The paper, "GASB Won't Let Me- A False Objection to Public Pension Reform," challenges the myth that reforming public pension systems will increase costs at the state and district level in the short run. This is a claim that legislators have used in the past to avoid making structural changes to our pension and benefits system for teachers. These legislators falsely argue that they can’t cover transition costs for a switch, but that shows a lack of understanding when it comes to the accounting rules for these funds.

Reforming pensions for teachers is a key policy objective for StudentsFirst, because the current pension structures discourage an effective teacher corps and punish teachers that are already working in our systems.

Typically, teacher pensions are not portable, so teachers who leave one school district for another before retirement, or move on from their district in pursuit of broader roles in education leadership, end up forfeiting up to 50% of their pension wealth. Despite this problem, states continue to offer only "defined benefit" plans to teachers, continuing a pattern that has already created billions of dollars of debt at the local and state level that threatens to crowd out other investments in education, which can lead to layoffs, salary cuts, and other things that really matter to teachers.

In order to attract and retain a great 21st century workforce, pension plans should provide teachers the opportunity to contribute to a retirement plan with their employer in a way that does not tie them to one school district for their entire career. This is especially important in today’s society in which families are more likely to move around than in the past.

In the coming months, StudentsFirst will be highlighting why the current pension structures are unfair to our current teaching workforce, and calling on states to provide opportunities for better benefits that will protect our teachers and their retirement interests.

Read the complete paper below or click here.

LJAF Policy Perspective-GASB Won't Let Me

This truly was a fight.  Special interests came out in force, spending big money in order to convince a Democratic legislature to maintain the status quo -- one that wasn't serving disadvantaged students well at all.

The status quo: Low-income 8th graders are over three years behind their wealthier peers in math, according to ConnCan's analysis.

Fortunately for Connecticut children, area residents and policymakers decided the current state of affairs was no longer acceptable. StudentsFirst members, parents across the state, and education reform organizations supported new policies that put student interests first.  The new reforms include:

• The establishment of the "Commissioner's Network," in which two dozen of Connecticut’s lowest performing schools will receive targeted and much-needed interventions to improve student outcomes.


• Expansion of high-quality public charter schools, especially those serving the neediest students.


• Tenure reform to make tenure a reward for effective teaching and make sure it doesn’t prevent schools from removing ineffective teachers who aren’t helping kids learn.

        Despite our success, we can't retreat. There is still a lot of work to do to make sure that every Connecticut student gets the education they need to succeed today.  We must make sure EVERY child in EVERY classroom has a great teacher.  We must establish fair and consistent teacher evaluation systems that help develop teachers and also are focused on student outcomes. We also still must do more to ensure that red-tape bureaucratic processes don’t get in the way of transforming our low-performing schools.

Yesterday was a step in the right direction.  We hope that the State Legislature has the courage and determination to continue its efforts behalf of students until every child is prepared to succeed in college, work and life.

Check out our wall of appreciation for teachers and listen to some of the grateful and sincere messages from our members. 

And don’t forget to thank the special teachers in your life today!

Click here to honor teachers!

In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, former Secretary of State George Shultz and Stanford researcher Eric Hanushek write about the enormous problems facing the United States if we allow our students to continue to fall behind their global peers academically.

Shultz and Hanushek convincingly make the case that if students in other countries keep outperforming American kids in subjects like math (where the problem is most evident), science and reading, the U.S. economy will suffer.

But the authors note that weak job growth is only one of several concerns.

"The drag on growth is by no means the only problem produced by our lagging education system. Greater educational disparity leads to greater income-distribution disparity. If we fail to reform our K-12 education system, we'll be locking in inequality problems that will plague us for decades if not generations to come," Shultz and Hanushek write.

The entire article is worth a read and further evidence that we must work together to improve our public education system so that it can better serve our kids and our country.

View full article here (subscription to WSJOnline required)

Teachers' voices are so essential when it comes to improving our schools.  Teachers know what programs have succeeded and which ones have failed. They know personally the critical role that educators play in the perpetual effort to increase student learning. The perspective of our educators has to be be a part of the conversation when it comes to education policy. 

To this end, StudentsFirst launched the Teacher Fellows Program last Fall to engage current, high-performing teachers in the education policy debate and to position them to serve as leaders among their colleagues. The program offers Teacher Fellows the resources and tools to build and lead active networks of teachers who want to create meaningful change across the education landscape. Fellows believe that student achievement needs to be at the forefront of the decision-making process and that teaching is a high-impact profession that should be structured to match the value of the responsibilities at stake.

Our 2011-12 Teacher Fellows, Michele, Gina, Kristen and Raja, have engaged in countless activities: hosting over a dozen events for teachers, writing blog posts and op-eds, attending a Governor’s roundtable, speaking at events about education policy and practice, testifying in front of public officials to change legislation, implementing school models that highlight student-centered policies, and communicating to fellow educators about how reform impacts students and teachers.  As Spring approaches, they are helping to shape next year’s Teacher Fellows Program.

We are now taking applications for our 2012-13 Teacher Fellows Program!

If you, or a teacher you know, is dedicated to the idea that our education policies must focus on what is best for students and that teachers have a critical role to play when it comes to improving our schools nationally, please apply today!

