Staying Focused on Vision and Capacity Building

An item from the folks at The Learning Accelerator.

Colleagues and friends, As the school year draws to a close, education teams are setting plans for the next. As a community, we’re facing big questions. What choices will we make as we shift resources and navigate constraints? How will we respond to emerging interest in and demand for new technologies, like AI? As we navigate these questions, I’d argue we need our highest focus on two things: Our vision for the future of teaching and learning and what we want to be true for kids. As we make choices, we have to repeatedly ask, “How does this decision take us closer to the future we want?” Our paths may not be straight, but they cannot take us away from our long-term goals. And if we haven’t named that future, we need to start there. How we will help our educators navigate the impact of these choices with students. Education is, at its heart and at every level, about human development and learning. As we share in our new digital design problem of practice, we have to recognize and appropriately resource the changes we’re asking teachers to make. At TLA, we’d love to know what you think and how you’re navigating these challenges. What are your biggest focal points and challenges? Let us know how we can help! Yours in partnership and curiosity, Beth Rabbitt, Chief Executive Officer (she/her) PS — Stay tuned for an announcement next week on a new educator learning initiative we’re co-launching in SY24-25. Featured Updates NEW Problem of Practice: Digital Design Divide Last month, we shared Part 1 of our new Problem of Practice series on Digital Divides. Today, we’re highlighting Part 2 on the Digital Design Divide — offering steps schools and districts can take to leverage technology effectively. The Problem There can be big gaps in effective learning experiences depending on whether teachers have time, tools, and help to design tech-supported lessons. These “Digital Design” divides can exist between classrooms, schools, and systems. Why Does it Matter Even if a school has powerful devices and high-speed internet (i.e., digital access), not addressing the barriers at the educator level can hold the whole system back from providing high-quality learning experiences with technology. Solutions Closing the digital design divide relies on school and systems-level actions that enable teachers to develop their skills and capacities with digital tools. Such as: Partnering to understand barriers and solutions Revising systems of support Expanding district-level vision and policies TLA on Instagram TLA has officially launched its Instagram account! We’re always working to actively bridge gaps in understanding and access and are excited to connect with our education community in new ways with deep dives into our initiatives, insights, and free & open resources. We’re kicking this work off by tackling topics like digital equity and learning acceleration and highlighting innovation through school profiles. Follow us @learningaccel to join the conversation! Welcome New Team Members Chief Operating Officer, Brittany McCullough Let’s give a warm welcome to Brittany McCullough, who is joining The Learning Accelerator as Chief Operating Officer! We are thrilled to have Brittany on the team leading the development and implementation of operational strategies, building strategic processes, and overseeing financial and talent management. With over a decade in education operations, Brittany is committed to her belief in the importance of education and that strong operations are critical in transforming the education system. Read more about Brittany in this Q&A blog here. Partner, Research & Measurement, Rae Lymer We are excited to announce another new addition to our team — Rae Lymer. Rae joins us as a Partner, Research & Measurement! They are a seasoned education leader with expertise in advanced learning, innovation, and leveraging research to disrupt education inequities and propel systems change. Before joining The Learning Accelerator, they spent over a decade as an educator and district administrator for Baltimore City Public Schools. Read more about Rae in their bio here. What We’re Reading Rethinking Compensation in Innovative Learning Models (TLA Policy Brief) Futures Affecting Math Education: Widening the Lens on Change (KnowledgeWorks) State by State, How Segregation Legally Continues 7 Decades Post Brown (The 74) Progress and Possibilities to Support Learner-Centered Education & Ecosystem Design (Education Reimagined) Tell us what’s on your mind on social media and keep up with our work on the TLA Blog.

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