Golden Apple Foundation’s Post

Imagine a world where every classroom is led by a passionate, well-prepared teacher. This isn't just a dream—it's the mission of the Golden Apple Accelerators Program, and we're making real progress. Our story begins with a challenge: high-need schools struggling to find and retain talented educators. In fact, more than 4,000 teaching positions in Illinois went unfilled in the 2023-24 school year. The Accelerators Program is designed to address this critical shortage. Since 2020, we've placed over 300 new teachers in high-need schools across Illinois. These dedicated individuals are obtaining their teaching licenses in just 15 months, bringing fresh energy and diverse perspectives to classrooms that need them most. Are you ready to join this movement? Applications are now open for the Golden Apple Accelerators Program. Let's work together to create a brighter future for our students. #GoldenAppleAccelerators #Education #TeacherEd #TeacherCareers #Illinois #EducationReform #FutureOfEducation

There are several current narratives in education today, but before jumping to them, watch the SNL skit linked below: Teacher PSA - https://lnkd.in/eey_huzA Funny? Sure. It is funny and who does not love satire? However, here is a list, not exhaustive, of words/phrases used to describe school-aged children:  rude, nasty, illiterate, on drugs, learning disabled (“spectrum” reference). Here is a list of how the SNL teachers are describing the classroom(s): war, battlefield, kids need to sit down (constantly), breaking up fights, issues with gender identity. Here are the erstwhile solutions: retirement, drinking on the job, and surrender. Below are a few other narratives that a quick Google search will provide: Teacher Shortages - https://lnkd.in/evDngYSZ Teacher Layoffs - https://lnkd.in/egu_TGDU Staff Reassignments - https://lnkd.in/eRSsK3XP Legislative Intervention - https://lnkd.in/e4UnGEA2 What is happening? Education is becoming a punchline and all of the above narratives are not addressing the root cause(s) of the problem(s). Those of us in the schoolhouses do not have the authority or resources to tackle any of the above, but we have folks who get paid a lot of money to get education going in the right direction. There are also elected officials that used one or more of the above issues to get elected…are they getting education moving in the right direction? Where are the Strategic Plans and Turnaround folks and consultants who can “right the ship”? For educators nearing retirement, this is unbelievably frustrating and soul-sucking. Where is the hope for education? #education #teachingandlearning #teaching #learning #leadership #edleadership #edleaders #publiceducation #publicschools #edreform #schoolleaders #schoolleadership

“We don’t do anything that’s meaningful.” (A teen you know may have said this.) Yes, high school is broken. But it can be fixed. It starts by shifting away from offering teachers and students Band-Aids that doubles down on a failing formula. At Springpoint, we know just how critical this work is—that young people’s cognitive growth, social-emotional development, and emerging awareness of their roles and responsibilities as citizens are at stake. More in my op-ed for The Hechinger Report: 

We can make high school better. Let's no longer accept subpar experiences, dull content, and rote assignments for our students. We must be laser-focused on ensuring that young people are offered challenging and authentically meaningful work, grounded in rigor and purpose. More from Elina Alayeva in The Hechinger Report.

Young people are disconnected and bored...how can we think about designing learning environments that flip this script? Check out this op-ed in The Hechinger Report written by Elina Alayeva, champion of thoughtful school design (and the ED of Springpoint!)

How might we think about designing learning environments that are meaningful not boring? Check out this op-ed in The Hechinger Report written by Elina Alayeva, champion of thoughtful school design (and the ED of Springpoint!)

Check out this powerful piece by Elina Alayeva on making high school meaningful for young people. And, if you're curious about the rigorous and purposeful learning experiences mentioned in the article, reach out! I'd love to tell you more.

School’s out for summer, but the fight for equity in hiring is year-round! Here’s the tea… many districts are all talk, no action on diversity hiring. They say they want a rainbow of educators, but their practices are stuck on repeat. Imagine classrooms that reflect the beautiful diversity of our world! Studies show students thrive when they see themselves reflected in their teachers. So why are we still using the same old hiring methods that shut out talented educators of color? Calling all parents, students, and educators! Let’s get real: what can school districts do to ditch the tired tactics and actually attract diverse educators? Here’s a starter pack: 1. Forge new pathways for potential hires. School districts usually hire from two talent pools—new graduates looking for their first jobs or experienced teachers working in other districts. 2. Hire “strategically,” not “seasonally.” Like many school districts, BSD followed a traditional hiring season – opening positions in the spring and recruiting throughout the summer. 3. Erase implicit biases in hiring. One of the most detrimental problems in recruitment can be solved by training principals and administrators on what to look for in job applicants. Let’s share this post, tag a school board member who needs a wake-up call, and brainstorm ways to make our schools a wide scope of brilliance! #InclusiveHiring #EducatorEmpowerment #TheFutureIsDiverse #RepresentationMatters #diverseeducators #schools #educationequity #educationequality https://lnkd.in/gy23JpYj

I left working the 40+ hour a week job and retired about 18 months ago and became a substitute teacher for St. Joseph-Ogden High School (IL). When I was a student at SJ-O, I had aspirations of being a history teacher, but my career took me other directions. So coming back was full circle and to be a sub in my home high school, was a great opportunity. I admit, that I was very curious what was happening in high school education. I graduated from HS 40 years ago, so things had to change, didn't they? What has changed since 1984, is technology now is integrated into every class and classroom. The students at SJ-O all have chrome books that they utilize for everything from homework assignments to taking tests. The teacher is able to quickly give everyone an assignment to work on with on-line resources to utilize to enhance the learning. Technology was essential to making on-line education work during the pandemic. While all the technology can be a huge plus, it has also come with many challenges. Students all have a cell phone now and just like the adults (me included), they spend way too much time on them. Most schools have a no cell phone policy use during class time, but the temptation is there and students are pulling them out frequently during the day and it is a non-ending cycle of reminding them to put them away, or I will have to take the phone down to the principals office for them to pick up at the end of the day. I believe that technology and social media specifically have created an enormous growth in the anxiety levels within students. In speaking with administration and teachers both, they also see the growth in anxiety over the last decade and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. This matches the increase in anxiety that I saw in college students at the University of Illinois and elsewhere. One day in a class, I got into a conversation with some students whose basic question to me was; "what was it like growing up without all these devices and social media?". By the students asking this question, it was like they knew they were being deprived of something that I had taken for granted growing up. We spoke that everything today is online and instantaneous. I also spoke about in-person relationship building and the value of knowing someone individually, outside of a social media bubble and not to believe everyone has the perfect life they often portray on-line. What hasn't changed is that public school teachers are still extremely dedicated to their students and are committed to the students success, just like 40 years ago when I was at SJ-O. Our teachers are under a lot of public pressure and deserve our support for the important work they are doing. Schools across the US need substitute teachers to help in the classroom. If you have the time, I encourage you to consider doing it. The opportunity can be rewarding in knowing you make a difference for the students and their future.

Today, I collaborated with my Ed Research Cohort to explore the barriers encountered by school districts in teacher hiring, recruiting, and retention. Our efforts were centered around aligning our observations with the most recent research on teacher recruitment challenges. Share your thoughts and opinions on this critical topic. #Education #Research #TeacherRecruitment