“This present moment used to be the unimaginable future.”
—Stewart Brand, Author and Co-Founder and President of The Long Now Foundation
Whether you’re new to teaching or a veteran educator, the world is undoubtedly a different place than when your professional journey began.
From technology in classrooms to a global pandemic, the teacher shortage in the U.S., safety in schools, strengthened commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more, the needs of our school communities are rapidly evolving.
We, too, must evolve to meet these needs–for our students, for our colleagues, and for ourselves.
Our work with Fordham Preparatory School, in Bronx, N.Y., offers one example.
We have partnered with school leaders and teachers at Fordham Prep to design and implement a teacher growth and development program. Work began this fall with a pilot group, and early results are promising. You can read more about this program here.
The “Year of the Middle States Network,” which we kicked off in September, is another example. We have designed this initiative to fuel innovation and inspiration through connection—to subject matter experts and to one another. Our goal is to help you to lead change in your schools and the wider education community.
Here are other recent examples of how we are expanding the resources available to members:
- We published a series of blog posts highlighting key lessons from Michael B. Horn’s From Reopen to Reinvent. Horn delivers step-by-step instructions school leaders ought to consider when implementing change, including the imperative to view the COVID-19 pandemic not only as a threat, but as an opportunity to bravely reinvent our schools.
- More than 300 members of the Middle States network joined me for an informative interview and Q&A with Horn. If you were unable to attend, you can view the recording here.
- Early next year we will host another fantastic subject matter expert who will change the way we understand how learning happens. Stay tuned for details.
If you haven’t had a chance to complete our survey, please do so now (see below). As Stewart Brand said, “This present moment used to be the unimaginable future.” By shedding light on your needs, you can help Middle States to convert this present moment into an optimistic future for learning communities around the world.
Thank you for the work that you do, and for evolving along with us.
Christian Talbot
President
MSA-CESS
We Want Your Feedback
Thank you to those of you who have completed the brief survey we emailed to you earlier this month.
If you have not had a chance to fill out the survey, please take two minutes to share your thoughts with us now.
Your feedback will help us decide what topics to explore as we develop professional development opportunities and resources for you and your staff.
