Teacher Designed and Teacher Driven

37 Schools, 50 Teacher Teams, 200 Teachers, 9,500 students impacted

What the Teacher Innovation Fund grant means first to me was my ability to complete a project I had been working on for three years and couldn’t get funded. Now, it has evolved into an opportunity to dare to do something really great with my kids.

Patrick Murray, teacher, Malcolm X. Shabazz High School

It started with a simple question: Why not put grant dollars directly into the hands of the people who know the needs of their schools and students the most; teachers? Research[1] shows that teacher collaboration is the best way to strengthen teacher skills and a school’s overall culture and impact. Informed by our core beliefs and research, FNF launched the Teacher Innovation Fund in 2011 with a commitment to make grants of up to $10,000 to teams of 3-5 teachers in Newark to implement new, innovative programs in their school building. Along the way we unleashed the expertise and ingenuity of teachers across the city and witnessed inspiring stories.

We met Janet Mino, a teacher at the John F. Kennedy School, an ungraded school for students with special needs. After first purchasing an iPad with her own money to help her students, she and her fellow teachers are all now able to use iPads to enhance instruction of autistic and speech delayed students.

We met Ann Pereira, another special education teacher at NJ Regional Day School, who along with her teacher team designed a school-wide behavior modification program by creating a school store that rewards behavior that embodies the school’s mission. The store also serves as a job training site to transition students with special needs into the workforce.

We also met Monika Lewis, a teacher at Newark Preschool Council. Along with her colleagues, she is encouraging parental involvement and literacy in the home by distributing rotating “literacy bags” with books and activities for parents to engage in with their children. Family meetings are held to share best practice with parents on bringing literacy into the home.

When considering what it is that our students need, we must consult and engage the teachers and principals who are with them every day.

[1] Leana, Carrie R. (2011). The missing link in school reform. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2011, 30-35.