NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - October 10, 2016) - Teaching Matters' Teacher Leadership Program will expand with the support of a new $500,000 grant from the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd as part of the Teacher Practice Networks Initiative.

The two-year program, "Deepening and Scaling Teacher Leader Support for Common Core-Aligned Instruction in New York City," launches October 1st. It aims to enhance teaching skills by equipping designated teacher leaders to deepen and spread Common Core aligned instructional practices. A hallmark of the program will be a competency-based focus that shapes, measures, and rewards discrete teacher leadership skills with micro-credentials.

Teaching Matters will directly support teacher leaders who will work with teacher teams, provide individual coaching, and offer other supports. Ultimately, Teaching Matters aims to engage 600 teachers in "high touch" development experiences, and reach an additional 15,000 teachers who will take part in the approach.

The program expands upon prior collaborative work conducted by Teaching Matters and the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE).

"We are thrilled to have support for this important work," said Lynette Guastaferro, Executive Director of Teaching Matters. "This gives us the opportunity to build upon our teacher leadership programming and work with the New York City Department of Education, and refine a model that can be replicated and sustained in school districts across the country."

Key components of the program include:

• A mentorship model that develops teacher leaders skills through application and feedback;
• Clear learning targets for developing peer leadership and team inquiry skills through the use of Teaching Matters' "micro-credentials;"
• Specific focus on content knowledge and pedagogical skills for ELA and math, by employing "Achieve the Core" resources;
• Recognizing and rewarding teacher leader impact through micro-credentials for demonstrated improvements in Common Core aligned instruction.

Last year, Teaching Matters teamed with the NYC DOE to offer the Emerging Teacher Leaders Program (ETLP) that worked with over 150 teachers in Renewal Schools on a systematic way of applying for teacher leader roles. This year, ETLP will have 350 participants, and we are continuing to work closely with the NYC DOE on the overarching Teacher Leadership Matters program.

"Teacher leadership is a key lever in building strong school communities and a dynamic career ladder for teachers. We look forward to partnering again with Teaching Matters to bring a meaningful opportunity to our teacher leaders and provide another support for developing their instructional skills aligned with the Common Core," says Amy Way, Executive Director of Teacher Recruitment and Quality, NYC DOE.

This project is part of the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning's Teacher Practice Network and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Teaching Matters is dedicated to increasing teacher effectiveness, one of the most critical factors in student success. Teaching Matters' services transform how educators work together at urban public schools, helping the most effective teachers develop the skills they need to lead their peers and drive school-wide improvement. They also partner with school leadership to create a work environment that equips teachers to succeed in the classroom. www.teachingmatters.org