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A Year in Review: School Leader Cohort

As part of its leadership development, each year TLI selects a group of promising leaders across multiple districts to take part in a year-long, fully-funded School Leader Cohort (SLC).
SLC begins in the summer with a leader institute and continues throughout the year with weekly one-on-one coaching and 6 off-site professional development days. This year due to Covid, SLC shifted to virtual coaching and modified off-site professional development.
SLC coaches use TLI’s Leader Competency Model to assess leaders quarterly and set developmental goals that they target during weekly coaching sessions. Click here to read more about the school leader cohort in our annual report. 

As an instructional leader TLI coaching helped identify content gaps for teachers and students, and where we were hitting the mark and not hitting the mark as a school.

Nicole West, Principal

Annual report 2020-21 (4)

Meet TLI: Samantha Aponte

What do you do at TLI? 

I serve as a Manager of Teacher Development with TLI. Much like every member on our team, we wear a lot of hats! In this capacity I design and facilitate professional development and coach teachers in various districts. We empower teachers to leverage their talents and prior experiences to create quality content, safe learning spaces, and address injustice in the classroom.

How did your career path lead you to TLI? 

I began my career in education in 2015 in Oklahoma City Public Schools teaching fifth grade ELA and absolutely fell in love with the content and kids.Soon after, I moved to Tulsa and continued teaching before transitioning to being a school leader. I developed an interest in adult education while working on my masters in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from OSU. I leveraged my learning from my program to guide my instructional coaching as well as craft meaningful professional development. Through this, I was able to better see the impact it had on teachers and students alike. I was drawn to the work TLI was doing across the state and wanted to be a part of their mission to “develop highly capable educators so students have access to an equitable education.”

What is your favorite thing about doing this work? 

Connecting and collaborating with teachers! Meeting teachers (especially those new to the profession) from across the state. Hearing their unique perspectives, reflections, and experiences gives my work additional purpose and meaning. 

What do you hope for students in Oklahoma?

Students in every district, school, and grade should have access to grade-appropriate work, data driven instruction, a supportive network, and teachers with high expectations. This should be true for all students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexuality, or any other part of their identity. My hope is that students across the state, especially our students of color, know that their voice and experiences matter, and they deserve to get a great education in a safe and welcoming learning space. For this to be true, I hope that their teachers receive the development, pay, and resources they need to ensure all students can achieve at high levels. 

What else should we know about you?

I am originally from Miami, FL, but have found a home in Oklahoma in the last 7 years with great friends and two happy pups. Outside of work I enjoy cooking and spend a lot of time hosting friends (virtually and in person). I find a lot of joy in bringing folks together! 

A Year in Review: Partner District

TLI develops 3 – 5 year partnerships with Oklahoma school districts to strengthen classroom instruction and develop instructional leadership capacity.

In a state where just over half of all teachers leave the profession in the first five years, Oklahoma schools are challenged with ensuring excellent instruction while supporting early career teacher growth.

TLI assesses district needs and develops long-term plans to implement sustained coaching support for teachers in order to improve academic outcomes for students. Year-long teacher coaching begins with a two-week summer Teacher Institute for new teachers.

In 2020-21 TLI completed the second year of a district partnership with Cushing Public Schools. Below is a snapshot of our work. Read the full annual report here

I can’t tell a story about teaching without telling people that the reason I think I am a good teacher is because of TLI coaching. I felt clueless when I started and my coach gave me baby steps to start with. By the end of the year, I had so much confidence in what I was doing and in the specific content areas I was teaching.

Brynn Danker, Pre-k teacher

Annual report 2020-21 (1)

TLI: A Year In Review

The Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma recently published its 2020-2021 annual report and we are taking the next few days to share highlights from our year.

While the pandemic brought distinct challenges, TLI stayed focused on improving student outcomes through teacher and leader coaching. We both expanded our work with school leaders and added an additional teacher coach to the team — all as we piloted virtual coaching.

TLI was able to surpass its 25% target growth goal for school leaders and its 70% mastery goal for teachers. Additionally, 90% of both teachers and school leaders will be returning to schools this upcoming year.

Below is a snapshot of TLI’s collective impact through both one-on-one coaching, and professional training for teachers and leaders, which includes multi-day workshops and short cycle coaching. Over the next few days we will spotlight these areas of work and highlight our efforts to expand educational opportunity across the state by improving the quality of teaching and leading in Oklahoma.

