As Florida’s school districts implement their new teacher evaluation systems and roll out their Empowering Effective Teachers initiatives, they are discovering that communication between district leaders and teachers is one of their greatest challenges. In partnership with the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CFEF and nine member local education foundations are providing a platform for productive two-way communication during this important time of change for Florida’s public schools.
CFEF’s Florida Teacher Understanding through Engagement project will create and engage a Teacher Communication Corps in Duval, Escambia, Highlands, Okaloosa, Pinellas, Polk, St. Lucie, St. Johns and Volusia counties. Via a series of face-to-face and virtual meetings, Corps members will learn about their district’s efforts around the Empowering Effective Teachers Initiative, share that information with their colleagues throughout the district and provide feedback from teachers’ perspectives to school system leaders.
"This is a great opportunity for CFEF and our member foundations involved to act in a convening capacity, bringing together teachers for open and productive dialogue about all the changes they are experiencing,” said Susan Copeland, CFEF Chair and Executive Director of the Polk Education Foundation.
The ultimate goal of the project is to encourage a greater understanding and an elevated level of communication in order to increase the likelihood of successful implementation of the Empowering Effective Teachers Initiative.
There has been considerable research on the topic of what
makes a teacher effective as well as how to measure and increase
effectiveness. You can access these studies and learn more here.
