Board members from across the commonwealth will advise, connect, and fundraise to support Teach Plus PA’s next chapter of expanded impact on student opportunity and outcomes
Harrisburg, PA, September 19, 2024 — Teach Plus Pennsylvania, part of a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead student-centered improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has announced the inaugural members of its regional advisory board, which will support Teach Plus PA staff and teacher leaders as the organization moves into a new chapter.
Teach Plus Pennsylvania Executive Director Laura Boyce said: “At this critical moment in Pennsylvania, there’s a huge disconnect between the sky-high aspirations of our communities for students’ futures and the current reality of an educational system where only one-third of fourth graders read proficiently. We are also at a moment of great opportunity, with a court mandate to bring our educational system into constitutional compliance and strong bipartisan interest in innovative solutions. Our founding board members are thought leaders across the sectors of education, business, and philanthropy, and they will play a critical role in helping us make Pennsylvania the fastest-improving state in the country in early literacy outcomes.”
“Having worked as a small business owner, an elected official, and now a regional leader driving economic development, I know that a thriving education system and a thriving economy go hand in hand,” said Rich Fitzgerald, former Allegheny County Executive and current executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “As a Teach Plus PA board member, I’m looking forward to helping advance education solutions that ensure all kids in Pennsylvania can pursue their dreams.”
The Board members are:
- Laura Boyce, Teach Plus PA Executive Director
- Erinn Corbett-Wright, Senior Manager of Philanthropy, Salesforce
- Rich Fitzgerald, Former Allegheny County Executive, Executive Director, SW PA Commission
- Eric Hagarty, Former PA Secretary of Education, Managing Director, Mercury Public Affairs
- Chris Havener, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Aramark
- Phil Jaurigue, Chairman and CEO, Sabre Systems, Inc.
- Leon Smith, Teach Plus PA Senior Policy Fellow Alumnus, PA Teacher of the Year Finalist, Teacher, Haverford School District
- Laura Sosik, Teach Plus PA Senior Policy Fellow Alumna, PA Teacher of the Year Semifinalist, Teacher, Scranton School District
Teach Plus PA’s regional advisory board will serve the following functions as the organization raises its ambitions for the kinds of impact its teachers will catalyze over the next decade:
- Advising Teach Plus PA leaders and staff on operationalizing their long-term strategic expansion while ensuring alignment with the needs of our communities
- Connecting Teach Plus PA with key individuals and organizations as the organization expands deeper into communities and into new geographies, develops and launches new programs, and amplifies its policy efforts by recruiting new champions
- Fundraising to support the organization, including holding a first-ever large spring fundraising event and launching individual and corporate giving strategies
The board held a retreat in the state Capitol, where they began contributing toward these three core functions. They also met with key policy leaders, including education committee chairs and representatives from the governor’s office and Pennsylvania Department of Education, to continue to identify Teach Plus PA’s avenues for greatest impact in the political sphere.
Teach Plus PA currently leads five programs for nearly 1,000 outstanding educators across Pennsylvania:
- The Pennsylvania Policy Fellowship is a highly selective leadership opportunity for outstanding PA teachers and early childhood educators to deepen their knowledge of education policy and gain a voice in decisions that affect their students and the teaching profession.
- The Philadelphia Affinity Group Network creates teacher-led culturally affirming, supportive spaces for educators of color in Philadelphia to help retain them.
- The Pennsylvania Equity Leadership Institute supports cohorts of districts in southwestern PA in improving the diversity of their workforces, bringing together teacher, school, and systems leaders to improve recruitment and retention of teachers of color.
- The Independence Mission Schools Literacy Content Cadre is a group of experienced teacher leaders who, with Teach Plus coaching, facilitate professional learning communities (PLCs) focused on effective implementation of literacy curriculum and best practices.
- The Pennsylvania Teacher Network engages a community of 800+ educators to gather input on key issues in PA and engage in advocacy and research efforts to improve student outcomes.
In Teach Plus’ first seven years in Pennsylvania, Teach Plus PA teachers and staff have won historic, multi-billion-dollar increases in education funding, passed multiple bills to address Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage crisis, updated certification requirements to ensure teachers are trained in the science of reading, and supported partner schools in Philadelphia to make large gains in early literacy.
“I joined the Teach Plus PA regional advisory board because I’m inspired by their vision of making Pennsylvania a national leader in reading growth and Philadelphia the fastest-improving urban district in the country,” said Erinn Corbett-Wright, senior manager of philanthropy at Salesforce. “Systems-level change can’t happen without bold vision and a broad cross-section of leaders across sectors working toward a common goal, and I’m excited to bring my voice and experience to the table on behalf of Pennsylvania students.”
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus is dedicated to the mission of empowering excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. In pursuing our mission, Teach Plus is guided by our Student Opportunity Mandate: All students should have the opportunity to achieve their potential in an education system defined by its commitment to equity, its responsiveness to individual needs, and its ability to prepare students for postsecondary success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. Teach Plus PA Regional Website
