Giving Compass' Take:

• Ben Kutylo discusses why teachers are essential in the decision-making processes of schools that are changing their educational approaches in the classroom.

• How can donors give more agency to teachers during this process? What support do educators in your local schools need in order to succeed? 

• Read about how some leaders are proposing to add teachers' voices to research decisions.

Mounting research supports what most in education generally accept now—teaching is the most important factor impacting student learning. Besides parents, educators know students best. They are the primary implementers of any school initiative that we hope will create better outcomes for students. Simply put, educators are essential to the success of students.

Why then are teachers still largely left out of the change process in education?

Historically, top-down change doesn’t include teachers until implementation

In my roles working in edtech, consulting and education philanthropy, I’ve had the opportunity to work with schools and districts throughout the country of varying size and in different contexts. In most cases, my work started with leaders — policymakers, philanthropists, or district superintendents. They identified a solution that they believed would substantially improve student outcomes, based on their own priorities and understanding of the needs in schools.

In nearly all cases, we did not significantly include teachers in the change process until they were asked or required to implement the new solution.

Educators want change that values their voice, their context, and their motivations. I saw these challenges play out over and over again. This is why our first project at my current organization, The Fremont Street Fund, supported the Christensen Institute to launch a study, released last September, that helps explain what motivates teachers to change how they teach.

In addition to reimagining schools, we need to reimagine the approach to change. They do not feel they have a voice or agency as leaders make decisions with major implications for how they teach. They do not feel valued or respected as professionals.  Teachers who feel forced to adopt a solution they don’t believe in are less likely to implement it well.

Read the full article about why re-imagining schools must start with teachers by Ben Kutylo at Christensen Institute.