We're thrilled to announce Dr. Bridget Hamre as Teachstone's new CEO. Bridget is a co-founder of Teachstone and co-author of the CLASS. To learn more about her and this appointment, read the full press release below.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Feb. 11, 2020 - Teachstone, developer of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) included in 23 states' Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) and used by Head Start programs nationwide, today announced the appointment of Dr. Bridget Hamre as Chief Executive Officer.
"Bridget believes in the power of relationships between teachers and students to put children on a positive trajectory -- and affect outcomes at scale," said Dr. Bob Pianta, Ph.D., Dean of the Curry School of Education and Human Development at University of Virginia and Teachstone co-founder. "As an educator, researcher, and practitioner, she will bring the vision of an entrepreneur -- and experience of a classroom teacher --- to bear on our work and mission."
A co-founder and current board member of Teachstone, Hamre's appointment reflects the organization's continued commitment to the field, and ongoing investment in the development of tools that translate the science of learning into practice for educators.
An Aspen Institute Pahara Fellow, Dr. Hamre serves as Research Associate Professor of the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL). She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed papers and co-developer of innovative solutions to support teaching, including CLASS 1-on-1 Video Coaching (MTP), a video-based coaching model, as well as coursework for teachers (traditional and online).
"We created Teachstone to provide the field with reliable, research-based tools to measure and improve teaching quality and to ensure we're giving students the best start possible," said Dr. Hamre. "I am honored to lead our organization at a time when the promise of delivering on quality at scale has never been more critical, and emerging technologies provide almost limitless opportunities to support the work of educators."
A native of Sacramento, California, Hamre received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley and her MEd and PhD in clinical psychology and school psychology from the University of Virginia.
We are ecstatic to announce that Teachstone is now a Certified B Corporation! This certification legally requires us to consider the impact of our decisions on our clients, employees, the communities we work in, and the environment. With this new business model informing our work, we are excited to continue to support ECE programs and leaders to ensure every child experiences life changing teaching and teachers are equipped with the tools to best deliver on that goal.
Educators can now earn college credit while pursuing the Childhood Development Associate (CDA)
On Wednesday, September 23, the Office of Head Start (OHS) announced that it will be suspending CLASS reviews for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. We sincerely hope this news relieves some of the stress our Head Start partners have felt as they grapple with new challenges related to pandemic conditions.
It is also our hope that programs will use this time to provide specific CLASS support to staff in order to strengthen interactions, regardless of the delivery model in which they are serving children.
You likely know children in your schools and local neighborhoods who are dual-language learners—eager to explore and whose parents want the best opportunities for them in school and in life. But did you know dual-language learners in the U.S. make up 32% of children under the age of five?