The best and brightest among educational entrepreneurs are often called rock stars. Though I can hardly imagine two things more different than, say, a ???????no excuses??????? charter school and backstage at a Led Zeppelin gig, the honorific is pretty fitting????????these are highly talented, driven, and popular people who have a certain cool about them.
In the world of music, every generation or so, lightning strikes, and someone can lay claim to ???????double rock star??????? billing, having been part of two major acts????????like Clapton (the Yardbirds and Cream) or Dave Grohl (Nirvana and Foo Fighters).
This brings me to Norman Atkins, founder of Uncommon Schools, one of the nation's highest performing charter school networks. At an AEI event yesterday and then over dinner, Atkins described his latest venture: launching and leading Teacher U, a joint project with Hunter College that may completely change our understanding of how to prepare urban educators.
The best principals and teachers from Uncommon Schools, KIPP, and Achievement First and leading professors from Hunter will serve as instructors. Their students will be currently serving teachers who will learn the tactical academic skills and character strengths (often through video observation) that lead to achievement gains for disadvantaged students. And possibly most interesting of all: Teacher U aims to only award masters degrees to teachers who can demonstrate, after their two years in the program, improved student learning in their classrooms.
To his credit, Atkins urges restraint when people heartily praise Teacher U or suggest expanding or replicating it since the project is brand new and many of their strategies are untested. But their goals are commendable????????not to mention audacious????????and their plans are potentially groundbreaking.
Giving credit where credit is due, though Atkins is CEO of Teacher U, a couple other folks deserve credit: Achievement First and Amistad co-founder Dacia Toll and KIPP co-founder Dave Levin were also instrumental in its creation, and Hunter College dean, David Steiner, has been a major contributor as well. Best of luck to all involved.
Next time I'm in NYC, can I have backstage passes?
Photograph from Foo Fighters website