The training at the convening was powerful,

practical and collegial. Afterwards, the consistent

emails and updates kept me abreast of what others
were doing around the state. Then there was the
advising opportunity- that was amazing and
completely on point: teacher voice elevated to the
policy level. 2014 teacher fellow
I thought it was a wonderful experience
to meet and work with folks on the team.
I felt my voice was valued even when my
positions were different from others in
the group. 2014 teacher fellow



Colorado Michigan New York Educator Voice Fellowships
Program Overview
Background on the America Achieves Fellowship for Teachers and Principals
The America Achieves Fellowship for Teachers and Principals (AAFTP) supports some of the countrys most
outstanding educators in their effort to impact education practice, policy, and public discussion beyond their
classrooms and school. The highly-selective Fellowship provides a platform for sharing best practices,
developing resources and tools, scaling effective teaching and school leadership, and giving educators a voice
in local, state, and national discussions about public education.

According to the 107 teachers and principals in the nation-wide America Achieves Fellowship, the Common
Core State Standards offer a unique opportunity for principals and teachers to raise the bar for students. Yet
in numerous states, Common Core is facing major challenges from critics who are loudly promoting false
representation of the standards themselves. In public discussions, the voice of educators -- an authentic and
respected perspective -- has been quiet. Not only are educators busy meeting the needs of students, they are
infrequently invited into the public conversation.

Introducing the State Educator Voice Fellowships
In the United States, as we all know, education policy largely emerges from states and districts. For this
reason, the national Fellowship now plans to complement its work by developing a statewide educator voice
fellowship in three states Colorado, Michigan, and New York. These fellowships will focus initially on the
Common Core and will give outstanding educators the opportunity to share with parents and the public what
is happening in their schools.

Enabling educators - people who work in schools every day and
know the Common Core better than anyone else - to share their in-
school stories will help parents better understand the shift to
higher standards and generate more constructive conversations
about the future of public education. This is an opportunity for
educators to become more active and take leadership roles in their
communities. By elevating the teacher voice and demonstrating
educators expertise, this program will help the public see teachers and principals as education experts and
thereby elevate the teaching profession.

How the Fellowship will support educators to become more active in public forums
America Achieves has a reputation for knowing how to gain invitations for educators to participate in public
conversations -- and to protect educators from becoming a mouthpiece for external agendas. We will bring
the full weight of our relationships, as well as our skilled work at protecting educators time and authentic
viewpoints, into the development of the Educator Voice Fellowships. Here are the supports we provide state
fellows that enable them to become more active in public forums:

Launch convening: All 50 fellows will convene with
America Achieves staff in late Fall in the state capitol.
Here we will build a community of peers who support
one another, provide professional development on
Common Core instruction and policy implementation,
deliver communications skills training, and empower
educators to create individual action plans that map out
how theyll realize their goals to elevating their voices.

2

The America Achieves staffs humility and
sincerity drew me into the program their
unflagging enthusiasm and support since
March has supported me in my efforts to speak
up in favor and defense of rigorous
instruction. 2014 principal fellow
Examples of teachers and principals goals
upon joining the fellowship:

I was hoping it would motivate me to do some
writing about the success I am seeing in my
building with our Common Core
implementation.

To help the public understand how our district
is implementing the ELA standards.

To take part in a community forum designed to
promote understanding among the community.

To start tweeting and create a website.
Ongoing support: In addition to the workshops we provide
at each annual convening, the national and state-based
fellowship staff will provide ongoing writing coaching,
social media support, and will match fellows with high-
profile opportunities to speak publicly, appear in the
media, and advise policy makers. We will also send a
weekly newsletter to celebrate the educators successes,
provide helpful resources, and offer matchmaking
opportunities.

Selected teachers and principals commitment to the fellowship
We expect that over the course of a school year, each of the 50
educators in the fellowship will share their in-school experience
with outside audiences (especially parents) by completing at
least two educator voice activities during the course of the
school year. Activities can include having an op-ed published,
building a platform for teacher expertise through social media,
organizing an educational event in the community, participating
a public forum, and/or educating a policy maker. Within the
fellowship we will also be building professional learning
communities through which the teachers and principals can
help one another and their colleagues back home - improve
their practice. Educators can expect to spend on average 0-3
hours per week on fellowship activities.

Staff will play a supporting role in all of these efforts, and will
also be looking for ways for the state fellows to realize
leadership within the fellowship, thereby modeling our vision
for teacher leadership and an advanced profession.

Stipends for the educators participation in the program
As compensation for their time at the launch convening, state fellows will receive a $500 stipend.

Timeline
August-September: Recruiting for a diverse group of 50 teachers and principals from across the state.
October-November: Program launch convenings in state capitols (attendance required).
November-June: State fellows write, speak publicly, and host events to educate the public about the shift
to higher standards.

Visit tinyurl.com/eduvoice to apply


The application should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete.
Contact Marcus Markle at marcus.markle@americaachieves.org if you have any questions.