Learning Forward and the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (NCTAF) have announced the start of a competition that asks teachers how professional development should be funded using federal dollars available under the new education legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act.

"As part of their effort to highlight the critical role of teacher agency in professional learning, Learning Forward and NCTAF will use the competition to amplify and support teachers in understanding the provisions of ESSA aligning the allowable uses of funds under the law with their learning needs,” Learning Forward said in a statement.

Called the Agents for Learning competition, it will first provide teachers interested in competing with a series of webinars helping them understand the new law "including the rights and responsibilities of states regarding use of federal funds for professional development, as well as how those funds can support a systematic vision for continuous improvement in schools.”

Teachers are then asked to create written proposals that will outline the following three things:

• primary professional learning needs
• how professional learning can help advance teaching and learning

and:

• “specific recommendations for states, districts, and schools to consider as guides to their Consolidated State Plans and/or state and district Title II plans, a requirement of ESSA, and the design of effective professional learning in their systems”

The competition is receiving support from several big education groups such as the American Federation of Teachers and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Read more about Learning Forward here and he National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future here.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

3/11/2016