Policy Brief

Breaking the Mold Without Breaking the Bank: A Guide to Transforming the Teaching Job

November 2022 | Education Resource Strategies

This guide from Education Resource Strategies highlights ways to reimagine teaching roles to better promote sustainability, collaboration, and student enrichment. The authors contend that despite innovation in other fields, teaching remains isolated and unsustainable, particularly in high-need schools. The guide proposes a shift from siloed teaching to expert-led teams, fostering a dynamic career path with varying roles, workloads, and competitive compensation. Traditional "in-the-box" structures are criticized for their rigidity, whereas research-backed "out-of-the-box" strategies are shown to offer flexibility, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. The guide outlines leveraged changes in class sizes, schedule designs, learning methods, teaming structures, and compensation models. By demonstrating how leaders can creatively reallocate resources, the guide emphasizes a systemic transformation for lasting improvement in educators' well-being and student outcomes. It challenges the status quo, providing actionable insights for district leaders seeking sustainable innovation in the teaching profession.