This learning and engagement opportunity — moderated by John Gomperts, CGLR Senior Fellow —reprised the CGLR component of the recent Education Week Leadership Symposium focused on “big bet worthy” programs and strategies that can deliver more than the usual increments of progress to accelerate learning recovery for children in economically disadvantaged families. (View the full recording of the CLGR presentation from the EdWeek event here and join us for Part II next week on June 8 to explore the big bet of EdTech-enabled teaching and learning.) This week’s session zeroed-in on two of the big bets: Board-certified teachers with Peggy Brookins of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and Learning Happens Everywhere, a growing movement to transform communities into learning rich environments with Jane Park of Too Small to Fail. After viewing the recordings from the Symposium, Gomperts engaged in discussion with each leader about why these strategies are considered big bets with potential to make real change to accelerate learning post-COVID.

Gomperts then engaged in conversation with four state and local leaders who are implementing these strategies on the ground and advocating for their continued expansion with policymakers. Kathleen Alessandro of Everybody Ready and Brian Wallace of the Laundry Cares Foundation discussed their work to turn everyday spaces — such as laundromats and playgrounds — into learning rich environments. Scott Muri, Ed.D., Superintendent of the Ector County Independent School District and Carey Wright, Ed.D., Mississippi’s Superintendent of Education added their endorsement of Learning Happens Everywhere and highlighted the ways in which Board certification allows teachers in their systems the chance to reflect on their work, improve their strategies and perfect the craft of teaching — leading to advanced learning recovery for their students. All of these leaders shared their ideas for how recovery funding can support expansion of these important big bets and how GLR community coalitions can lift up and advance the strategies locally.