A new bi-partisan bill is being introduced in the Senate that would create the Growing Excellent Achievement Training Academies for Teachers and Principals Act

This act stands to change how both teachers and principals are trained by:

• Recruiting strong potential candidates for teaching from all fields (similar to how a wide variety of applicants are accepted to law and medical school)
• academies will provide teacher or principal candidates with hands-on, clinical training
• candidate can graduate from a training academy only when she or he has demonstrated the ability to improve student academic achievement

Individual states may apply for funding in similar fashion to Race to the Top

The GREAT Act is a state-based competitive grant program, and it’s up to each state whether to apply.

• A state that wins a grant will use funds to (a) create state authorizers to approve and oversee these academies
• state will support the creation and expansion of the academies
• states and state authorizers will also have to agree to not regulate the “inputs” that these programs use to train candidates. (GREAT act is meant to inspire innovation)

Framing for #ecosys chat

Q1 What is the GREAT act
Q2 What will be the consequences for traditional teacher education
Q3 Who are potential winners and losers under the GREAT act