Click here to apply!

Highlights include:

There is a large discrepancy between what people think we’re spending on education and what we actually are spending on education.

Over the last 4 decades we have more than tripled our spending on education, yet our student achievement levels have stayed flat.

Currently, institutions and bureaucracy determine how money is spent. Principals, teachers and others who know what is needed to improve student learning should determine how money is spent.

View a video of Michelle’s live presentation…

View the presentation yourself: Michelle Rhee's presentation to TedX Wall Street

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) (hyperlinked to: http://ies.ed.gov/) released a new study today on the US Department of Education's Talent Transfer Initiative (TTI) implemented in five states. This was an important pilot program related to techniques that districts can use to bring effective teachers to traditionally hard to staff schools. In this program, seven districts within five states participated in a pilot that offered $20,000 over two years to the district's most highly effective teachers willing to transfer to its lowest performing schools. The figure below illustrates the hypotheses regarding the impact of the program:

The report has three critical findings:

1. Pay-based incentives work to attract quality teachers to low performing schools;


2. The incentive program provided additional experienced and effective educators to low-performing schools that had historically relied on first year teachers to fill over one-fifth of all open positions.; and


3. These teachers were more likely to provide mentoring to other teachers in their new school.

All students deserve a highly effective teacher. This is why StudentsFirst strongly supports the use of pay-based incentives to reward qualified teachers, particularly those willing to take on additional responsibility, such as serving in hard-to-staff schools, or in hard-to-staff subjects. The fact that this program is found to be successful in that mission should be a lesson to policymakers and district administrators alike--elevating the teaching profession through teacher salary incentives can better equalize the quality of education for all of our students.

Stay tuned for the next phase of the report, which will study the student achievement results of the program!

Click here for the full report: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20124051/pdf/20124051.pdf

March 23, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Santa Clara County Board of Education Superintendent Charles Weis, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and StudentsFirst CEO Michelle Rhee hosted a discussion on education in San Jose as a part of the California Listening Tour - jointly sponsored by the California Mayors Education Roundtable and StudentsFirst.

The hosts began the night by describing the current state of education:

• Superintendent Weis described the dire need for innovation in Santa Clara County to ensure all students receive the education they deserve.
• Mayor Johnson described the urgency of reforming education to prepare our students to compete in a global economy, as California educates one out of every eight students in the nation.
• Former D.C. Schools Chancellor Rhee emphasized the level of expectations needed to put students first and reminded the community of her level of relentless commitment to transform the life trajectories of our students currently victimized by the atrocious achievement gap.

Michelle Rhee's laser focus on students - the idea that every decision and every policy must focus on what is best for the student - provided a clarifying framework for the discussion. The audience raised many topics including effective teacher retention, the importance of the social and emotional aspects of a student's development, and parent engagement. Rhee's responses demanded systematic change, requiring a need for a national movement to both close the achievement gap and to just always put students first regardless of their educational opportunities. Listening to Rhee engage with our community of students, parents, educators, politicians, and stakeholders reminded me of a quote: "Its not about what ideas and values you stand for. It's about where you stand and who you stand with." We all value excellent schools, but we must stand with the student and push for their interests as the primary focus.

Rhee inspired me to disregard the politics involved in the education reform debate and even within my own professional focus -- to educate the most underserved students in our country. I will keep Rhee's resilience as a reformer close to heart because, "Change becomes necessary when your present condition is unacceptable."

Bookstores are full of texts about effective leadership and biographies of legendary leaders. This is no surprise - effective leadership is key to any successful organization; and schools are no exception.

Anecdotally, there is no end to the stories an educator or a parent can recount about the impacts, both negative and positive, a principal has on a school, its students, its culture, and its entire staff. We rarely see a great school without a great principal. But while there is a wealth of studies on the importance of teacher quality, until recently there has been very little written about the impact of principal quality.

Recently, researchers Gregory Branch, Eric Hanushek, and Steven Rivkin, released a working paper with the National Bureau of Economic Research, which looks into the impact of principal effectiveness on schools. Estimating the Effect of Leaders on Public Sector Productivity: The Case of School Principals presents three main findings that provide important implications for policy-makers.

A few quick highlights of the findings include:

Trends in teachers exiting a school are related to principal quality.

• Teachers have a higher transition rate in schools with the least effective principals, no matter the level of school poverty.


• More effective teachers tend to stay at schools led by high quality principals.


• There are large levels of teacher turnover in grades with low levels of student achievement, when there is a high quality principal.

In the highest poverty schools, both higher and lower quality principals are more likely to exit.

• Many lower quality principals who leave positions at high-poverty schools transition to other schools.


• The majority of high quality principals who leave high-poverty schools leave the profession altogether.

These findings have important policy implications. First, high quality principals are able to retain effective teachers. Principals should be evaluated on both their ability to raise student achievement across the school, but also their ability to attract, develop, and retain effective teachers.

Second, we must put into place programs to retain high quality principals at high poverty schools. Principals should be rewarded based on their effectiveness – their ability to develop and retain effective teachers and to raise student achievement.

