Stories

New Teacher Center staff reflect on insights from an internal session with Dr. Jose Medina on linguistic liberation, embracing a mindset of abundance in supporting multilingual learners, and fostering affirming, enriching student environments.

Our partners in Hawai’i are always looking for “grassroots” ways to co-create, test new ideas, and build local capacity. The Educator Leader Assessment Collaborative, a pilot project to lay the foundation for a locally relevant, balanced assessment program across Hawai’i’s diverse school system, is no exception.

In education, women’s leadership isn’t just important—it’s crucial for building inclusive school environments and driving student success. Chief Operating Officer and former 6th-grade teacher Sabrina Plassman, and Vice President of Finance and Business Operations Cheryl Leong who previously worked in California schools overseeing finance, budget, and compliance, advocate for systemic changes to empower female education leaders. They share insights and perspectives highlighting the urgency of fostering strong female leadership to drive positive change in schools nationwide.

NTC’s Senior Director, Program Design & Innovation Turkesshia Moore explores the significance of Black History Month, analyzing the role bias has played in American classrooms and addressing the question of who Black History Month is for.

If we want teachers to be able to deliver what we want for our learners, we must fundamentally rethink how the role is designed. We have to be much more thoughtful about the structures we put in place to help them develop as professionals and teacher leaders. And we have to create a culture in schools that supports them to do their best work. We’re proud to contribute to the Coalition to Reimagine the Teaching Role to ensure teachers are set up to succeed and thrive.

We followed up with two participants of The Elephant in the (Class)room Professional Learning Experience, Janelle and Anna, who were especially vocal about the challenges and opportunities the learning experience evoked for them. We explored how the experience supported educators to co-create the conditions so every teacher and student can grow, thrive, and shape their futures.