MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Educators can pave the path to equity
By Learning Forward
Categories: Instructional materials/curriculumDecember 2018
Vol. 39 No. 6
Whitney Oakley has worn many hats during her career in education, including some she didn’t expect. After her district began to focus on high-quality instructional materials and adopted new resources, she found herself not only overseeing curriculum decisions and professional learning, but driving a forklift loaded with lesson materials and serving as what she jokingly calls a “literacy therapist.” Because adopting a reading curriculum was a big shift for teachers and parents, she has devoted hours to building their knowledge and reassuring them that students will continue to read high-quality texts and develop core knowledge. She talked with Suzanne Bouffard, editor of The Learning Professional, about why these shifts were necessary and how they are starting to pay off. Q: In 2016, your district began
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Member Spotlight
Position: Assistant superintendent, teaching, learning & professional development
Location: Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, North Carolina
Number of years in education: 16
Why she became an educator: To make school a better experience for students than it had been for her. Although a handful of teachers inspired her, they were not the norm. She eventually became so disengaged that she “finally dropped out of high school with a 4.3 grade point average at the end of my junior year.” Within two weeks, she had completed the credits she needed to go on to a four-year university at the age of 16 to become a teacher. She later became a principal and district administrator.
Most unexpected skill developed in her job: Driving a forklift. Since the district shifted to open educational resources, she says, “The management of materials has been a little crazy” and requires all hands on deck.
Research finding she cites most frequently: “Researchers have found that it can take 50 or more hours of sustained professional learning to realize results for students” (Learning Forward, 2011).
References
Learning Forward. (2011). Standards for Professional Learning. Oxford, OH: Author.
Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.
Categories: Instructional materials/curriculum
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