New Teacher Center

For too many educators, the label "PLC" has become synonymous with meetings that don't feel worth their time. This might look like conversations that circle the same problems without making progress. Or entire meetings that never focus on student learning. This doesn’t have to be the case. Read on.

On April 21, we’ll host a webinar on edWeb.net to discuss designing learning walks as powerful professional learning for school teams. From preparation to observation to collaborative reflection to action, we’ll discuss practical steps to ensure your learning walks have legs. The conversation will cover: ➕ Advance planning to anchor learning ➕ The right conditions for a positive, engaging experience ➕ Tips and resources that facilitate high-quality observation ➕ Steps to make sense of collected data ➕ Simple approaches to move findings into action Session attendees will get access to NTC’s soon-to-be-released resource, “Learning walks as powerful professional learning: Collaboration that shifts practice.” Join us to supercharge your learning walks for better insights, clearer next moves, and sustained improvement across the school community. Register here to join the conversation: https://ow.ly/nHyS50YAMhP #EdWeb #LearningWalks #ProfessionalLearning #NTC #StayGrowLead

A high-quality, self-sustaining teacher induction program with significant impacts on teacher retention — that’s what we aim for and what our partnership with Bright Star Schools reflects. ➡️ 88% of participants reported that the program impacted their decision to begin or continue working with this charter network. Using NTC’s Designing for Impact approach, Bright Star created an induction strategy that made the most sense for their system:  ➕ smaller, school-based induction communities ➕ each tailored to each campus' context and the specific needs of teachers and mentors ➕ a focus on increasing responsiveness and ownership of new teacher support Read the case study: https://lnkd.in/epzZpGAP Download Designing for Impact: https://lnkd.in/gvdbeBJA A huge shoutout to Ashley Colburn and Clara Garay for their work!

Forget the typical "sit-and-get" conference. From May 12-14, New Teacher Center is bringing the National Professional Learning Network (NPLN) to San Antonio, Texas, for a high-energy experience designed to honor educators’ expertise and maximize your impact! At NPLN, we blend expert-led sessions with networked collaboration time for knowledge sharing and connection. It’s a unique space where you’ll feel seen, celebrated, and deeply valued as a professional. Our 2026 theme is built to support your career longevity and leadership: + STAY: Gain actionable principles to move beyond survival mode and empower your entire school community to thrive. + GROW: Deepen your expertise in coaching and mentoring to cultivate a culture of continuous learning. + LEAD: Expand your leadership capacity with strategies to inspire others and cultivate a positive school climate. What to Expect: 🎤Hear from an internationally renowned education speaker and author (more coming soon!). 🧠Dive into cutting-edge best practices and tackle tough problems of practice. 🤝Build a powerhouse network during our reception, choice sessions, and networking mixers. 🧘Start your day with optional health and wellness moments and end with dedicated team processing time. Join NPLN to build a community that lasts long after the event. 🔗 The first 10 people to register with this link will get up to 45% off their ticket: https://ow.ly/zHRY50YyFwL #NPLN2026 #StayGrowLead #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalLearning #NTC

What do you think sounds better? A. Classroom observations as a compliance-driven checklist B. Classroom observations as curiosity-based professional learning At the upcoming National Summit on Improvement in Education, New Teacher Center’s Krysten Wendell and Dr. Lisa Schmitt will showcase how this shift in making learning walk observations great professional learning experiences leads to measurable change. In the session, “Leveraging Learning Walks to Align on Student Experiences and Improve Coaching Outcomes,” they’ll dive deep into NTC’s work with regional consortia in Alabama and Minnesota. By triangulating learning walk data with student surveys, NTC’s partners significantly increased teachers’ ability to model social-emotional competence and cultivate a genuine sense of belonging for students in grades 3-8. We hope to see you at the summit! #NTC

