Great Teaching

The Pearson Foundation helps celebrate great teachers and supports innovative approaches to improving teaching practice.

We’re honoring great educators in local communities; supporting teaching and leadership that delivers better outcomes for students; and supporting innovative public-private partnerships to improve teaching practice in classrooms around the world. We also share with educators perspectives with potential to improve their own schools and better student outcomes.

One of our favorite initiatives is our most direct: we help celebrate and honor inspiring “teachers of the year” who are recognized in programs coordinated by both the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Education Association (NEA) . Working directly with these teachers and making their stories about the teaching profession widely available encourages educators everywhere.

Listening to students is just as important. That’s why we proudly support My Voice and the lifework of Dr. Russell Quaglia. My Voice gathers student perceptions of both their school experience and their relationships with school staff and parents. Through a research-survey developed over 25 years at the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations, My Voice makes school better by engaging students directly in measuring their sense of self-worth, active engagement and purpose. Through analysis and supporting professional development, this ‘student voice’ helps school leaders to better understand the judgments and concerns of the students they serve.

To provide insight into education globally we have created “Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education,” an investigative video series developed in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The series documents policies and programs that local education leaders credit with improving student achievement—success demonstrated by the strong performance of their countries in the latest assessment from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Our other work is focused on efforts we manage ourselves and in concert with leading public and private organizations around the world.

Originally launched in 2003, BridgeIT uses mobile technology to deliver professional development materials and educational resources to remote and underserved classrooms around the world. At present, this public-private partnership is operating in ten countries around the world.

When we can, we also help other essential educational organizations to serve their members, explore best practices at home and abroad, and share the results of their efforts with broader education community. In recent years, this work has focused on sustained alliances with other non-profits whose mission is similar to our own—groups including UNESCO, CCSSO, CoSN, America’s Promise, the National Academy Foundation, and New Leaders for New Schools.