Third, principal evaluations must identify and support ineffective principals. The research shows that while ineffective principals have a high turnover rate at high poverty schools, they are likely to move to another high poverty school. We have to stop this cycle of ineffective leadership.

Lastly, the findings support the argument that principals should have real decision-making power over the hiring and placement decisions of their teaching staff. High quality principals move ineffective teachers out of their schools. If we want more effective leaders, we need to give them the decision-making power to build their own effective teaching teams.

Principals, just like teachers, are critical to student success; they are equally as essential to their school and teachers’ success. High quality principals have the potential to transform schools and communities. Let’s advocate for policies that will identify, retain, reward, and empower these leaders.

Click here to read the StudentsFirst Policy Agenda on Evaluating Principal.

A conversation about school reform inevitably leads to a discussion regarding the importance of effective teachers. Research finds what many intuitively know -- that the teacher is the most important in-school factor in ensuring student learning. However, what is often not discussed is the role of an effective principal in relation to student achievement.

As an educator of twenty-five years, I’ve seen my fair share of principals. Like my colleagues, I have witnessed the transformative power an effective principal can have on a school.

A former principal of mine comes to mind when I think of an effective leader. This principal had a vision for our school and built a collaborative culture amongst the entire teaching staff that allowed us to develop goals together in moving toward that vision. He set up teams of teachers that would work together to attain a set of goals. He developed a timeline for when the teams were responsible for completing and turning in products that reflected our achievement. He was positive and supportive of our staff, finding solutions to problems when they arose. When the goals were attained, we celebrated our shared success.

Of course, when this principal first suggested changes, several of us were uncomfortable and skeptical. But through his clear expectations and collaborative approach, he managed to build a transformative culture within our school. In the end, the principal and the school were successful in large part because the staff felt that our school leader was committed to our school’s success and was supportive of us to make it through the changes that needed to occur.

Research has shown a correlation between an effective principal and student learning. Ask any educator or parent if this is true, and there would be no end to the number of stories they could recount about how essential a principal is to a school’s success. The leadership of a school affects its entire culture and influences the teachers, who in turn, impact student learning.

With the positive wave of accountability and focus on student achievement, the role of the principal is even more critical now than ever before. Teachers today are being asked to educate all students to high levels of learning. This requires a new way of thinking and a new way of schooling. Because no single teacher has all the knowledge and all the skills to reach all the students, teachers can no longer work in isolation, but instead need to collaborate to guarantee every child a great education. The principal is no longer a manager of learning, but an active participant in this new environment.

As we understand and appreciate the critical role a principal plays supporting teacher success, we have to develop accurate ways to evaluate and hold principals accountable, just as we do for our students and just as we do for our teachers. As these evaluations are developed, several important factors should be considered. We should measure the ability of the principal to set a culture of high expectations and to put into place clear procedures and support to make sure that all students reach high standards. Student achievement growth, as measured by standardized test scores, must be a significant component of any principal evaluation.

We must evaluate the principal’s ability to serve as an instructional leader. Principals must be able to support teachers by developing action steps and product outcomes. Along with each new step, the principal demonstrates his or her support by attending the meetings and working with the teachers to overcome any obstacles. This includes providing time during the school day for teachers to meet. The principal demonstrates the importance of the new procedures through ongoing communication and various checkpoints along the way. Teachers feel supported through the change process by a leader who communicates regularly, learns along with the teachers, and provides clear targets and goals and the support and resources to help.

Lastly, any evaluation measuring principal effectiveness must include a principal's ability to identify teacher leaders and work to build leadership capacity. The principal is no longer only a visionary or manager; today he or she must be both. Principals must be able to develop their teaching force through recruiting great teachers, supporting and developing teachers to continually improve, and utilizing excellent teachers to serve as role models and leaders in the school.

To help increase student achievement we do need effective teachers. However, we also need effective principals that will set the wheels in motion for sustainable change. The principal is a key factor in the school reform effort and no reform effort can survive a principal’s indifference or opposition.

Yesterday, I stood on the State Capitol steps with parents, community leaders and educators from across the state of Connecticut to call on pubic officials to improve Connecticut’s schools.

Surprisingly, Connecticut has one of the highest achievement gaps in the country. Low-income 8th graders are more than 3 years behind their wealthier peers in math and African-American 8th graders are more than 3 ½ years behind white 8th graders. This is unacceptable.

Those attending the rally were there to put a stop to this injustice. I was inspired by the energy and determination of those at the rally to break away from the status quo that has been failing so many of Connecticut’s students.

We have got to change the way we think about education in Connecticut and start putting into place policies and programs that will close the achievement gap and make sure that every Connecticut child has a great teacher and a great school.

I applaud Governor Malloy’s efforts. He supports a bill being considered in the legislature that would be a significant step forward in providing a great teacher for every student by establishing a meaningful teacher and principal evaluation system which is tied to student achievement growth. The bill also reforms teacher tenure so that it is a way to reward effective teachers rather than a way to protect ineffective teachers.

I hope that in addition to this bill, the legislature passes other reforms that empower parents to take action if their children are not getting the education they deserve.

The quality of our children’s education should not be based on their zip code or the color of their skin. Connecticut citizens are standing together to stop this civil rights violation currently taking place in their state.

