This conversation delves into the biases inherent in traditional grading systems and their disproportionate impact on marginalized students. The hosts discuss the need for transforming grading practices to promote equity in education, emphasizing the importance of understanding the moral imperative behind these changes. The discussion highlights the challenges faced by teachers in adapting to new grading philosophies and the potential for these changes to bring joy back into teaching.

Follow Twitter: @PrincipalGarden @JoeCFeldman @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd

#classroomstrategies

Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms (Corwin)

Joe Feldman has worked in education for over 20 years, including as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group (crescendoedgroup.org), which since 2013 has supported K-12 schools, districts, and colleges/universities nationwide to improve grading and assessment practices. His organization has partnered with the National Education Association as well as the American Federation of Teachers, National Association of Independent Schools, and Stanford University’s Challenge Success, and Joe leads the Equitable Grading Project (gradingforequity.org),
which researches the impact of improved grading on students and their teachers. He has presented at numerous education conferences, including the California School Boards Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and has been interviewed by many local and national media outlets, including CNN and the Los Angeles Times. His writings have been published in Education Week, Kappan, Education Leadership, District Administrator, and Black Press USA, and his book, Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms (Corwin) was first published in 2018, has just been published in its second edition.

Liz Garden is currently the principal of the Henry P Clough Elementary School in Mendon, MA. She is the past President of MSAA. She is an Editorial Advisor for Principal Magazine and an NAESP Fellow for the Center for Innovative Leadership. She’s married to Dave, her musician husband and is mom to Emerson and Cayce.

This conversation explores the pressing need to reimagine the role of teachers in education to enhance teacher retention, job satisfaction, and student outcomes. The discussion highlights the importance of collaboration among educators, the necessity of adapting to changing educational needs, and the challenges faced in implementing new teaching models. Key insights include the significance of leadership in fostering a supportive environment for teachers and the role of data in assessing the effectiveness of educational innovations.

Follow Twitter: @PrincipalGarden @hpeske@nctq.org @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd

Resource, Reimagining | state profiles

In 2022, Dr. Heather Peske was named NCTQ’s next President. She comes to NCTQ from her role as Senior Associate Commissioner for Instructional Support in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE) where she implemented policies and programs across teacher development, educator preparation, and curriculum and instruction that drove historic improvements for students—including record graduation rates, the highest rating NAEP performance, and dramatic increases in higher-education participation and success. After having started her career as an elementary teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Peske served as Director of Teacher Quality at The Education Trust and later as the Vice President of Programs at Teach Plus. Over her three decades in education, she has been named a “Future Chief” by Chiefs for Change (2021), a Broad Academy Fellow (2019), and a recipient of the Governor Paul Cellucci Award for Leadership and Mentoring in State Government (2017). Dr. Peske earned her master’s degree and doctorate in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College with magna cum laude honors.

Dr. Peske is a coauthor of the award-winning book, Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools and co-editor of Learning from the Experts: Teacher Leaders on Solving America’s Education Challenges and has written reports and articles on teacher policy, teacher evaluation, alternative certification programs, new teachers’ experiences, and conceptions of career.

Liz Garden is currently the principal of the Henry P Clough Elementary School in Mendon, MA. She is the past President of MSAA. She is an Editorial Advisor for Principal Magazine and an NAESP Fellow for the Center for Innovative Leadership. She’s married to Dave, her musician husband and is mom to Emerson and Cayce.