Teach Plus
@teachplus.bsky.social
We empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success.
Visit teachplus.org.
Visit teachplus.org.
Pinned
Teach Plus
@teachplus.bsky.social
· Aug 18
Excellent Teachers Helping to Shape Policy and Practice
Teach Plus is dedicated to the mission of empowering excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student…
www.youtube.com
WATCH: A new short showcasing the power of Teach Plus teacher voice & leadership. “When teachers are empowered, students are empowered. When students are empowered, they have access to the tools to fulfill their dreams.” – Teach Plus CEO Kira Orange Jones
In this season of gratitude, we're thankful for the teacher leaders who are working to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.
November 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
In this season of gratitude, we're thankful for the teacher leaders who are working to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.
From Miami to San Diego, schools around the U.S. are seeing big drops in enrollment of students from immigrant families. In many school systems, the biggest factor is that far fewer families are coming from other countries.
Immigrant Student Enrollment Is Dwindling at Schools Amid Stepped-Up Enforcement
In many school systems, the biggest factor is that far fewer families are coming from other countries.
www.edweek.org
November 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
From Miami to San Diego, schools around the U.S. are seeing big drops in enrollment of students from immigrant families. In many school systems, the biggest factor is that far fewer families are coming from other countries.
The reasons behind chronic absenteeism range, so "we must think innovatively to ensure students are in school so the learning experiences that await them open doors to their futures," Teach Plus Colorado Policy Fellowship alumna Mary Lou Clough writes.
From chronically absent to exploring the culinary world | PODIUM
By Mary Lou Clough My youngest child, who loves cooking fried rice and making people laugh, struggled to find his place in middle school after the remote learning of the pandemic. We moved him to a…
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:53 PM
The reasons behind chronic absenteeism range, so "we must think innovatively to ensure students are in school so the learning experiences that await them open doors to their futures," Teach Plus Colorado Policy Fellowship alumna Mary Lou Clough writes.
Literacy breakthroughs happen when literacy instruction is intentional, inclusive, and built with bilingual learners in mind.
From the classroom of Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak, she shares how we can ensure bilingual students learn to read effectively.
From the classroom of Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak, she shares how we can ensure bilingual students learn to read effectively.
When Letters “Pretend:” Why Early Literacy Instruction Must Include All Our Children - MALN
Across the state, there’s an ongoing effort to reform reading instruction and ensure literacy teaching and learning is based on evidence. But in too many of these conversations, multilingual learners…
malatinonews.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Literacy breakthroughs happen when literacy instruction is intentional, inclusive, and built with bilingual learners in mind.
From the classroom of Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak, she shares how we can ensure bilingual students learn to read effectively.
From the classroom of Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak, she shares how we can ensure bilingual students learn to read effectively.
It wasn't until he had a Black male teacher that Teach Plus Texas Fellow Christian Jovel-Arias realized men could be teachers too.
That teacher, he said, “shifted my perspective on who can be teachers and the power it holds for you being that teacher.”
That teacher, he said, “shifted my perspective on who can be teachers and the power it holds for you being that teacher.”
Schools Are Working to Show Boys That the Helping Professions Aren't 'Girly'
Experts say boys don't get support to enter traditionally female careers.
www.edweek.org
November 24, 2025 at 10:53 PM
It wasn't until he had a Black male teacher that Teach Plus Texas Fellow Christian Jovel-Arias realized men could be teachers too.
That teacher, he said, “shifted my perspective on who can be teachers and the power it holds for you being that teacher.”
That teacher, he said, “shifted my perspective on who can be teachers and the power it holds for you being that teacher.”
Many students are falling behind when it comes to reading. Evidence-based literacy teaching strategies could help, but they're not required in Massachusetts. Teach Plus MA Fellow Jennifer Amento writes about a bill in MA that could change that for students.
Guest Commentary: Time To Extinguish Our Five-Alarm Literacy Crisis
Amy’s eyes scanned the page while she chewed on her pen, looking confused as she completed a reading check. A recent district assessment told me the 6th grader was reading
www.capenews.net
November 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Many students are falling behind when it comes to reading. Evidence-based literacy teaching strategies could help, but they're not required in Massachusetts. Teach Plus MA Fellow Jennifer Amento writes about a bill in MA that could change that for students.