Halli Bayer is a former middle school English teacher who now serves as as Policy Analyst for StudentsFirst.

Education is a civil rights issue. Every American child deserves the right to a quality education. The bad news is a new study shines a disturbing light on the racial disparities that exist today regarding children’s education opportunities. The good news is there are things we can do to address the injustice.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education released new data that bring a renewed focus on glaring racial inequalities we know exist for minority students. The study is based on a wide range of demographic and academic factors self-reported by schools, covering approximately 85% of our country’s students.

Unsurprisingly, the study shows stark contrasts between the education experiences of students of different races.

• Access to High-Level Classes: There is significant racial disparity in access to high-level math and science courses such as physics, Algebra II, and calculus. For example, 82% of the schools with small numbers of Latino and African-American students offer Algebra II, compared with only 65% of the schools serving high numbers of African-American and Latino students.


• Student discipline: African-American and Latino students are over-represented in every type of discipline measure, including suspensions, expulsions, arrests, and referrals to law enforcement.


• Grade repetition: While African Americans represent 16% of the 6th through 8th graders in the sample, they represent 42% of the students who repeated one of those grades.


• Teacher Equity: The study shows that schools serving the most African-American and Latino students are nearly twice as likely to employ first and second year teachers and their teachers are paid $2,251 less per year on average than their colleagues in the same district at schools serving the fewest Latino and African-American students.

These findings, while not unexpected, serve as a sober reminder that this country is not fulfilling the promise of the American Dream to our youth. There is no silver bullet to address these issues, but there are policies that we know can address and mitigate these inequalities, particularly with regard to teacher quality.

Numerous studies show that the first few years of a teacher’s career are the only years where teacher experience significantly affects student achievement levels. And yet, nationwide, teachers with only one to two years of experience are twice as likely to serve in schools with higher populations of African Americans and Latino students. Moreover, as a result of the lock-step teacher salary scales, these teachers are paid significantly less than teachers in schools with lower enrollments of African American and Latino students.

This begs the question - given the achievement gaps that persist in this country, why are we not making every effort to attract the most effective teachers to our schools with are most underserved populations?

We need to break away from lock-step salary schedules and staffing policies that are based on seniority and implement policies that are in the best interest of the students. We know that rewarding effective teachers who are willing to teach in struggling schools with higher pay and ending seniority-based layoffs will help address the racial inequities that currently exist. This is where we have the tools to change the status quo.

It is tragic fact that over forty years after the Civil Right Movement, we are literally able to predict a child’s chances of facing certain disciplinary actions at school, retention rates, and access to various high level courses, by the color of his or her skin. While we cannot draw conclusions about the root causes for these trends based off this data alone, we must continue to rely on findings like these to serve as hard evidence for demanding a public education system that serves all students- regardless of who they are and where they come from- with the same and consistent access to opportunity, rigor of instruction, respect and high expectation.

Find the full study here

The Huffington Post posted an article recently on the fact that education has been virtually absent from the debates surrounding the Republican presidential primaries. In fact, the article cites an analysis by The Guardian which showed that only 1% of presidential debate questions have addressed education. Michelle Rhee is quoted in the article:

Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington, D.C. Public Schools who now heads the advocacy group StudentsFirst, has also taken notice. The lack of focus on education is "ridiculous," she said.

"What people are failing to recognize is that we are not going to be able to ensure that our economy recovers in the long term and that this country regains its position in the global marketplace until we fix our education system," Rhee continued.

Michelle referenced StudentsFirst 1 million+ members who are going to want to hear where political candidates stand on improving our nation’s public schools.

Michelle also spoke with Fox Business News about her disappointment in the Republican primary candidates failure to address education reform issues thus far in the campaign. Michelle spoke about some of the issues that the candidates should be focusing on -- including choice and accountability -- rather than what she noted is a "ludicrous" focus on getting rid of the Department of Education. Watch Michelle in the brief clip below:

From EdWeek:

Whether they're organizing events, buttonholing legislators, or simply trading ideas and information, a growing number of "parent unions" are attempting to stake out a place in policy debates over education in states and districts, amid a crowded field of actors and advocates.

StudentsFirst is working closely with the Connecticut Parents Union to support reforms this year such as establishing meaningful teacher evaluations, reforming teacher tenure, and providing parents with more quality school options.

The EdWeek article highlights Gwendolyn Samuel, founder of the Connecticut Parent Union:

"I knew that parents needed more say about schools," said Gwendolyn Samuel, the founder of the Connecticut Parents Union, which grew out of an effort to enact a so-called "parent trigger" law in that state.

"Otherwise, we were beholden to everyone else's decisions," she said. "We're more at the table than we ever were before."

Read the full article here.

Sign up to attend the rally hosted by the Connecticut Parents Union and featuring Michelle Rhee as a speaker on Wednesday, March 14th, 3:00pm at the State Capitol: http://www.studentsfirst.org/blog-ct-education-rally-march-14

Most teachers across the country have concerns about the state of education today. They are troubled with the injustice they see between different schools in the state. They are bothered by the information or lack of information they receive from the district. They need more meaningful support and professional development to improve. They want to be engaged in the changes taking place. As StudentsFirst’s National Manager of Teacher Outreach, I have the privilege of working with teachers all over the country and I know that teachers have powerful feedback and solutions to the current problems.

