Giving Compass' Take:

• Lowell Milken, writing for The 74, honors educator Dr. Scott Ridley for his work in elevating teacher practices, stressing the importance of teacher development and preparedness. 

• How can education philanthropists contribute to teacher development programs? 

• Read about the secret to activating teacher motivation. 

Recently, Dr. Scott Ridley — an individual who played a remarkable role in revolutionizing the way teachers are prepared for the realities of today’s classrooms — passed away. His creativity, boldness, and vision will be sorely missed. His legacy not only leaves an indelible mark on generations of teachers, students, and families in communities across the country, but also carries with it lessons that universities and school districts should consider for achieving their joint mission of preparing our teacher force.

He brought the knowledge of the inner workings of school districts as well as an understanding of the difficulties facing students living in poverty, learning English as a second language, possessing special needs, and having other challenges to learning. At ASU, Ridley worked during the leadership of President Michael Crow, who was making innovation a hallmark of his tenure. With an innovation focus at the university under Crow and in the college with Ridley, ASU created iTeachAZ, which has become a national model.

Based on Ridley’s long-standing work to establish professional development schools across Arizona, the iTeachAZ initiative further strengthened connections between teacher preparation faculty and school communities, particularly schools serving high-need students.

It recognized that teacher preparation program leaders and faculty needed to talk to and understand the needs of districts hiring teacher candidates. Ridley’s work in Arizona and Texas intersected with the work I have been involved in for the past three decades: the challenge of ensuring that every student has an effective classroom teacher every year.

Read the full article about elevating teacher practice by Lowell Milken at The 74