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Two named to guide Gates grant on effective teaching

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By SHERRI ACKERMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 4, 2009

TAMPA - One woman has spent 35 years as an educator. The other is relatively new to teaching.

Both will oversee a $2.2 million Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation research grant awarded to the Hillsborough County Public Schools district last month.

Officials have named Marshall Middle School Principal Faychone Durant as administrator of the "Measures of Effective Teaching" project and district resource teacher Danni Greenberg as supervisor.

"I'm very excited," Durant said Tuesday following a school board meeting where her appointment was announced. "Having the means where you can measure effective teaching … that drives good teachers in the schools and that's what it's all about."

The grant will allow Gates' researchers to spend two years observing teachers in the classroom, using student test scores to evaluate teacher effectiveness, testing teachers on their subject knowledge, and videotaping classes.

Seven hundred to 1,000 teachers will take part in the research and receive a stipend. In New York City's school district, 1,000 teachers are receiving a $1,500 stipend.

The purpose of the research is to increase promotion rates at all grade levels, in addition to graduating more students, district officials said.

The hope is to motivate students to become responsible learners while challenging them with equally motivated teachers.

Durant and Greenberg will handle the scheduling of teachers whose classrooms will be monitored, communicating with principals and others and providing support to staff and researchers.

"Personally, I just feel it's very important to have these measures," said Greenberg, who graduated from college with a marketing degree and, later, switched career paths to become a middle school teacher in 2003.

Teachers need to understand what they're teaching, and they need to share that knowledge with students on a deeper level than just what a textbook can provide, she said.

"Test scores are important," Greenberg said, "but they're not the only measure."

Hillsborough is among at least three school districts nationwide participating in the research, which means measures uncovered here could have far-reaching effects, board member April Griffin said.

"I just want us to think about what matters when we are doing our observations in the classrooms," she said during the board meeting.

Hillsborough will have an opportunity to help shape this research, Griffin said, which ultimately could change the way America teaches its children.

The district also is a finalist for a $100 million Gates foundation grant expected to be announced in a few weeks. That grant also would focus on improving the quality of teachers and, eventually, public school education.

Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144.

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