Teacher voices are key to meaningful change. From Michigan to Pennsylvania to California to Minnesota, I am humbled by the commitment of teachers I work with who spend time after a long day in the classroom to help tackle the problems they see with education today. Despite the daily challenges, from lack of supplies to managing classroom behavior, and handling relationships with parents and administrators, these teachers are discussing and advocating for real solutions to improve our schools. They are seeking, developing and leading opportunities to be involved in a student-centered movement that promotes excellent teaching and elevates the profession.

This level of interest and commitment has encouraged us at StudentsFirst to start teacher networks. Led primarily by teacher leaders and engaged teacher members across the country, the networks provide opportunities for teachers to connect with others that feel the same way, learn more about local and state issues, share information about state advocacy efforts, address issues they have experienced for years, and create actionable next steps. These teachers are advocates for students, schools, and the communities they serve. The potential of this network across the country, the impact it could have on students, is truly mind-blowing. We hope to empower these teachers with tools and opportunities to lead the discussion and advocate for policies that will ensure a quality education for every child.

The connection I see, between all of the teachers involved, is not only an unwavering belief that all students have enormous potential, but also a deep dissatisfaction with the current system, and a desire to do something to change it.

If you are one of these teachers, I hope you will reach out and join us.

Click here to sign up and get more information: StudentsFirst.org/teachers-network-info

Congratulations to our Grand Prize winner, Cullen A. from Indiana, who just won an iPad2 and a $500 gift certificate to DonorsChoose. Cullen’s simple but powerful statement which recognizes the lasting impact teachers have on the lives of their students really resonated with our members. You can read about Miss Chase -- the English teacher whose dedication continues to inspire her student a half century later -- in our previous blog about the stories behind the essays.

With so many fantastic entries, the contest was really close. We would also like to congratulate our 5 runners-up who will each receive a $100 gift certificate from DonorsChoose to support classrooms in need:

"They doubted, you believed, I succeeded." -- Phillip J., Wisconsin

"Selflessly dedicated to someone else's success." -- Amanda W., Nevada

"Teachers hold the ladders students climb." -- Rebecca H., Pennsylvania

"All thirty students raised their hand." -- William S., Washington

"Spark interest. Ignite curiosity. Fuel dreams." -- Jackie K., Texas

See the full list of semi-finalists.

And I’d like to give a special shout out to my personal favorite – “Point out the stars. Provide rockets.” by Adam L. from Illinois. As a former science teacher, I love the imagery!

Last, thank you to the over 25K members who cast over 100K votes to pick our winning essay. We drew 6 names who will each receive a $50 gift certificate to DonorsChoose:

• Suzanne from Stockton, CA
• Ruth from New Oxford, PA
• Abby from Columbus, OH
• Maria from Corona, CA
• Susan from Briarwood, NY
• Hellen from San Jose, CA

Check them out below and see how great teachers help create stories that last a lifetime. And don’t forget to vote now and often! (You can vote once every 24 hours. The more often you vote, the more likely you are to win your own DonorsChoose gift certificate.)

Spark interest. Ignite curiosity. Fuel dreams.
Jackie K. from Texas

My 6th grade teacher, Mr. Brown, provided a classroom environment where I felt at ease expressing myself. After our weekly science class, I would go home and make a project that pertained to the lesson. The next day, Mr. Brown would encourage me to present my latest project to the class. I realize now that this probably took up precious classroom time but Mr. Brown always made me feel that what I had to share was important. I was a shy little girl who had found an interest in science and he recognized it. In fact, he promoted it! Years later, I became the lead electrician in the installation of the dual harpoon system on the battleship USS Missouri. Thank you, Mr. Brown.

Teachers hold the ladders students climb.
Rebecca H. from Pennsylvania

So much of teaching is about encouragement - no matter what grade you teach, or whether you are teaching in or out of a traditional school. Learning happens anywhere, anytime and at any age. This is where I developed my short essay. Teachers hold the ladders. They steady them. They help extend them. Sometimes, they just bring them along...but it is the student that takes that chance and climbs it as high as they want. I love the imagery of the statement too -- sometimes (many times) students climb far above the teacher, yet the teacher can always be a part of that process. Finally, I thought the statement captured the rich relationship between teacher and student without limiting either person's contribution.

I remember her fifty years later.
Cullen A. from Indiana

Miss Imogene Chase was my sophomore high school English Literature teacher. She supervised the yearbook and worked the concession stand at basketball games to help pay for it. … Miss Chase had a tragic life, her fiancé was killed on the way to their wedding, and she never married. When I had her she was probably in her sixties, with very crooked teeth since her family could only afford orthodontics for the eldest son. She had the carriage of a ballerina and a passion for literature, and her students were her family -- she went out of her way to make each feel special. One of my classmates recently told me he had found her class difficult until he discovered Classic Comics. He suddenly improved and Miss Chase asked him how he did it. He showed her the comics and the next year she called him aside and showed him a stack of nearly 50 of them she had gotten to get her other less literate students interested, or at least pass her class. A real lady and mentor, remembered dearly.