Pennsylvania will require schools to adopt evidence-based reading curriculum and train teachers in literacy instruction.
“These accountability measures (timelines) are essential,” Teach Plus PA Literacy Coalition Manager Rachael Garnick said.
“These accountability measures (timelines) are essential,” Teach Plus PA Literacy Coalition Manager Rachael Garnick said.
Here’s how much money Pennsylvania will spend to boost student literacy
About 1 in 3 Pennsylvania fourth graders could read at a proficient level last school year, according to national test scores. The new state budget puts more money toward boosting literacy rates.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Pennsylvania will require schools to adopt evidence-based reading curriculum and train teachers in literacy instruction.
“These accountability measures (timelines) are essential,” Teach Plus PA Literacy Coalition Manager Rachael Garnick said.
“These accountability measures (timelines) are essential,” Teach Plus PA Literacy Coalition Manager Rachael Garnick said.
“I have an impact on children that they can carry with them the rest of their lives."
In this week’s NewsBlast: Teach Plus Pennsylvania Senior Policy Fellow Kyle Bender on the need to value early childhood educators.
Learn more and subscribe: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-F19A602F...
In this week’s NewsBlast: Teach Plus Pennsylvania Senior Policy Fellow Kyle Bender on the need to value early childhood educators.
Learn more and subscribe: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-F19A602F...
November 21, 2025 at 3:31 PM
“I have an impact on children that they can carry with them the rest of their lives."
In this week’s NewsBlast: Teach Plus Pennsylvania Senior Policy Fellow Kyle Bender on the need to value early childhood educators.
Learn more and subscribe: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-F19A602F...
In this week’s NewsBlast: Teach Plus Pennsylvania Senior Policy Fellow Kyle Bender on the need to value early childhood educators.
Learn more and subscribe: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-F19A602F...
When literacy instruction is intentional, inclusive, and built with bilingual learners in mind, students are able to learn more effectively.
Insights via Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak:
Insights via Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak:
When Letters “Pretend:” Why Early Literacy Instruction Must Include All Our Children - MALN
Across the state, there’s an ongoing effort to reform reading instruction and ensure literacy teaching and learning is based on evidence. But in too many of these conversations, multilingual learners…
malatinonews.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:53 PM
When literacy instruction is intentional, inclusive, and built with bilingual learners in mind, students are able to learn more effectively.
Insights via Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak:
Insights via Teach Plus Massachusetts alumna Maria Zak:
A new Teach Plus Mississippi report, "Moving From Data To Action" outlines how connecting fragmented data across preK-12, higher education, and workforce systems can help Mississippi meet and succeed our postsecondary success goal.
Read it here:
teachplus.org/news-and-med...
Read it here:
teachplus.org/news-and-med...
Mississippi Teachers Call for Enhanced Data System to Track Student Success - Teach Plus - Leadership Opportunity
New Teach Plus Report Recommends Upgrading State’s Longitudinal Data System to Support “Ascent to 55%” Goal JACKSON, MS, November 13, 2025—With Mississippi aiming for 55% of working-age adults to hold...
teachplus.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:28 PM
A new Teach Plus Mississippi report, "Moving From Data To Action" outlines how connecting fragmented data across preK-12, higher education, and workforce systems can help Mississippi meet and succeed our postsecondary success goal.
Read it here:
teachplus.org/news-and-med...
Read it here:
teachplus.org/news-and-med...
In times of uncertainty within education, it's more important than ever that teachers be influential to key decisions, @teachplusTX alum Jamie Avalos writes.
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in."
Read more:
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in."
Read more:
www.star-telegram.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:15 PM
In times of uncertainty within education, it's more important than ever that teachers be influential to key decisions, @teachplusTX alum Jamie Avalos writes.
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in."
Read more:
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in."
Read more:
Around the country, many rural schools are contending with a shortage of teacher applicants that has ballooned into a crisis in recent years. Now, some of the levers rural schools have used to boost their teacher recruitment efforts are also disappearing.
Rural teacher shortages could get worse thanks to Trump’s visa fee
In Halifax County, North Carolina, 101 of 156 teachers are international. A new $100,000 H-1B visa fee could effectively slam the door on future hires.
hechingerreport.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Around the country, many rural schools are contending with a shortage of teacher applicants that has ballooned into a crisis in recent years. Now, some of the levers rural schools have used to boost their teacher recruitment efforts are also disappearing.
