Case Study
Problem
Do we do what we say we are going to do? What do we do if we’re right? What do we do if we’re wrong?
In the important business of preparing teacher candidates for big-city schools, Urban Teachers program participants complete a year-long teacher residency, then lead their own classrooms and earn a master’s degree in DC, Dallas / Fort Worth, and Baltimore.
Urban Teachers CEO Peter Shulman contacted Connie to conduct a program audit to assess program alignment.
Action
Connie has been invested in teacher prep since her days in the talent office at Denver Public Schools. She worked with the deans at Rhode Island College for three years to improve teacher preparation at the largest program in the state. It is some of the highest leverage work in education.
For Urban Teachers, Connie interviewed more than 30 internal stakeholders and 20 program participants over a three-month time period. She also surveyed 20 managers to understand the strengths and gaps of the participant experience at Urban Teachers.
Outcomes
Connie presented her findings, with deep resources of supportive quotes and data, to Pete, his cabinet, and his broader team. Through confirming the expected and identifying meaning insights, Connie facilitated the team to understand what was working, and where there was work yet to do. That led to reinventing the Resident experience, better supporting alumni to connect and accelerate their input, and to revisiting internal goal-setting.
The Best Part
Looking under the hood at a high-quality, high-intensity teacher preparation system to find so many strengths was joyful. Breaking bread with team members, for the first post-COVID work trip, was energizing. And helping her with her long-time colleague and friend, Pete, with insights to lead his team on their powerful mission was a career highlight.
Connie's unique blend of subject-matter expertise, inquisitive nature, and disarming personality make her both a productive and insightful partner to work with. Leveraging her lived experiences to garner the trust of our team, Connie distilled complex information across multiple environments to provide authentic, yet actionable, opportunities for organizational improvement.