Scoring a Touchdown for Teachers with Best in Class

April 17, 2019

Teachers are the No. 1 in-school factor that influences student achievement – yet attracting and retaining the best educators remains challenging. Best in Class, an Educate Texas initiative powered by Communities Foundation of Texas and Commit, is committed to ensuring North Texas students get access to the very best teachers and school leaders.

The program focuses on how local education systems can attract great talent, prepare educators for success, provide meaningful development, and retain the best. To support this work, Best in Class analyzes data, connects people, resources and best practices, and grows strategies that work.

“Sparking change in our educational system will be driven by celebrating teachers and helping them succeed,” said Betsy Cook, deputy director of Best in Class at Educate Texas. “The key is ensuring we give teachers the tools and training to be fully effective for our students.”

Touchdown for Teachers Launch Celebration

On a beautiful Saturday last October at a Southern Methodist University football game, Best in Class held a “tailgate” launch celebration, Touchdown for Teachers, to give a warm welcome to new-to-theprofession teachers in North Texas. Teachers enjoyed tasty barbecue and were given free tickets to the SMU vs. Cincinnati game, T-shirts, goodie bags and lots of recognition. Firstyear teachers identified by districts as “Rising Stars” were honored on the field during the game halftime.

Educate Texas: Effective Teaching Addressed in the 88th Legislative Session

The effectiveness of classroom teachers is the most important in-school factor for improving student academic performance. Furthermore, research shows that the quality of teacher preparation is critically important for teacher effectiveness. As the halfway point of the 88th Legislative Session approaches, both the House and Senate continue to signal their prioritization of effective teaching and specifically high-quality preparation.

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