AI and art exploration don't have to be adversaries. Leading Edge Fellow Lindsay Johnson selectively incorporates the technology into her classroom to help her students have hands-on art experiences.
Read more about how she does it:
Read more about how she does it:
Art, AI, and the abundant mindset - Wednesday Journal
There is a certain type of magic that happens in my art room with my students: Time stands still. As a middle-school art teacher I see up close their drive to create. I have students who passionately…
www.oakpark.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:53 PM
AI and art exploration don't have to be adversaries. Leading Edge Fellow Lindsay Johnson selectively incorporates the technology into her classroom to help her students have hands-on art experiences.
Read more about how she does it:
Read more about how she does it:
Teach Plus Indiana Fellowship alumnus and Senior Writing Fellowship alumnus Ronak Shah has a long history of advocacy. He shares his approach to speaking at public meetings to tell policymakers how policy decisions impact students.
Read more:
Read more:
How three neighbors learned to speak up at public meetings
Get advice from a middle school teacher, the leader of a grassroots advocacy group and a neighbor who spent hours reading data.
mirrorindy.org
November 18, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Teach Plus Indiana Fellowship alumnus and Senior Writing Fellowship alumnus Ronak Shah has a long history of advocacy. He shares his approach to speaking at public meetings to tell policymakers how policy decisions impact students.
Read more:
Read more:
Leading Edge Fellow Lindsay Johnson emphasizes how art and AI exploration can coexist in the classroom.
She shares her framework for incorporating the technology into her classroom:
She shares her framework for incorporating the technology into her classroom:
Art, AI, and the abundant mindset - Wednesday Journal
There is a certain type of magic that happens in my art room with my students: Time stands still. As a middle-school art teacher I see up close their drive to create. I have students who passionately…
www.oakpark.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Leading Edge Fellow Lindsay Johnson emphasizes how art and AI exploration can coexist in the classroom.
She shares her framework for incorporating the technology into her classroom:
She shares her framework for incorporating the technology into her classroom:
Bob Chikos, Teach Plus IL alum, shares how Teach Plus has impacted his teacher-advocacy journey: “Teach Plus recognizes that teachers are an important part of the process. We learned how to write op-eds and have meetings with legislators.”
Listen here:
Listen here:
A Crystal Lake teacher's adventure across Illinois | Teachers' Lounge podcast
On a new Teachers' Lounge, Bob Chikos! He’s a special education teacher at Crystal Lake Central High School.He's involved in education policy at the state level, working on reports about the teacher…
www.northernpublicradio.org
November 17, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Bob Chikos, Teach Plus IL alum, shares how Teach Plus has impacted his teacher-advocacy journey: “Teach Plus recognizes that teachers are an important part of the process. We learned how to write op-eds and have meetings with legislators.”
Listen here:
Listen here:
K-12 schools are grappling with the expanding use of AI-powered ed-tech tools and most are supporting programs to provide laptops or tablets for all students. Yet less than half of districts direct federal PD funding to technology-related training.
Billions of Federal Dollars Are Spent on Teacher Training. Less Than Half Goes to Tech PD
Less than half of districts direct federal PD funding to technology-related training.
www.edweek.org
November 16, 2025 at 5:15 PM
K-12 schools are grappling with the expanding use of AI-powered ed-tech tools and most are supporting programs to provide laptops or tablets for all students. Yet less than half of districts direct federal PD funding to technology-related training.
Student voice: More than two dozen student leaders from across the country fanned out across Capitol Hill to advocate for maintaining federal investments in K-12 education that the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers are looking to cut.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
Students Make Appeals to Congress to Protect K-12 Funding
National Student Council representatives shared perspectives on challenges schools are facing.
www.edweek.org
November 15, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Student voice: More than two dozen student leaders from across the country fanned out across Capitol Hill to advocate for maintaining federal investments in K-12 education that the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers are looking to cut.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
With uncertainty in Ft. Worth ISD schools, this is the time for teachers to have a seat at the table, Teach Plus Texas alum Jamie Avalos writes.
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in from the community."
Read more:
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in from the community."
Read more:
www.star-telegram.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:53 PM
With uncertainty in Ft. Worth ISD schools, this is the time for teachers to have a seat at the table, Teach Plus Texas alum Jamie Avalos writes.
