[What a start to 2024! An earlier version of this email mistakenly identified Ryan Mick as TLA's Chief Executive Officer. Beth Rabbitt remains TLA's CEO, and Ryan Mick is CPO. Happy New Year!]

Colleagues and friends, 

As a former special educator and school leader, I was regularly asked to implement new programs or tools to improve my students' reading and math achievement. What didn't always arrive in tandem with these asks was the evidence base and rationale for why an effort would accelerate learning or guidance on how to effectively scale the effort into my classroom or building. After a year, based on limited or unclear evidence of success, these programs would often disappear as quickly as they arrived, and the cycle would repeat the following school year without knowing if a program truly had an impact. 

This is why I'm proud to share that The Learning Accelerator (TLA) is launching a series of new initiatives in 2024 focused on helping school systems make durable, sustained changes at the heart of K-12 learning.

Making durable and sustained change is rooted in having the data, evidence, and analysis to make good decisions. So, we're seeking the support of a nationally-recognized, independent research team to design, execute, and report on a mixed-methods evaluation for key aspects of this exciting new work. If you're a researcher or someone who wants to learn more about what we're aiming to accomplish, check out our Request for Proposals (RFP), here. We'd also encourage you to pass this opportunity along to colleagues or partners who might be interested in working with us.  

And just as we’re striving to build capacity for schools and systems through these initiatives, we’re also committing to expanding our own capacity to achieve our mission. I’m thrilled to also announce the launch of a search for TLA’s first Chief Operating Officer. If you know a strategic thinker and operations expert who could take an impactful K-12 education organization into the next stage, please help us share the job description.   

In 2024, and as always, TLA will be working for better opportunities for students, knowledge and learning for schools and systems, and clearer understanding for the sector. Whether as a new member of our team, a partner in our work, or a champion of TLA, we hope you’ll join us in these efforts.

Yours in Partnership,

Ryan Mick, Chief Program Officer

Featured Updates

TLA is Hiring: Join Our Team!

The Learning Accelerator is looking for a senior leader to join us as Chief Operating Officer (COO), helping us to continue to build the organization we need to achieve our mission to create an education field where everyone learns faster and changes practice together to ensure every child can reach their unique potential. 

• Priority deadline to apply is January 29, 2024.
• Key responsibilities include: developing operational strategies, overseeing financial management, leading HR/Talent functions, and managing strategic processes to drive communications and development work. 
• Check out (and help share) the job description at the link here.  

Recruiting for an Evaluation Partner: RFP

TLA is seeking an evaluation partner for a new network intermediary initiative. This independent research team will help us understand and document the impact of this program and will be charged with designing, executing, and reporting on a mixed-methods evaluation of the initiative, including the collection and analysis of student-level data.

• Proposals should be submitted according to the guidance and criteria outlined by midnight ET on January 21, 2024. 
• Work will begin with a selected partner on or by March 1, 2024. 
• If you have questions about the RFP or the project, you can submit them via the link here by January 12, or you can join an informational webinar on January 9 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Register for that webinar, here.

New TLA Blogs, Insights, and Strategies

• Intentional Problem-Solving to Support Student Development
• Building Capacity With an Edtech Champions Program
• To Help Teachers Survive the Next Few Weeks, Focus on Creativity
• Emotions Scan

What We're Reading

• What Do Schools Need to Know About USDA’s Summer EBT Program? (K-12 Dive) 
• Teaching With a Twang: ‘No One Imagines an English Teacher Like Me’ (Education Week) 
• How Our Silenced Assessment Ancestors Can Guide Systems Wide Change (Digital Promise)

Tell us what's on your mind on social media and

keep up with our work on the TLA Blog.