Giving Compass' Take:

• The Learning Accelerator created the Innovation Directors Network, a group of professionals that are constantly working to address challenges of the education system. 

• How does the network prioritize issue areas? Are there potential donor partnership opportunities?

• Here are six education champions worth your time. 

When I was a little girl in small-town Texas, I loved to travel. I also loved school. Learning and seeing other parts of our country were simply my favorite things. On an extended trip to New York City, I remember meeting a little girl from New Jersey in a laundromat when I was seven years old. We talked like little kids do – “how old are you? What’s your name? What is your favorite subject?” – things like that. I was fascinated to hear about her school; it was so big compared to what I knew!

Flash forward to the Innovation Directors Network. The Learning Accelerator has given me the ability to regularly connect with and learn from others doing the job I do but in vastly different settings. The IDN is not a one-time crossing of paths or a single presentation at a conference. We are an ongoing working group of professionals.

So, how do I use all of this new, practical knowledge? How can I convert it into action where I am?

As an educator, I must strive to continue my personal journey of learning as well as to strike out to affect positive change in the system I am passionate about. We have so many challenges facing us today in education: funding, teacher pay, SEL issues, privacy, digital citizenry, evaluation, access and equity, high-stakes testing, and more. I must know that I have a voice to speak up for my students and my fellow educators. I have a story to tell and knowledge to share. The IDN has made me a more informed leader, and sharing the information I’ve learned is one way that I can take action.

Read the full article about Innovation Directors Network by Amy Dodson at The Learning Accelerator