I’m excited to share that I’ll be presenting with Krysten Wendell at the National Summit on Improvement in Education (Summit 2026) — happening March 30–April 1 in San Diego! 🏫📈 Summit brings together educators, leaders, and researchers who are learning their way to better outcomes for every student. It’s a space to connect, reflect, and leave with strategies you can put into action right away. If you’re ready to make lasting improvement part of your everyday work — join me there. Let’s prove what’s possible. 👉 https://lnkd.in/g2Af7bys #Summit2026 #ContinuousImprovement #EducationLeadership #ImprovementScience #LearningInAction #BetterTogether #HTHGSE #NCIE

Mentoring is often treated as a "buddy system" to help new teachers make it through the year. But research shows that for mentoring to truly drive student outcomes, it needs structure, specificity, and sustained commitment. Here’s a peek from our Mentoring Minute newsletter: When moving from mentoring that supports survival to mentoring that builds expertise, consider: ➕ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢��𝐞 — It starts with rigorous mentor/coach selection, grounded in evidence of outstanding teaching practice and strong interpersonal skills. Ongoing professional learning for mentors is critical; supporting adult learning is a learned skill that differs significantly from classroom teaching. ➕ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 — School leaders are not passive participants in mentoring programs. When leaders are engaged and aligned, they protect time, set instructional priorities, and foster a culture that values teacher development. ➕ 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — When mentoring is aligned with broader school and district improvement efforts, teachers receive consistent messages and coherent support. ➕ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — Naming the gap between where a program is and where it needs to be is a critical early step. NTC's High-Quality Mentoring & Instructional Coaching Practices resource uses a "Moving Toward / Moving Away From" structure that gives leaders a clear lens for honest program reflection. 👀 Check out the rest of the newsletter: https://ow.ly/l7ka50YwrCu 💌 Don’t miss out. Sign up for our newsletter, learn about webinars, and get practical resources and tools: https://ow.ly/pQux50YwrCw

Just spreading some news from our friends at the RPPL (Research Partnership for Professional Learning). We're so proud to support this work as members of the RPPL network. ➡️ On March 17, RPPL is hosting a discussion on PL strategy with a particular focus on district-level leaders: A Leadership Conversation on Professional Learning Decisions That Matter Learn more and RSVP here: https://ow.ly/CGkM50Yt1Rv ➡️ RPPL’s new research framework is here. We’re using the framework to inform our work designing responsive and actionable PL research. This tool provides guidance for inclusive practices across all phases of the research process to: ✅ Build connections ✅ Respect perspectives ✅ Maintain transparency Access the framework here: https://ow.ly/8z1K50Yt1Rw -research-framework/

A year in review: Our 2025 annual report is here! In 2025, NTC leaned into the hard questions about how to support and build the conditions that enable educators to stay, grow, and lead. We’ve seen the extraordinary challenges facing schools, teachers, and students through the lens of our hundreds of partners across 30 states. And we’ve also seen incredible outcomes when high-quality professional learning support meets the moment. In 2025, NTC-supported teachers told an incredible story: 🔅 88% of NTC-served teachers agree that their school is a good place to work and learn overall 🔅 93% of NTC-served teachers plan to stay in the classroom 🔅 93% of teachers say NTC-trained coaches had a fair amount or a great deal of positive influence on their teaching practice NTC is proud to play a key role in strengthening school climates, elevating rigorous instruction, and ensuring that every stakeholder — from leaders to mentors and coaches, to teachers, to students — has continuous opportunities to learn and grow. Thank you to everyone who makes our work possible. We're charging forward in 2026, building momentum as we shape a brighter future for schools. See the report: https://ow.ly/IAyM50Yt24U

We are excited to share that next week, New Teacher Center will be at Delaware Charter Schools Network's CharterCon 2026 to lead an interactive session: “The Coherence Catalyst: Using PLCs to Align Instruction and Assessment.” Instruction and assessment can feel like parallel tracks that never quite meet. Our session will explore how to use Professional Learning Communities to bridge this gap, moving from administrative check-ins toward an intentional collaboration model. Attending Delaware CharterCon? Let’s connect and discuss how we can help your teachers to Stay, Grow, and Lead. #ProfessionalLearning #CharterSchools #NTC #StayGrowLead