Jul 28
Collaboration

Collaboration is Key for Creating Opportunities for Excellence

by Paul O’Neill

Earlier this month, Teach for America convened 1,000 of its core members and alumni in the hills outside of Las Vegas for a Teach for America Educators Conference.  The two-day event engaged attendees in discussions, forums, workshops, panels, plenaries, and Ed Talks focused on the most relevant, timely topics in education reform. This included an intensive panel on special education, and I was honored to take part on behalf of The Center for Learner Equity.  Leading experts from across the public schooling sector took part, shared concerns, insights and ideas for effective instructional practices and strategies.  The focus of TFA is on teachers and providing effective instruction to under-served students.  This is an essential element of The Center for Learner Equity’ mission as well — creating opportunities for excellence within schools.  Opportunities such as the TFA conference are too rare — Educators and experts from the traditional public school sector and from the charter school community focusing on common special education challenges and shared solutions.  We need more of this collaboration. We thank TFA for taking the initiative and are committed to fostering more such opportunities.