UF group partners to share educators’ stories

Two policy groups will engage with educators in a national Twitter chat using the hashtag #PowerOfStory.

On Thursday at 7 p.m., the UF Lastinger Center, a group dedicated to the progress of education, will partner with the Center for Teaching Quality to moderate the chat.The discussion comes at the end of a two-month blogging roundtable on the power of educators’ stories to develop the narrative around the state of the U.S. public education system.

Amy Julian, the center’s marketing strategist and project leader for the roundtable, said the organization aims to invite people involved in education, including parents, students and administrators, to share their stories.

In doing so, the organizations hope the roundtable and open discussions will motivate increases in school funding, more effective teaching strategies and better equipped students.

Julian said he hopes the Twitter chat will engage educators from around the country and enable them to tweak education policy and their practice.

The UF Lastinger Center’s inaugural Florida Teacher Leader Fellowship brought together 40 Florida teachers recognized for leadership in their school districts to collaborate in an 18-month skill development training, Julian said. To cap off the program, each teacher partnered with coaches at the Center for Teaching Quality to design a multimedia project that communicates his or her story.

“We have a deep respect for teachers,” wrote Val Brown, UF Lastinger Center’s strategic partnership manager, in an email. “(We) believe it is important for teacher voice to play a prominent role in the narratives about education.”