The audience discussed ways to ensure all children in California have access to great teachers and great schools and the need to implement policies and laws that benefit students. One policy discussed was last in, first out, which mandates that when teacher layoffs are required they are based solely on seniority with no regard for teacher effectiveness.

From the LA Times:

In her remarks and a question-and-answer session, Rhee took on "last in, first out" rules that govern teacher layoffs. She characterized this approach as "incredibly detrimental to students and schools," because gifted, less-experienced teachers are put out of work while less effective teachers with more seniority get to keep their jobs.

The LA Times also said:

"California is one of the few states left that mandates in state law that layoffs happen this way," Rhee said. "What were going to have to do is get politically active."

The audience at the Los Angeles event had great questions and the enthusiasm for meaningful education reform was palpable. Thanks Los Angeles for hosting a great evening and discussion!

Research states that “the average classroom teacher will make more than 1,500 educational decisions every school day.” Along with these important decisions teachers make every day, there are many more to be made while grading papers, lesson planning, leading after school activities, and researching how best to serve the children we teach every day. With the sheer volume of decisions made impacting student outcomes, who better to be involved in educational change than teachers?

But too often, teachers’ voices are not a part of policy discussion.  Throughout my nine years of teaching, I have had multiple conversations with my colleagues about things we were unhappy with and wanted to change. No one outside of the administration in our building was asking our opinions on policies that were affecting us. Many of us felt changes in education were being done to us, not with us.  

Then one day I got an email from an organization called The Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession (CSTP). It stated that they wanted teachers to be part of a teacher leader cadre in Seattle. We would meet once a month and would choose a topic we wanted to work on. Then we’d provide our recommendations to policy-makers.

The CSTP experience was so empowering and gave me a clear example of how teachers could participate in policy decisions.  I wanted to continue to help teachers be involved with educational change and was selected to be a Teacher Fellow for StudentsFirst.  As a Fellow, I bring a teacher’s perspective to the StudentsFirst Policy Agenda to help shape the reforms that StudentsFirst members are fighting for nationwide.  In addition, I serve as a leader for other teachers who want to have a voice when it comes to education policy decisions.

As part of the Fellowship, I started a StudentsFirst Teacher Network in Seattle. Through this network, I meet with like-minded educators who want to make a difference in our community and state. We have discussed why we want to be involved in educational change and have come up with ideas for an action plan based on our discussions.

My hope for the Students First Teacher Leader Network is that teachers feel a sense of empowerment and that our perspectives help drive education policy decision-making.  Teachers need to have a forum in which we can talk openly about educational topics that are important to us. The mud slinging going on between different educational organizations is not productive. Teachers need to lead the conversation by deciding what we can agree on and then advocating for common-sense solutions at the school, district and state level.

We teachers are at the helm of the classroom every day, relentlessly working to best serve our students. We have a unique perspective on how policy decisions affect our students, our classrooms and our school. We are the ones who make those important 1,500 decisions every day and we must get involved to make even more. If you are a teacher, make your 1,501st decision today and get involved.

Click here to receive StudentsFirst special communications for teachers.

The votes have been coming in and not surprisingly it is a close race. Our 30 semi-finalists had such unique and powerful ways of capturing in just six words what it means to be a great teacher. This list of six word essays truly is a tribute to the incredible impact great teachers have had on our lives.

There are still 10 days left to vote, so any one of our 30 semi-finalists still has a chance to win. But we thought you’d like to see which 10 have received the most votes so far.

Six Word Essay Leaderboard

Our Grand Prize winner will receive an iPad2; that author plus 5 runners-up will receive gift certificates to DonorsChoose.org – a unique organization that enables you to fund specific supplies for classrooms in need across the country.

And as a voter, you too have a chance to win. The more times you vote, the higher your chance to win, so vote now and vote often! (You can vote once every 24 hours.)

Vote for your favorites here, then tell your friends to vote too!

As a mother of two boys educated by Hartford public schools -- one a current student and one a former student, I know first hand of the challenges faced today by parents, teachers and district leaders as we try to provide a quality education for all Connecticut students.

We have an enormous achievement gap in this state -- perhaps the highest in the nation. The difference in academic achievement between groups of students -- particularly between low-income minority students and their wealthier white peers -- is staggering and unacceptable.

Our kids only have one shot at a quality education. We cannot wait another year to make changes -- change must occur now. It is critical that the state step in with some clear policies that help ensure that every child gets a quality education.

That is why I’m so excited that StudentsFirst has come into the state of Connecticut to help organize and support the 13,000 StudentsFirst members in the state and work with groups like HPOC and CHIPSA to make sure new laws are passed this legislative session that will drive meaningful change in our local schools.

One of our highest priorities is to implement rigorous and meaningful teacher evaluation systems across the state. Teachers obviously play a huge role in the education of our students. But without rigorous and meaningful teacher evaluations, we often lose some of our best teachers and we let teachers that need improvement flounder with no support. This is unfair to our kids – every kid deserves a great teacher.

I look forward to working with StudentsFirst members in the coming months to make sure that the state of Connecticut gets on the right track so that no more students lose their one chance at a quality education.

