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NEA Today, Nov 1996

Teachers in Columbus, Ohio take charge of improving the instruction offered by other teachers.

Last year was elementary teacher Lucy Lee Mader's first in the classroom-and it could have been her last.

"I was teaching in a disadvantaged neighborhood," she recalls. "Many of my first graders came to class with a lot of emotional baggage. There were behavior problems, and parental support wasn't what it should have been. I was so frustrated that I didn't see all my options."

Like all new teachers in Columbus, Ohio, Mader was assigned to a veteran teacher-in this case, Willa Mullinswhose job was to guide her through.

"Willa helped me focus and prioritize," says Mader. "Whether she was critiquing my lesson plans or advising me on internal politics, with Willa around, I just knew everything was going to be all right. She shared the wisdom of her experience with me."

As a second-year teacher, Mader now has access to the many other services provided by the Columbus Education Association's Peer Assistance and Review Program.

The program, now in its I Ith year, provides up to 26 veteran teachers with release time to help others-both novice and veteran-improve their professional practice.

The veterans-known as teacher "consultants"-provide coaching, lead workshops, offer orientation programs, and even evaluate the performance of peers with the sole goal of improvement.

What's happening in Columbus, says a new report by NEA's National Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE), ought to be happening in more school districts.

The report-a two-year study of teacher professional development efforts nationwide--describes the inadequacy of too many in-service efforts, cites model practices, and recommends big changes.

"The single largest wasted resource in this country is what teachers know," says NFIE Director Judith Renyi.

To help make use of that resource and boost teacher training, NFIE has announced "A Change of Course," which expects to provide $575,000 worth of grants in the next three years.

NFIE surveys show that educators are highly motivated to keep up with constant changes in technology, teaching methods, and subject contentbecause they want to meet their students' needs.

The NFIE report recommends:

* Flexible scheduling and an extended school year to make time for more training.

* Expanded roles for teachers in developing training, helping colleagues, and training new teachers.

* Increased use of community resources-libraries, museums, and more-vital to teachers' learning.

To find out more about the report, check out NFIE's homepage on the Web at http://www.nfie.org. For a report summary, point your Web browser to http://www.nea.org/ resources/nfierel.html.

For a complete copy of Teachers Take Charge of Their Learning, send $15 plus $3.50 s&h to NFIE Publications, PO. Box 509, West Haven, CT 06516.