Useful tools:

“What Makes a Great Teacher” — A one-hour discussion by national experts available on the National Writing Project NWP National Community webpage. Useful to share with administrators or school board members. Probably too long & academic for parents or general public.

National Center for Literacy Education Smart Brief — Provides stories of successful efforts by teachers and schools, along with news on education policy developments. Link goes to the sign-up page.

Helpful Examples:

Monique Flickinger, tech teacher’s blog on Edutopia’s website about learning skills for sharing with other teachers at an “unconference” — a vivid example of writing that shows how a good teacher works to get still better.

Marilyn Hollman, letter to her state legislator, Nov. 2012, just after the elections.

Amy Kay, Andrea Neher, and Lindsey Lush, “Writing a Relationship: Home-School Journals,” Language Arts, July 2010.

Sarah Nicholas, “Why I Want to Teach: The Voice of a Young Teacher,” Post in Education Week blog, Aug. 28, 2012. Share this with community members to remind people of the idealism in our profession.

Matt Tota, “Learning Goes Untraditional In the Summer,” Milford Daily News, July 3, 2012. Article on the summer Lifelong Learning Institute in Franklin, Mass. Did a savvy educator get the attention of the reporter to obtain this vivid portrait of an outstanding program?

Steven Weinberg, YouTube story on critiquing a mistaken item on a state exam. His effort failed, but he exposes test administrators’ bureaucratic mentality, and upholds his own self-respect. And mounting criticism of test flaws is gaining traction — so don’t be discouraged by initial rejections.