The submissions were so creative, meaningful and eloquent – and clearly gave tribute to the incredible teachers we all have had and the impact they’ve had on our lives. Thank you for everyone who inspired us with their submissions!

Now, you get to decide which essay wins the Grand Prize. You can vote once every 24 hours for your favorite essays from now through February 21. We’ll tally the votes to determine the winner.

The Grand Prize is an iPad2 and a $500 gift certificate for DonorsChoose -- an online charity which gives you a fun way to provide supplies for classrooms in need. Five runners-up will receive a $100 gift certificate for DonorsChoose. And our voters have a chance to win too – six voters will be chosen to receive a $50 gift certificate to DonorsChoose.

Vote now and vote often! 

Then get your friends to vote too.

We are excited to announce that our Alabama members -- over 16,000 strong -- are getting to work in their home state to help pass commonsense reforms that will improve schools and ensure all kids in the state get a great education.

Our Alabama members have been talking about the need for change. In a recent survey with our Alabama members, over 90% of those who responded said that improving Alabama schools was a "Very High" priority and nearly 95% said that it was "Very important" or "Somewhat important" for a grassroots movement like StudentsFirst to be involved in the fight for change.

Today’s front page of the Birmingham News discusses the policies StudentsFirst will tackle first -- expanding educational choices for families and improving teacher quality.

Visit our Alabama State Action Center to learn more about the key issues StudentsFirst members will be fighting for and find out how you can get involved.

We will announce the finalists on February 2nd – then you get to pick the winner. Please come back and vote for your favorites. In the mean time here are some that we thought were really worth reading!

Kelly from Henrico, VA: To facilitate sight and inspire vision.

Jennie from Pickerington, OH: No classroom, no books: no problem.

Jay from Conyers, GA: A preface to every successful story.

Wendy from Fairfax, IA: Unleashing the brilliance in every student.

Jean from San Diego, CA: Find the genius in every student.

Pamela from Ellenwood, GA: A gardener: planting seeds, sowing success.

Jackie from Copperas Cove, TX: Spark interest. Ignite curiosity. Fuel dreams.

Rick from Rensselaer, IN: Every child. Every way. Every day.

Nancy from Tucson, AZ: Open books, open minds, open doors.

These events were a part of a state-wide listening tour a response to StudentsFirsts large number of California members (150,000 and growing fast!) who want to discuss their ideas on improving Californias schools.

Hundreds of teachers, parents and students turned out in Fresno Thursday night for a town hall meeting on education

"What we really want to do is gauge the priorities people have in this state and get a sense of how ready they are to activate or mobilize around some of these changes, said Rhee.

CBS Channel 47, Fresno

"Every decision we make has to be in the best interests of children," Rhee said. "If you can change that framework, you can create a sea change in the system."

News 10, Sacramento

The next stop for the "Listening Tour" is Los Angeles followed by San Jose.

Marlene Estep-Ebaben: My essay was inspired by the many Hispanic students that I taught in South Texas. Some were very poor. The children of the families, unable to afford winter coats for all, would share a jacket. I had to learn that parent-teacher conferences could take place not only at school, but supermarkets, mechanic shops, and yes, bars. If a teacher cannot have empathy, then, how can she/he be prepared for the learning needs of the students.

PattyAnn Gonzalez MacKay: My teacher is an amazing woman named Reeshemah Davis. She taught me I was strong. <--- That is my essay. I never knew until she showed me it was true!

Sophia Couzo: Many teachers have inspired me but the one that set the direction for the rest of my life is Mrs. Amy Keller from Bay Meadows Elem. She has since passed but will always remain the greatest inspiration in my life.

Michelle Dawn: Mrs. Vicki Comstock, my senior year Creative Writing teacher, was not only my teacher, she was one of my closest friends. I knew if I ever had a problem, whether it was school or life related, I could talk to her. Went to her house frequently, could call her collect any time I needed to talk, and her daughter even gave me her old prom dress, purse, jewelry, and shoes because my family couldn't afford to get me those things for my seniorprom.

Julia Vogt: My essay was inspired by my english 9 teacher, Mr. Neden, who taught us everything he knew, but was always ready to learn from us as well. I think that truly makes a wonderful teacher.

Michelle Hanna Gagne: My inspiration continues to be one of my former students who challenged me to be my best by (at times) showing me his worst. He continues to challenge me in this same way, even though he is a young adult now. I want him to know that I WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON HIM.... EVER.

John Wiser: My essay was inspired by a special person in my life. We stayed in touch throughout the majority of my academic career. We have lost touch, but her passion for educating children and young adults motivated me to learn and apply myself in everything that I do. Thank YOU Betty Crowe! I Love YOU!

Antonia Drew Vann: My six words were inspired by my teacher, Dr. Osi Mensah Aborampah.

Marisa Kaplan: My high school jazz teacher who was the perfect combination of love and fear:) We knew he loved us but we feared what would happen if we became lazy and didn't practice. The perfect balance!

Gail Outlaw: My essay was inspired by Mrs. Bartholomey, my third grade teacher. She realized that I was left handed, got my handwriting to the point where you could read it, inspired me to write and convinced me that I wasn't as stupid and uncoordinated as everyone, including me, thought I was.

