Editor’s Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and help our country rise to the many challenges of the 21st century.
Last month, I had the distinct honor of participating in a round table discussion with fellow teachers as a nominee for a White House “Champions of Change” award. U. S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach, Peter Cunningham, and Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy, Roberto Rodriguez, led our lively conversation. Assistant Secretary Cunningham stressed the Department’s initiative to, “strengthen and honor teachers.” Mr. Rodriguez expressed the Administration’s goals of advancing American education as an economic imperative and providing federal support for achievement at all levels.
As passionate educators, we took advantage of the opportunity to give suggestions and information to senior Administration officials who were eager to hear our ideas. We discussed the desire for more effective communication and partnerships with parents, differentiated professional development opportunities, and improved evaluation and accountability systems. As my colleague, Kristine Woleck put it, “Evaluations should be seen as part of a professional growth system…feedback should be timely and specific.”
Eric Kehn pointed out, the challenge we face as educators, at all levels, is how to balance “vision and support” with accountability in our interactions with each other. This is a good reminder that whether we are Department of Education officials or teachers talking to our students, our goals are to encourage and inspire in addition to measuring performance through tests and grades.
Fonte: White House