School leaders talk TLI coaching

Each year TLI partners with Oklahoma school leaders to develop their instructional leadership capacity through weekly one-on-one practice-based coaching. We serve school leaders through both our School Leader Cohort and our District Partnerships where coaches work with leaders to sharpen their instructional lens and strengthen instructional coaching at their schools. Coaches work with leaders to develop plans for school improvement and use TLI’s Leader Competency Model to set developmental goals. TLI coaches also use evidence from school observations to plan weekly sessions focused on narrow action steps that can be implemented immediately.

We sat down with school leaders and asked them to tell us about their experience working with TLI coaches. After coding interview transcripts, we  pulled out common themes to offer a holistic view of our work with school leaders. Here’s what schools leaders had to say.

TLI tailors to my needs

Perhaps the most common feedback we hear about TLI coaching from school leaders is that coaching support is uniquely tailored to individual needs and school contexts. Cushing Public Schools principal Nancy Dowell explained that rather than offer generic one-size-fits all coaching, TLI listens to her concerns and targets interventions based on the areas where she needs support. In this sense, coaching sessions offer incredibly practical and concrete interventions that school leaders can implement immediately. 

TLI coaching is aligned with our district goals 

School leaders also noted that TLI’s work was deeply aligned with districts goals and system-wide change. One school leader explained that his coach regularly communicates with his district supervisor to share information and “stay on the same page.” “That doesn’t always happen [with other professional support]. If it didn’t happen, I would be doing different things for my supervisor and for my coach. In this way, TLI coaching is specially tailored for our district and school needs.”

Principal Dowell also explained that TLI’s “willingness to work around their schedule is huge.” Similarly, Principal Nicole West explained, “One thing that sets TLI apart from other organizations is that it is very personable.” She described how her coach Nina Fitzerman-Blue makes herself widely available outside school hours to troubleshoot over the phone or give real-time feedback via email.  

TLI coaches care about me deeply 

School leaders universally describe the trusting and meaningful relationships they develop with TLI coaches. Jenks Public Schools Teaching and Learning Specialist Abbie Andrus talked about difficult feedback that coach Marissa King delivered in “such a kind and positive way.” She explained that Marissa signs her emails with the phrase “Cheering you on!” and that it perfectly encapsulates their coaching relationship. School leaders feel they can make mistakes and not be judged or made to feel less than. 

Nancy Dowell said that perhaps the most valuable part of her work with Jo Lein “is the honesty of the relationship. She always responds. She never makes it feel like it is an unreasonable question. It feels like a partnership.”

TLI offers feedback you can’t get anywhere else 

A common refrain from school leaders is that TLI offers feedback that they cannot get anywhere else. Abbie Andrus put it simply by saying, “It is (TLI) the one place I know I am going to get useful feedback from someone because that’s not something that always happens.” Principal Nicole West said, “The work is the most instructionally sound and beneficial work that I have done since I have been an administrator.” 

 

It’s a wrap: Oklahoma’s 2021 20 Under 2 Awards

Oklahoma’s 2021 20 Under 2 novice teaching awards celebrate 20 of Oklahoma’s most promising educators in their first or second year of teaching. In May we announced the 2021 honorees and this year we were delighted to shower teachers with a gift box to celebrate their excellence.

Teachers received a custom plaque that was produced at the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences library, along with a $250 gift certificate to Magic City Books thanks to the support of T.D. Williamson and Magic City Books. We shipped gift boxes to honorees across the state from Guymon in the panhandle to Grandfield in the southwest and Grove in the northeast, and many received special award presentations at their school. The Teaching and Leading Initiative’s executive director Jo Lein was also thrilled to deliver gift boxes to honorees in Tulsa and the surrounding area.

Accolades, appreciation, and congratulations also poured in on Facebook and Instagram where we profiled each of the honorees. Many of Oklahoma’s 20 Under 2 honorees were also featured in local press including: The Lawton Constitution, Ponca Post, Muskogee Phoenix, Cushing Citizen, Black Wall Street Times (second article here), Okmulgee Times, and The Seminole Producer.

Honoring Oklahoma’s talented new teachers is a highlight of our year and we can’t wait to celebrate again next year! Nominations for Oklahoma’s 2022 20 Under 2 novice teaching awards will open in January. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to stay up to date. We wish all Oklahoma teachers a restful and rejuvenating summer, and thank you for your dedication to Oklahoma students!

Thank you to our sponsors!`

Presenting the 2021 20 Under 2 Honorees!