Teddy Lausier Sr.: I am inspired everyday by all of my students. I want them to transform into better people than I will ever be, I want them to go off into this world and make a difference, I truly want them to be their very best at what ever they do. I never take my job for granted and I want my students to realize that this is a journey, not a destination, so have fun and enjoy the ride.

Octavia Plesnik: My High School Religion Teacher, who told me never to take anything at face value, read it, study it, learn it, then interpret it & relate it to you!!!

Benj Hall: My poem "I understood, now you do too" was from a science teacher that explained to me that all knowledge was handed down, from one person to another. He was emphasizing that all we are came from someone else and their understanding of the world. Mr Sienbeld made me aware that We are all born upon the shoulders of those that came before us, and those teachers that help us to understand. "I understood, now you do too."

Diana Cabrera: My inspiration was my French teacher. She taught me for two years and she was the best teacher I ever had. What I loved about her was that she was one of the few teachers that understood that each student is unique and learns in different ways. She always looked for the way that each student learned so everyone could have a fun learning experience.

Anthony Pacatang: All of my teachers.

Adam Perlstein: The teacher who inspired my essay is my wife, Aimee Perlstein. A teacher for over 13 years, she has been recognized as Teacher of the Year for her district and has also taken the role of administrator on many occasions that the principal is absent and also has taken on several student teachers as their mentor. All this on top of a caring attitude toward all her students over many years. She puts in countless hours behind the scenes to keep on top of a stringent workload.

Larissa B Parecki: My 6 word essay: "Freedom to learn; freedom to rise," was inspired by my 6th grade teacher Mr. Mario Guerrero in Selma, CA. I was a transfer student and different from most of the kids in my class. He embraced those differences, such as being Jewish, and made full lesson plans out of aspects of the Jewish culture so that the other kids in the class found me interesting, rather than an outcast. He had such a passion for what he did. He took us on an overnight field trip to Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge so we could have a hands on experience of what it was like to be a soldier in the Civil War. He also took us to Malibu to the original J. Paul Getty Museum so we could see what Greek & Roman art really looked like. He was an amazing teacher, and he made me feel extremely special during a time when I was so afraid of not having an identity.

Vasco Pires: There were three Teachers who have inspired me to write my 6 word essay, Mr Earl Mills, my 4th grade gym teacher and High School Coach, My 6th grade teacher Mrs. Douthart, and my High School Art Teacher, all have made it possible for me to strive to live up to their expectations of me. Having become a teacher myself, I have been even more inspired by the students I have had over the years who have expressed sincere appreciation and respect for me as a teacher. Students are true test of a teacher's value.

Click here to read all of the comments.

Read their essays below and gain some insight into how teachers influenced the lives of these former students!

	Dwyane Wade   NBA starter for the Miami Heat and 2006 Sports Illustrated Sportmans of the Year. Essay: "She never gave up on me."
	Malaak Compton-Rock   Humanitarian and Author of "If It Takes A Village, Build One." Essay: "Mrs. Manadrock, second grade, changed life."
	Shaquille O'Neal   Former NBA star and current analyst for Inside the NBA. Essay: "Sword, mighty; pen, mightier; mind mightiest"
	Habiba Alcindor   Writer, The Nation Essay: "Helping children unwrap their own gifts."
	Patti LaBelle   Grammy-award winning singer, author and actress. Essay: "You are bigger than your surroundings..."
	Jeff Johnson   Award winning journalist, social activist and political commentator. Essay: "A Teacher Believed, Now I Do"
	Rebecca   Parent in Denver, Colorado Essay: "Great teachers uncover student's best selves."
	Kenneth   K-12 Public School Teacher, Gainseville, Forlida Essay: "Thrown from the nest, they fly!"

What do you think it means to be a great teacher? Submit your six word essay by Friday, January 27th and you might win an iPad 2 and a $500 gift certificate for classrooms supplies for a local teacher.

Click here to submit your essay.

On Wednesday, StudentsFirst launched the “Six Word Essay Contest” on what it means to be a great teacher. Many of us remember one or more teachers who had a significant impact on our lives. This is an opportunity to celebrate those teachers and remind our country of the value of a great teacher. (And enter to win an iPad 2!)

We are amazed at how creative, inspirational and heartfelt the essays have been. I wanted to share some of our favorites with you.

Here is what our members say it means to be a great teacher:

Anne from Plymouth, Michigan: Handing out keys to the world.

Aaron from New Haven, Connecticut: Your student wakes: "School today? YES!"

Kara from Arvada, Colorado: Challenge limitations. Raise expectations. Inspire achievement.

Cullen from Newburgh, Indiana: I Remember Her 50 Years Later

Jessica from Renton, Washington: I equip the next MLK today

Justin from San Jose, California: An unrelenting determination to illuminate minds.

Mary from Garden Grove, California: Holds all students accountable to greatness.

Helen from Wildwood, Missouri: Believes all of them can learn

Don’t forget, the contest ends January 27th, so submit your essay today!

Our Grand Prize Winner will win an iPad 2 and a $500 DonorsChoose gift certificate to buy school supplies for the classroom of your choice. 5 Runners-up will receive $100 DonorsChoose gift certficates.

Submit your essay now and enter to win!