Education Program Objectives

Most of the Foundation’s work in Education focuses on building an excellent workforce of educators – teachers and education leaders – and making sure that schools are places that support them in educating students well.  Occasionally, we may invest in exceptional  efforts to deal with related issues, such as an extensive examination in California of how schools can use resources more efficiently and what resources are needed.

Currently our work focuses on the objective of Effective Teaching. A second objective, Education Leadership, is under development.

Effective Teaching

The Foundation funds innovations in practice and policy to build a strong teaching profession for California and Washington, so that all students will be taught by a fully qualified and effective teacher.  We work to promote:

1.  Systems for improving teaching that reach every teacher, especially in high-needs schools:

• Develop and disseminate high-quality professional development strategies to improve teaching and student learning, particularly in math, science, and English learning.
   
• Promote sustainable infrastructures for the improvement of teaching, both within and beyond district boundaries
   
• Gather information and make recommendations to improve professional development opportunities available to teachers.

2.  Accomplished teachers for challenging schools:

• Help educators design and implement strategies for drawing accomplished teachers into high-needs schools and supporting them to ensure that they are successful with students.

3.  Alternative professional compensation systems for teachers:

• Support pilot efforts in school districts to develop compensation systems that recognize and promote accomplished teaching and leadership.

4.  State and local policy development to ensure that every student has a qualified, effective teacher:

• Monitor and report on the condition of the teaching force, including the supply and distribution of qualified teachers across schools, and develop and promote policies to improve it.
   
• Assess the effects of state and local policies to strengthen the teaching profession, especially in high-needs schools, and recommend course corrections.