Teach Plus

Teach Plus
Name	Teach Plus
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2003
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Area served	United States
Focus	Teacher leadership, policy advocacy, professional development

Teach Plus Teach Plus is a nonprofit organization that supports teacher leadership and policy engagement in public United States schools. Founded in 2003, the organization develops teacher leaders who influence Philadephia policy, partner with districts such as Chicago Public Schools, and work alongside institutions like Harvard University and Brown University. Teach Plus operates programs across multiple urban centers including Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

History

Teach Plus was established in 2003 amid national debates following the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act and the expansion of charter networks such as KIPP. Early activities connected teachers with local initiatives in Massachusetts and Illinois, aligning with reform efforts led by figures associated with Bill Gates philanthropy and research from Brookings Institution. Over time Teach Plus expanded to cities affected by federal policy shifts like the Race to the Top competition and state decisions in places including New Jersey and California. The organization has intersected with networks including National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Teach For America, Edsurge, and policy groups such as The Century Foundation.

Mission and Programs

Teach Plus’s mission emphasizes teacher leadership and classroom-centered policy informed by practitioners from districts such as Los Angeles Unified School District and Houston Independent School District. Program models include classroom fellowships, policy fellowships, and leadership cohorts aligned with professional learning frameworks used by UCLA Graduate School of Education and Teachers College, Columbia University. Partnerships have been formed with foundations like the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, and Wallace Foundation to scale programming. Initiatives often focus on matriculation trends tracked by entities like College Board and labor issues related to unions such as American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

Teacher Leadership and Policy Advocacy

Teach Plus trains teacher leaders to participate in local school board meetings, state capitol testimony, and district negotiations, intersecting with governance bodies including the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the California State Board of Education. Teacher leaders have testified before legislative committees alongside advocates from Education Trust and researchers from American Institutes for Research. Advocacy has touched policy debates around standardized assessments like the PARCC consortium and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, teacher evaluation systems influenced by Danielson Framework adoption, and certification pathways including alternative routes such as New York City Teaching Fellows and traditional licensure institutions like University of Michigan School of Education.

Research and Impact

Teach Plus conducts research on teacher retention, instructional leadership, and policy effects, often citing studies comparable to findings published by RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, and Learning Policy Institute. Evaluations have examined effects on student achievement in districts comparable to Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and have engaged with data standards referenced by Institute of Education Sciences. Reports address workforce issues related to collective bargaining in districts represented by Chicago Teachers Union and examine talent strategies similar to those promoted by New Leaders. Teach Plus has collaborated with academic partners including Syracuse University and University of Chicago Consortium on School Research.

Organization and Funding

Teach Plus operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit staffed by former teachers, policy analysts, and program directors who have served in settings like Baltimore City Public Schools and Seattle Public Schools. Funding sources have included private foundations such as Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, corporate donors including Cisco Systems and Microsoft Corporation philanthropic arms, and family foundations linked to individuals like Warren Buffett. Grants and contracts have come through competitive processes similar to those overseen by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and state educational agencies including the Ohio Department of Education.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques of Teach Plus have centered on perceived alignment with school reform agendas associated with figures like Eli Broad and organizations such as The Broad Center, and concerns voiced by teacher unions including American Federation of Teachers and local chapters like the United Federation of Teachers. Controversies have arisen in debates over support for charter expansion in cities such as Detroit and New Orleans, teacher evaluation models tied to standardized testing regimes promoted by U.S. Department of Education initiatives, and funding transparency questions similar to disputes involving Relay Graduate School of Education. Scholars from institutions like Teachers College, Columbia University and commentators at Education Week have debated the balance between practitioner-driven advocacy and reform partnerships.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States