OPE has developed a framework that moves beyond the more typical practice of piecemeal reform to sustainable, system-wide change. At the core of this approach, teachers are held responsible as individuals for student learning gains. In return, they are empowered as equal partners in reform and given a greatly expanded role in school governance, peer review, the remediation process, and decisions over curricula and professional development. New stimulus funds being made available for public education provide an unprecedented opportunity for districts to embrace a new and better school system focused on improving classroom instruction.

Education policy makers and practitioners have long searched for a fair system that will help teachers and administrators reach higher levels of performance, identify and reward good practice, and most importantly, accelerate student achievement. The new rewards and supports in OPE’s framework should help to attract, support, and retain high-quality teachers and administrators by delivering what educators have always wanted – improved school leadership, better working conditions, more valid evaluation, meaningful professional development, and increased salaries. The framework:

• Allows teachers to move up a career ladder as fast as their talents permit;
• Creates a more attractive environment in which to work by establishing professional learning communities and offering additional support;
• Provides new opportunities for leadership, such as coaches, mentors, and content specialists;
• Establishes a fair evaluation system that is based on multiple measures; and
• Gives teachers far more ownership over their classroom practice