How can more students have access to excellent teachers? Increasing class sizes is one way, but we have many other options, Public Impact’s co-director, Bryan C. Hassel, said at Thursday’s “Expanding Access to Great Teachers” discussion at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute–watch it below.
Bryan joined Michael Hansen of the American Institutes for Research, author of “Right-Sizing the Classroom: Making the Most of Great Teachers,” Jean-Claude Brizard, senior advisor at the College Board, teacher and instructional coach Linda Donaldson Guidi, and Michael Petrilli, Fordham executive vice president.
Using Opportunity Culture models, districts are extending great teachers’ reach to more students now, without bigger classes, Bryan noted–and in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, for example, teacher-leaders make $23,000 more than the salary schedule with these models, which give all teachers opportunities for career advancement without having to leave the classroom.
But policymakers need to clear the barriers to extending great teachers’ reach, he said–and rather than focusing on the percentage of excellent teachers a district has, how about asking districts and schools to report the percentage of students who have an excellent teacher in charge of their instruction?