To create a more robust conception of education reform, we propose four pillars of equal importance upon which our public education system should rest.

  1. Promote learner-centered schools. If schools are going to prepare students to be college-and-career ready, as well as thoughtful citizens, then they should be safe, learner-centered spaces focused on serving the needs of each individual student.
  2. Professionalize teaching. If teachers are the most important in-school determinant of student learning, then teaching must be celebrated as an important profession rather than denigrated.
  3. Promote equity alongside excellence. If schools are going to tap into the talents of all students, then education initiatives must be inclusive. Any changes in education must be accompanied by changes in other systems that affect students' lives, including health care, juvenile justice, job training, and housing.
  4. Support agreements between district leaders and teachers' unions to improve student learning. Contrary to the notion that collective bargaining is a hindrance to improvement, labor-management agreements are a fruitful way to make promising ideas a reality.

Read the full article on teacher-led education reform by Adam Urbanski, Tom Alves, and Ellen Bernstein at Education Week