Twenty of Oklahoma’s most talented novice teachers have been chosen as this year’s 2021 20 Under 2 honorees for the third annual 20 Under 2 Novice Teaching Awards. The 20 Under 2 Novice Teaching Awards hosted by the Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma, celebrate emerging teachers who are setting the pace for excellent teaching and make Oklahoma’s future look bright. 

Across the state, principals, veteran teachers, and district leaders submitted their top novice teachers for consideration. Each nomination was reviewed by a committee of education professionals and chosen through a multi-stage selection process. The 20 honorees were selected for outstanding classroom culture, for fostering academic success, and for their commitment to Oklahoma students and communities.

The 20 Under 2 Novice Teaching Awards were created to recognize the talent and dedication of Oklahoma’s newest teachers amidst a challenging landscape. In recent years, Oklahoma educators have grappled with limited resources, large class sizes, and low pay, and this year teachers faced a global pandemic along with new forms of distance learning. For educators just beginning their profession, these challenges are especially difficult. After five years, only about half of new teachers remain in the classroom and schools struggle to recruit high-quality teacher candidates. The 20 Under 2 awards acknowledges these difficulties, and honors new teachers’ whose emerging strengths and talents are needed now more than ever. 

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Thanks to the generous support of T.D. Williamson and Magic City Books, 20 Under 2 honorees will receive a $250 gift card to Magic City Books to build their classroom library. Honorees will also receive a gift box that includes a custom 20 Under 2 plaque, a Round Table membership from Magic City Books, a custom notebook and other goodies.   

“Celebrating this year’s 20 Under 2 honorees is a bright spot amidst an especially difficult year. Oklahoma’s 2021 honorees have not only persisted through the pandemic, but their tremendous skill, hard work, and dedication has distinguished them as some of our most promising educators,” said TLI Executive Director Dr. Joanna Lein. “It is critical that we continue to find ways to invest in our state’s teaching talent because our students deserve the most skillful and experienced educators.” 

The 2021 20 Under 2 Honorees are:

Abby Messick, Crooked Oak Public Schools

Addison Lambert, Sand Springs Public Schools

Alice L. Lee, Jennings Public Schools

Allison Kirkley, Muskogee Public Schools

Ashli Robinson, El Reno Public Schools

Blake Karr, Fort Gibson Public Schools

Caitlyn Spoonemore, Grandfield Public Schools

Christina Beverage, Oklahoma City Public Schools

Ellen Florek, Tulsa Public Schools

Emily Gonzalez, Mid-Del School District

Henry Mitchel Bibelheimer, Haskell Public Schools

Jarred Bush, Cushing Public Schools

Kaitlin Wright, Okmulgee Public Schools

Kaitlyn Hull, Lawton Public Schools

Katherine D. Downing, Grove Public Schools

Lauren Kelly, Varnum Public Schools

Leighton Loch, Ponca City Public Schools

Morgan Dragg, Norman Public Schools

Ray’Chel Wilson, KIPP Tulsa

Yesenia Vera , Guymon Public Schools

Click here for the press release and group photo. For additional information please contact Rebecca Fine at rfine@tlioklahoma.org.

Announcing 2021 20 Under 2 $250 Book Prize

On Thursday, May 13th, we will announce this year’s 20 Under 2 honorees! The Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma is excited to share that thanks to the generous support of T.D. Williamson and Magic City Books, this year’s honorees will receive a $250 gift card to Magic City Books to build their classroom library. 20 Under 2 award winners will also receive a gift box that includes a custom 20 Under 2 plaque, a Round Table membership from Magic City Books, a custom notebook and other goodies.

The 20 Under 2 Novice Teaching Awards celebrate emerging teachers who are setting the pace for excellent teaching and making Oklahoma’s future look bright. The awards were created to recognize the talent and dedication of Oklahoma’s newest teachers amidst a challenging landscape. In recent years, Oklahoma educators have grappled with limited resources, large class sizes, and low pay, and this year teachers faced a global pandemic along with new forms of distance learning. For educators just beginning their profession, these challenges are especially difficult. After five years, only about half of new teachers remain in the classroom and schools struggle to recruit high-quality teacher candidates. The 20 Under 2 awards acknowledges these difficulties, and honors new teachers’ whose emerging strengths and talents are needed now more than ever.

Watch for the full list of Oklahoma’s 2021 20 Under 2 honorees on May 13th, and tune in to social media to learn more about these 20 top educators in the weeks to come. Find us on Instagram and Facebook @tlioklahoma.

