NCTAF, MetLife Foundation, and WGBH Host Town Hall Meeting on Educator Empowerment for Improved Teaching and Learning

BOSTON - Teaching in the 21st century should look different than it did in the 1950s. On March 22, 2007, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF), MetLife Foundation, and WGBH will host a town hall meeting to discuss strategies to transform schools into places where great teaching and learning can thrive.

According to NCTAF, teachers leave the profession in droves because schools are stuck in an old factory-era model that fails to support a collaborative, supportive work environment. Almost half of new teachers leave the profession in five years. The problem is particularly acute in low-income communities, where one in five teachers leave each year. Principal turnover is just as alarming, with four years or less as the typical stint for many.

"Teacher and principal churn in schools undermines the ability to develop successful learning cultures because there is a constant rebuilding of staff," said NCTAF's President Tom Carroll. "It's time to focus on strategies that work, especially if we are serious about retaining our best educators and improving student learning."

The town hall meeting will also feature a WGBH-produced video that showcases Boston's Richard J. Murphy School, followed by an opportunity to discuss this school's efforts to improve teaching quality and student achievement.

The town hall meeting will be held Thursday, March 22, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. at WGBH, located at 125 Western Avenue, Studio A, Boston, MA. Continental breakfast will be available at 8:30 a.m.

Panelists include:
* Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria (moderator), Special Advisor for Education to Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) ;
* Dr. Karen Mapp, Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education;
* Lynn Stuart, Leadership Coach, Atlas Learning Communities & Center for Collaborative Education;
* Mary Russo, Principal, Richard J. Murphy School; and
* Harry Gilliam, Jr., Teacher, Richard J. Murphy School

For more information, contact: Karen Abercrombie, Dir. of Communications & Public Policy Outreach, (202) 464-1945, kabercrombie@nctaf.org.