Smart List: 28 Teacher & Leader Developers, 10 School Improvement Capacities

Getting Smart is acknowledging people and organizations making a difference with the 3rd Annual Smart List series. During October and November you’ll see about 20 ‘Best of’ lists, not in order, not exhaustive, just people we appreciate doing innovative work.

Today we are recognizing 12 human capital builders, 14 leadership developers, and 10 school improvement providers.

Human Capital Resources

• TEACH-NOW: From Educatore School of Education, project-based certifications
  • See feature
• Bloomboard: Online teacher development system **
• Teachscape: Maximizing teacher effectiveness
• Opportunity Culture: Models for leveraging great teaching with technology
• Teach For America: Placing talented teachers in America’s neediest schools
• National Council on Teacher Quality: Reform advocates
• TNTP: Providing excellent teachers to students who need them most
• Center for Urban Teaching: Prepare and support high performing urban teachers
• Charter Board Partners: Recruiting and training charter board members **
• Education Pioneers: Placing professional school students in districts
• Leading Educators: Leadership development for highly effective teachers
• True North Logic: Supporting educators growth cycle

Leadership Development

• The University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership:  Closing the achievement gap through improving instructional effectiveness at all levels (classroom, school, district)
• Broad Academy: Development program for transformational educational leaders and nontraditional candidates
• New Leaders: Develops transformational school leaders/teams in partner cities
• Building Excellent Schools: Trains entrepreneurs to start charter schools
• Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation: Closing gaps by training leaders
• KIPP School Leadership Program: Developing KIPP leaders
• Harvard Graduate School of Education: Innovative leadership development program
• Columbia Summer Principals Academy
• School Leadership Network: Transforming school leadership
• Teach For America: Also a leader in leadership development
• Relay Graduate School of Education: Competency-based preparation with 8 campuses and programs across the country
• Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program: Leadership development from the B school
• Public Allies: Strengthens communities, nonprofits with new leadership programs
• Yet Analytics: Training and professional development data
• Teaching Channel: Watch, share and learn
• Innovate Public Schools: Supports district/charter school leaders to launch new public schools in the Bay Area

School Improvement

• edWorks: Subsidiary of KnowledgeWorks Foundation
• Pearson School Improvement Services: Formerly America’s Choice #
• Re-Inventing Schools Coalition: Leaders in competency based learning
• Turnaround for Children: Counteracting the effects of poverty (see feature)
• School Improvement Network: Online PD and more
• Matchbook Learning: Blended turnaround
• Mass Insight: What works in turnaround
• Michigan Education Achievement Authority: Innovative blend
• Tennessee Achievement School District: Recruiting the best
• Louisiana Recovery School District: Turned around NOLA

This Smart List was published in partnership with Getting Smart Services. Getting Smart provides advocacy, advisory, consulting and public relations services to turn ideas into impact. We help for-profit and non-profit organizations construct cohesive and forward-thinking strategies for branding, awareness, advancement and communications.

* Learn Capital Partner, # Getting Smart Partner, ** Board member or Advisor

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