Teacher, Parent Organizations Collaborate on Common Core Effort

Special episodes of “The Ignite Show” will promote deeper understanding of college- and career-ready standards

Durham, NC – New college-and career-ready standards are currently being implemented across the country, and one thing is certain: parents, teachers, students, and policymakers are eager for more information about how these standards will affect teaching and learning and ultimately prepare students for college or workplace success.

In response to this growing demand, a collaboration – representing millions of the nations’ teachers and parents – has emerged. This effort, led by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY), Teachers Ignite ™, and The Hunt Institute, and in partnership with the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and National PTA^®, will provide teachers, school administrators, parents, and others with a deeper understanding of college- and career-ready standards, their history, and their promise.

Currently under development are four special, 30-minute episodes of The Ignite Show, centered on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This series, to be aired on Georgia Public Broadcast in September, will highlight authentic examples of CCSS Mathematics and English Language Arts instruction, exemplar lessons and teacher reflections on instruction, and student response. The episodes will incorporate elements such as teaching demonstrations, peer-to-peer evaluation, and discussions related to standards instruction, as well as thoughts from state and national business leaders, teachers of the year, parents, and advocacy organizations.

In addition, there will be shorter segments that will cover CCSS teaching strategies for student success and what parents should know, as well as how the standards will empower the U.S. globally and give students what they need most out of their education today.

Partners involved in this effort believe that – with effective implementation and supports – the CCSS represent a new, rigorous framework for developing all students into well-prepared innovators and critical, creative thinkers who will be positioned to thrive in college or career.

In addition to airing on The Ignite Show and its Web portal, the shows will be available for other PBS Education placement. The expectation is that these programs will set the stage for deeper discourse about CCSS implementation not only in Georgia, but across the country. 

BACKGROUND

About NNSTOY
NNSTOY is comprised of the nation’s most recognized teachers, singled out for the excellence in classroom practice and thoroughly trained in policy and advocacy, then taking their next steps as true teacher leaders. Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Educational Testing Service, and The NEA Foundation, NNSTOY is committed to providing avenues for teacher voice in education policy and to furthering the professionalization of teaching. For more information, visit www.nnstoy.org.

About Teachers Ignite
Teachers Ignite is a media initiative to raise awareness and respect of education and educators through the voices of teachers, parents and students. The Ignite Show reflects content voted by teachers to inspire student-centered classrooms. It provides dynamic, fun, relevant, and entertaining views of the classroom to uplift the teaching profession through conversations that focus on issues relevant to us all. To learn more, visit www.theigniteshow.com.

About The Hunt Institute
Founded by Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. in 2001, The Hunt Institute works with leaders to secure America’s future through quality education. Working at the intersection of policy and politics, The Hunt Institute connects leaders with the best strategies for developing and implementing policies and programs to improve public education. To that end, The Hunt Institute convenes governors, policymakers, legislators, and business and civic leaders across the nation to provide them with the best information to make informed policy decisions. An affiliated center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Institute is non-partisan, non-profit entity that does not lobby for, or take positions on, state and federal legislation. For more information on The Hunt Institute, visit www.hunt-institute.org, or find them on Twitter @Hunt_Institute.

About NEA
The National Education Association (www.nea.org) is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

About AFT
The AFT (www.aft.org) represents 1.5 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

About National PTA
National Parent Teacher Association is dedicated to making every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. National PTA is comprised of 55 state congresses and nearly 26,000 local units in 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense Schools in Europe and the Pacific. More information about National PTA and our ongoing work is available on Twitter,Facebook and at www.pta.org.

CONTACTS

Katherine Bassett, NNSTOY | katherine@nnstoy.org | 609-992-5532
April White, The Hunt Institute | awhite@hunt-institute.org | 919-425-4160