Disrupting the Teacher Opportunity Gap
Presented by Author Jon Saphier
Tuesday, April 30
2 - 5 pm Central | Zoom | Register
Join us as author Jon Saphier unpacks insights from his groundbreaking book, “Disrupting the Teacher Opportunity Gap.” This session will explore principles outlined in his book, offering a comprehensive overview of how to revolutionize teaching practices and educational systems. Don't miss this opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and be at the forefront of educational innovation.
This session will be recorded. CEUs requested from BOSA. Please attend at the time of the session for CEUs.
Presented by Author Jon Saphier
Tuesday, April 30
2 - 5 pm Central | Zoom | Register
Join us as author Jon Saphier unpacks insights from his groundbreaking book, “Disrupting the Teacher Opportunity Gap.” This session will explore principles outlined in his book, offering a comprehensive overview of how to revolutionize teaching practices and educational systems. Don't miss this opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and be at the forefront of educational innovation.
This session will be recorded. CEUs requested from BOSA. Please attend at the time of the session for CEUs.
Session Materials
Levers of Influence on Teaching Expertise
Where to Show Up and What to Do
Where Angels Fear to Tread
Tara Script
Responses to Student Answers
Anthony Script
Levers of Influence on Teaching Expertise
Where to Show Up and What to Do
Where Angels Fear to Tread
Tara Script
Responses to Student Answers
Anthony Script
About the book:
The teachers aren’t the problem—it’s the system that needs fixing.
The missing element in 70 years of school reform is a surround-sound focus on High-Expertise Teaching. We could have it in any district, regardless of zip code, if we reengineered the twelve processes that impact teachers’ knowledge and skill. A handbook for action and a persuasive case for making every school a reliable engine of constant learning, this book outlines the actions necessary to ensure High-Expertise Teaching reaches more children, more of the time.
Informed by a substantial research base and decades of implementation, scholar-practitioner Jon Saphier presents the foundational elements of High-Expertise Teaching in this capstone work, along with
The teachers aren’t the problem—it’s the system that needs fixing.
The missing element in 70 years of school reform is a surround-sound focus on High-Expertise Teaching. We could have it in any district, regardless of zip code, if we reengineered the twelve processes that impact teachers’ knowledge and skill. A handbook for action and a persuasive case for making every school a reliable engine of constant learning, this book outlines the actions necessary to ensure High-Expertise Teaching reaches more children, more of the time.
Informed by a substantial research base and decades of implementation, scholar-practitioner Jon Saphier presents the foundational elements of High-Expertise Teaching in this capstone work, along with
- A comprehensive plan for effective implementation to scale
- An assets-based approach to high expectations, culturally responsive teaching, and rigor
- Templates for re-engineering school- and district-based processes
- Guidance for leaders on honing their own skills to implement change
About our presenters
Dr. Jon Saphier is the Founder and President of Research for Better Teaching, Inc., an educational consulting organization in Acton, Massachusetts that is dedicated to the professionalization of teaching and leadership. He is a recognized expert on supervision, evaluation, staff development, and adult professional culture. Since 1979, he and his RBT colleagues have taught in-depth professional development programs centered on the knowledge base of teaching to educators in hundreds of school districts each year in the United States and overseas.
In 2001, he was appointed a panel member for the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to study the best methods for transferring research knowledge to classroom practice. In 2010 RBT’s Skillful Teacher model was adopted by the country of Singapore as their national program for training beginning teachers.
Beginning in the summer of 2001, Dr. Saphier became a member of the core faculty for aspiring urban principals of New Leaders for New Schools. Additionally, Research for Better Teaching provides training on “Observing and Analyzing Teaching” to KIPP principals and KIPP teacher leaders continuing to the present. /p>
Sloan-Kettering’s annual IDEA Institutes voted him “Best of the Best” for their first 25-year history. Dr. Saphier presents each year at Ron Ferguson’s Achievement Gap Initiative Conference at Harvard. Dr. Saphier has done on-site coaching to over 1,000 principals on instructional leadership.
He has a bachelors from Amherst College, and a masters degree from the London School of Economics. He was a combat medic in Vietnam. After the war he entered teaching and holds degrees in early childhood from Univ. of Mass. and a doctorate from Boston University. He has been a high school history teacher and has taught fifth grade, second grade, first grade and kindergarten. He has been an administrator and a staff developer in an urban K-8 school.
He is an author and co-author of nine books, including The Skillful Teacher in its 7th edition as well as numerous articles. The Skillful Teacher has sold over a half million copies and is the bible of teaching in hundreds of districts around the country. It is used as a text in 60 university teacher preparation programs, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown, Middlebury and Williams.
RBT designed and trained all administrators on their Professional Growth System in Fairfax Va. late 80s through early 90s, Montgomery County Public Schools late 90s through the present, and 50 other districts nation-wide. RBT provides continued support for Montgomery County’s "Center for Skillful Teaching".
William A. Sommers, Ph.D. of Austin, Texas, continues to be a learner, teacher, principal, author, leadership coach, and consultant. After 35 years as a principal, he has come out of retirement multiple times to turnaround schools. Bill blends the best ideas from leading educators and innovative business practices to apply to leadership in schools. He was on the Board of Trustees for five years and President for the National Staff Development Council now called Learning Forward. In addition to being a principal in high schools and middle schools, he has also been a Senior Fellow for the Urban Leadership Academy at the University of Minnesota. Bill also has served as full-time faculty and as an adjunct faculty member at several universities. He has also been a program director for an adolescent chemical dependency treatment center and served on the board of a halfway house for 20 years. Bill has authored and co-authored many books.