosier teachers around the state.”
Applications for the Indiana State Policy Fellowship are now open. Eligibility, selection criteria, and applications are available at teachplus.org/indiana-teaching-policy-fellowship. Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm on November 27, 2016.
“We established the Teaching Policy Fellowship to create much-needed pathways for teachers to influence the direction of education policies that affect them and their students,” said Teach Plus Founder & CEO Celine Coggins. “Our Policy Fellows have testified before Congress, met with President Obama and his top education advisors, and provided feedback on key education initiatives including the Every Student Succeeds Act to policymakers across the nation. We look forward to welcoming the new group of Indiana State Policy Fellows and all that they will be able to accomplish.”
In addition to Indiana, Teach Plus runs highly-selective Policy Fellowships for teachers in seven states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Tennessee. Fellows participate in an intensive course of study and learn to develop their voice in policy and advocacy. They engage directly with key education stakeholders and policy makers, and work to shape and advocate for policies that meet the needs of their students and the teaching profession.
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus empowers excellent, experienced teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Teach Plus programs are designed to place highly effective teachers at the center of improvements in schools as leaders of their peers and outside schools influencing policy decisions that affect their classrooms. The programs develop excellent teachers into leaders who achieve change and mobilize others in their school, district, state, and across the nation to bring change to scale. Since its inception in August 2007, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 22,000 solutions-oriented teachers across the country. www.teachplus.org
