December 2, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact:
Jessica Fletcher, Senior Director, Communications & External Affairs
(cell) 859-539-0511
jessica.fletcher@
Lexington, KY – The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence Teacher Fellows, a group of 12 accomplished educators working on action research projects to improve education in their individual spheres of influence, has released an open letter reflecting the needs of students, educators, and schools across Kentucky. Along with the open letter, the teachers have launched a social media campaign called #IWantASchoolThat which allows all Kentuckians to describe their aspirations for public education.
“We believe that every student deserves our best every single day,” the teachers wrote in the letter. “To that end, we came together to pool our diverse perspectives to establish a shared vision for teaching and learning for the Commonwealth and to identify actions teachers, families, and communities might take to reach this vision.”
Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted education at every level, the educators have outlined priorities for teaching and learning that they believe will help rebuild the foundation of education in Kentucky that is stronger and more resilient than it was before the global health crisis began. These educators seek to:
- Determine what high-quality, effective instruction and assessment look like in Kentucky classrooms.
- Focus sustained attention on the mental health, wellbeing, and safety of students and educators.
- Reimagine how our use of time and support for the autonomy of students and educators might best support student learning.
- Create a multidimensional, mutually beneficial partnership of families, community businesses and organizations, and educators in service of students.
- Redesign professional learning to meet the demands implied by the four priorities above.
In creating this work, the Prichard Committee Teacher Fellows have asked their students, colleagues, and families of students what they want in their public schools. That resulted in the #IWantASchoolThat social media campaign. Find a compilation of videos from that campaign, along with the letter, at prichardcommittee.org/letter-from-kentucky-teachers/.
“The Prichard Committee Teacher Fellows believe in our students and our public schools,” said Teacher Fellow Facilitator Lauren Hill, an educator at Leestown Middle School in Fayette County. “We understand that school improvement takes time and persistence. No sustainable change is possible without exploring the beliefs about teaching and learning upon which all actions rest. By examining these questions together, school teams, including students, parents, and community members, can make those beliefs visible and begin to confront and tear down the barriers to improvement.”
“As we continue to see our way through the chaotic, complex, and uncertain environment, embracing innovation and entrepreneurial thinking is necessary to give way to stronger, more effective, and equitable learning environments,” said Prichard Committee President & CEO Brigitte Blom. “I’m thrilled that the Prichard Committee was able to provide teachers with a platform to talk about their aspirations for excellence in teaching and to shape our collective vision for what’s possible and necessary. This work is a beautiful statement of commitment by Kentucky teachers that will have far-reaching ripple effects in communities and across the state.”
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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary.
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