Our Prediction for 2012: The Year of the New Majority!
From the revolutionary “Arab Spring” to the recent Occupy movements, groups of people around the world are using social media to spread their message and get their voices heard. Unfortunately, in the education sector, where social media has a powerful potential for influence, reform-minded teachers have yet to tap the power of tools like Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere to spread their message and engage their colleagues in finding better ways to serve students. It is time for this to change.
Teach Plus is proud to focus on the voice of the New Majority—teachers with ten or fewer years of experience—and to support the efforts of this new generation of educators. And the New Majority is ready to be heard. The teachers associated with Teach Plus are already stepping up to tell policymakers what they think, and succeeding in changing minds and changing policy. Our Fellows and Network members are being published in major newspapers around the country. Now, Teach Plus teachers are taking to the internet, giving The New Majority the opportunity to shape the discourse in the dynamic world of social media. We’re inspired to follow Education Week bloggers Marilyn Rhames and Noah Patel and uber-Tweeters Darren Burris , Andrew Vega, and Spencer Lloyd—all current or former Policy Fellows.
The number of Teach Plus Twitter followers is growing exponentially— and with a retweet rate about 10 times the national average, people are paying attention. It is time, then, to call on our national Network of 4,500+ teachers—what do you have to say about the changes taking place in your profession? What is your vision for the future of education? Twitter is an excellent place to share stories, collaborate on lesson plans, and solicit advice. With more reform-minded teachers joining every day, it is fast becoming a space for teachers to advocate on behalf of themselves, their profession, and their students. If you are solutions-oriented and passionate about transforming the teaching profession, there is a place for you on Twitter.
In addition, Teach Plus is launching a new blog on the Huffington Post this week. Our teachers know from experience what it will take to ensure that all students get the high-quality education that they deserve. This blog will be a place for their stories – stories that are happening in real classrooms right now. Let us know if you have a compelling idea for a post.
Teachers, don’t let your unique voices go unheard. Join the conversation and be a voice for change within the teaching profession. We would all be wise to listen – the future of our students depends on it.
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Top stories in education policy this week:
NCLB Fail Rate Prediction Off-Target: A new report from the Center on Education Policy says that the percentage of schools that failed to make "Adequate Yearly Progress" is closer to 48%, not the 82% that the Department of Education had predicted. Andrew Rotherham at EduWonk says that despite the discrepancy, the numbers still show that there is much work to be done in the nation's schools.
From Finland, an Intriguing School-Reform Model: The New York Times takes a closer look at "Finlandophilia," and wonders if its successful education practices are transferable to the United States.
Building a test worth teaching to: Education Gadfly says that the problem with standardized testing isn't the quantity of tests, it's the quality — or lack thereof.
Leadership and flexibility, not buses, improve schools: A piece in the Boston Globe makes the case that it is the people and policies inside a school that make it successful, not its building or neighborhood.
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