Nominations for Oklahoma’s 3rd annual 20 Under 2: Novice Teaching Awards open February 21st

Education scholar Lisa Delpit writes that “Education is not a job for the weak-willed.” Oklahoma teachers have grappled with limited resources, large class sizes, and low pay, and this year teachers faced a global pandemic along with new forms of distance learning. For educators just beginning their profession, these challenges are especially difficult. 

Despite the obstacles, teachers remain committed to their craft and their students. Oklahoma needs talented, experienced teachers now more than ever, and developing expertise requires tremendous skill, hard work, and dedication. 


Our state’s newest teachers deserve to be recognized for their emerging strengths, talents and commitment to Oklahoma students. The 20 Under 2: Novice Teaching Awards celebrates novice teachers who make Oklahoma’s future look bright.

The Teaching & Leading Initiative of Oklahoma is now accepting nominations for public school teachers in their first or second year who demonstrate mindsets and skills integral to high quality teaching and learning: 

  • Believes all students are capable of excellence 
  • Shares responsibility for achieving success with students, parents, and school community   
  • Develops deep learning through thoughtful planning and collaboration with colleagues 
  • Values growth and seeks feedback from students and colleagues 
  • Fosters measurable academic growth   

Nominations are open February 21 – March 7, 2021. All full-time public school teachers in their first or second year of teaching or those who have returned to the classroom after ten or more years, are eligible. See full eligibility requirements here. Nomination details coming soon!


Nominate today! Click here to see last year’s honorees. Please contact us with any questions.

2021 Teacher Pipeline Bills

For nearly a decade, Oklahoma has been facing a severe teacher shortage. Steep budget cuts during this period have forced teachers to make due with limited resources, fewer staff, and chronically low salaries. Unsurprisingly, Oklahoma teachers leave the profession at rates that surpass the national average. The latest 2018 Oklahoma Educator Supply and Demand Report shows that over the past six years on average 10 percent of educators leave Oklahoma’s classrooms each year, compared to 7.7 percent nationally. Approximately half of all teachers exit the classroom within five years. 

To address this shortage, Oklahoma issued 97 emergency teaching certifications in 2012-2013 to individuals with bachelor’s degrees, but who lacked university-based education coursework, content area background or classroom experience. The number of emergency certifications has skyrocketed since this time with 3,320 emergency certifications awarded in the 2019-2020 school year.

Strengthening the teacher pipeline is vital to ensure all Oklahoma students have access to a high quality education. Oklahoma’s teacher shortage has resulted in higher student to teacher ratios and larger class sizes, which has a negative impact on student achievement. Studies have also shown that uncertified teachers produce lower academic outcomes for students than their certified peers. Fixing Oklahoma’s leaking pipeline will require recruiting new teachers into the profession and providing the resources and support educators need to stay in the profession. 

Fortunately, lawmakers have filed a number of bills this legislative session to address the teacher shortage. The following bills aim to strengthen the teacher pipeline in Oklahoma: 

  • HB1592 (Rep. Provenzano) For purposes of state salary increments, teachers with active duty in the military service or out-of-state or out-of-country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its equivalent shall be granted credit for the respective years of experience.
  • HB1813 (Rep. Blancett) Student teachers serving a full-day internship, shall be eligible to receive compensation beginning on the first day of the internship and for up to one full school year. 
  • HB1836 (Rep. Waldron) The State Department of Education shall develop a system to code teacher certification and renewal applications in order to report data on the pathways for teacher certification, including emergency certification.
  • HB1837 (Rep. Waldron) Expanding the teacher shortage incentive program for students enrolled in any major course of study at the undergraduate or graduate levels who teach in Oklahoma for a minimum of five years. 
  • HB1838 (Rep. Waldron) Each eligible student participating in the teacher internship program shall be awarded a one-time stipend of $4,000.
  • HB1840 (Rep. Waldron) Any teacher who graduated from an in-state institution of higher education and who is assigned to teach at a Title I school shall be reimbursed for any testing fee or payment for a competency exam. 
  • HB2692 (Rep. Hasenbeck) Advanced Roles for Teachers and School Leaders Act would establish a three-year pilot program for advanced teaching roles and organizational models in schools.
  • HB2693 (Rep. Hasenbeck) Reward teachers who are renewing their National Board certification by awarding them a portion of the renewal application fee. 
  • HB2752 (Rep. Baker) Establishes a micro-credential program in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer science to award add-on endorsements to teachers in STEM and to be used in lieu of the subject area competency examination.
  • SB51 (Sen. Hicks) Remove the requirement of taking and passing the general education exam for teacher certification.
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