New Teacher Center (NTC) was awarded a $1.5 million grant by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) to support student-centered professional learning that empowers educators to take on the challenging inequities facing millions of systemically underserved students.

CZI was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges and build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone. With their support, NTC will advance educational equity in pursuit of our shared vision for inclusive and thriving school communities.

“NTC is pleased to continue our partnership with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative,” said Atyani Howard and Arthur Mills IV, interim co-chief executive officers of New Teacher Center. “This investment will help to shift the national dialogue to center teaching and learning in humanity while also developing robust professional learning that supports educators with bringing this vision to life in classrooms across the country. The need of our underserved students has never been greater.”

NTC focuses on disrupting systemic inequities and is committed to naming and facing a difficult truth — American education systems and structures are designed to produce inequitable outcomes. The goal is to move past managing inequity. Instead, we’re looking to invest in supporting educators to create student- and equity-centered instruction that is rigorous, inclusive, and unlocks opportunity for all.

We’ve designed our new offering, Direct-to-Educator (DTE), with this challenge in mind. DTE empowers teachers through choice and autonomy to select student-centered, online professional learning content, and achieve success by evidence of application to practice. Expert- and practitioner-led content builds an equity-focused foundation for teachers in Pre-K through grade 12. The educator experience is inspired by quality educational platforms, such as Masterclass, providing participants with asynchronous access to leading research-based educators and thought leaders. Resources include access to Along, a digital reflection tool that enables students to send quick video, audio or text directly to their teacher, increasing learner agency, voice and engagement. The entire experience is supported by wraparound coaching — virtual or in-person — empowering teachers to shift learning to practice and transform student experiences and outcomes.

Now more than ever, educators need high-quality learning opportunities that help them create rigorous and inclusive classrooms where each student feels seen, heard, and valued as part of a community. “NTC is pioneering a new model of professional learning centered on flexibility for educators, access to world-class experts and coaches, and a commitment to equity. We are excited to help bring this innovative approach to teachers across the country,” said Sandra Liu Huang, head of education at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Through this work, NTC and CZI look to amplify and scale professional learning support to empower educators driving and building equitable, rigorous learning experiences for each student.

About New Teacher Center:
For over 20 years, New Teacher Center (NTC) has pushed on what’s possible in professional learning. A national nonprofit leader with a legacy of results, NTC supports educators by combining the science of teaching with deep connections to students, so teachers can grow their craft and create thriving, rigorous, and inclusive classrooms. Where every young person feels seen, connected, and challenged to succeed academically, and student-teacher trust is unshakable. Its unique coaching model spans and balances educational ecosystems to build cultures of higher-quality learning, increased teacher retention, and better student outcomes. Today, NTC’s dedicated staff members serve nearly two million students and more than 25,000 teachers in 22 states and over 400 school districts.