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in from the community."
Read more:
"Leaders should be coming to teachers for guidance on changes and earning buy-in from the community."
Read more:
+ AR: Senator gets hands-on look at bilingual education
+ CO & PA: State budget responses
+ MS: Policy brief, "Moving From Data to Action"
+ TX: Steering boys toward teaching careers
Explore this week’s Newsblast: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-ED208032...
+ CO & PA: State budget responses
+ MS: Policy brief, "Moving From Data to Action"
+ TX: Steering boys toward teaching careers
Explore this week’s Newsblast: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-ED208032...
November 14, 2025 at 3:26 PM
+ AR: Senator gets hands-on look at bilingual education
+ CO & PA: State budget responses
+ MS: Policy brief, "Moving From Data to Action"
+ TX: Steering boys toward teaching careers
Explore this week’s Newsblast: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-ED208032...
+ CO & PA: State budget responses
+ MS: Policy brief, "Moving From Data to Action"
+ TX: Steering boys toward teaching careers
Explore this week’s Newsblast: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-ED208032...
Two bills likely signal the beginning of a flurry of legislation aimed at bolstering the safety of AI tools as the technology becomes integral to a broad swath of sectors, including K-12 education, experts say.
Congress Wants to Protect Kids Using AI. Are Their Ideas the Right Ones?
Two bills in Congress aim to build guardrails for kids' use of artificial intelligence.
www.edweek.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Two bills likely signal the beginning of a flurry of legislation aimed at bolstering the safety of AI tools as the technology becomes integral to a broad swath of sectors, including K-12 education, experts say.
Colorado's new state budget must fully fund education and "invest in policies that expand access to opportunity for students and support the educators who make learning possible," Teach Plus Colorado Executive Director Jamita Horton writes.
Read more:
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
Read more:
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
Gov. Polis should keep his promise to Colorado’s students | Colorado Newsline
As Gov. Jared Polis unveils his next state budget, his commitment to fully fund education carries real weight. We can’t afford to turn back.
coloradonewsline.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Colorado's new state budget must fully fund education and "invest in policies that expand access to opportunity for students and support the educators who make learning possible," Teach Plus Colorado Executive Director Jamita Horton writes.
Read more:
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
Read more:
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
Teach Plus Pennsylvania alum and PA Teacher of the Year Leon Smith is focused on reimagining the teaching profession. He shares about the major role teacher leadership and collaboration play in changing teaching.
Read more:
Read more:
How To Support The World’s Teachers: A Global Playbook
TALIS 2024—the world’s largest study of teachers—delivers the world’s most comprehensive snapshot of teachers’ work.
www.forbes.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Teach Plus Pennsylvania alum and PA Teacher of the Year Leon Smith is focused on reimagining the teaching profession. He shares about the major role teacher leadership and collaboration play in changing teaching.
Read more:
Read more:
As Gov. Polis prepares to share the next state budget, Teach Plus CO Executive Director Jamita Horton highlights the importance of fully funding education so every student can participate in college and career pathways and achieve postsecondary success.
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
Gov. Polis should keep his promise to Colorado’s students | Colorado Newsline
As Gov. Jared Polis unveils his next state budget, his commitment to fully fund education carries real weight. We can’t afford to turn back.
coloradonewsline.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM
As Gov. Polis prepares to share the next state budget, Teach Plus CO Executive Director Jamita Horton highlights the importance of fully funding education so every student can participate in college and career pathways and achieve postsecondary success.
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
coloradonewsline.com/2025/11/07/p...
Looking for insights from fellow educators on how to improve chronic absenteeism with creative solutions?
Read this example from Teach Plus Arkansas Fellow Karyna Johnson who created out-of-school time music clubs for her students.
Read this example from Teach Plus Arkansas Fellow Karyna Johnson who created out-of-school time music clubs for her students.
Let’s make school a place kids want to be | Arkansas Advocate
Most importantly, Anthony and many other students started their days with joy, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
arkansasadvocate.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Looking for insights from fellow educators on how to improve chronic absenteeism with creative solutions?
Read this example from Teach Plus Arkansas Fellow Karyna Johnson who created out-of-school time music clubs for her students.
Read this example from Teach Plus Arkansas Fellow Karyna Johnson who created out-of-school time music clubs for her students.