The National Council on Teacher Quality is a nonpartisan research and policy group committed to modernizing the teaching profession based on the belief that all children deserve effective teachers. To that end, we work to achieve fundamental changes in the policy and practices of teacher preparation programs, school districts, state governments, and teachers unions. Our Board of Directors and Advisory Board come from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives, and they all believe that policy changes are overdue in the recruitment and retention of teachers.
Our flagship projects include:
The Great Districts for Great Teachers initiative recognizes and celebrates the efforts of a carefully selected group of school districts. These winning districts have demonstrated effective policies and practices that make them great places for great teachers to work, and ultimately help to ensure that more children have access to great teachers. Recognizing these districts shines a spotlight on their best practices for other districts to use as a guide to improve their own policies.
Great Districts for Great Teachers is focused on what the school district does to attract and keep great teachers - the talent everybody is eager to bring on board. Our indicators and evaluations reflect this focus on how well the district is serving the best teachers: those who are most successful at helping their students learn. However, what's good for great teachers is generally the right thing for all teachers.
These Great Districts are not perfect, but they are taking exceptional steps to create policies that support and retain their best teachers.
Thank you funders!
Several major education foundations have sponsored this project. These funders include: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Heinz Endowments, the Walton Family Foundation, and the William Penn Foundation. Funders did not determine the winners nor the criteria for evaluating the districts.