By training, I’m an accountant. Or as some on my staff say, “a bean counter.” I like to know what things are going to cost, I need to know that we can pay for them, and of course, I want to know that we are getting a strong return on our investment (a.k.a. ROI).
So, why is a “bean counter” running an education company? Great question. The way I see it, Teachstone is an accountnt’s dream: everything we do is about getting a strong ROI for children. If it’s not going to lead to results for kids, why do it?
About a year ago, we took a step back and asked how we could use CLASS to get even stronger returns for children. We wanted to know what we could do to not just move the needle but give it a mighty push and make a huge difference for kids.
While we love our offices in Charlottesville, we knew that we had to get out of those walls and spend a lot of time with all of you. We traveled to centers and spoke with teachers, coaches, and directors; we interviewed our observers and trainers; we met with administrators and education leaders across the country. We did a ton of listening and observing. And in doing so, four themes continued to come up wherever we went:
- Programs are collecting a lot of data, but often the data doesn’t get used when selecting professional development for teachers—and even more often, it just doesn’t get used.
- Professional development cannot be one-size-fits-all; teachers have different needs, diverse learning styles, and they need professional development that is differentiated, strengths-based, and meets them where they are.
- We reinvent the wheel a lot in ECE—particularly when it comes to coaching. Many organizations have coaching structures in place and for the most part, they are working—they just need some tools and technology to better support them.
- Administrators need more visibility into what’s happening across their organization to lead effectively; with so many moving pieces, administrators struggle to track and report on what is taking place and then use that information to drive change.
We’ve tested out these four "pillars” with hundreds of educators and leaders, and we’ve heard a resounding, “Yes! That’s what we’re dealing with!” So, we went back to the drawing board and we’re building a platform to address these four pillars called myTeachstone (more on that coming soon!).
While we’re really (really!) excited about the myTeachstone platform, we’re most excited about being able to address the four pillars I listed above. And I’m excited to announce that we are launching a Teachstone Ambassador Team that will elevate a national conversation around these pillars. Our Ambassadors represent diverse roles and areas across early childhood education, but they share a common belief in the promise of CLASS: quality care for all children—no matter what.
Each Ambassador has gotten his or her hands dirty investing in improving teaching and getting results for kids—they know all about ROI! The team will be blogging, using social media, speaking at conferences and on webinars, and doing everything it can to inform the dialogue around these issues—and most important—conversing with all of you on how we can seize the momentum in early childhood right now to push the needle for kids. I encourage you to follow our Ambassadors here on the Teachstone blog, speak with them online and in person, and join with them in delivering on the promise of CLASS.
