For America’s students to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be full participants in our economy and democracy, an effective teacher is needed for every child. Reaching this goal requires a whole new way of managing the people side of the education system: recruiting and preparing excellent teachers and principals, developing them throughout their careers so that they and their students continue to improve, and managing talent to ensure that the highest-need students have the teachers best-equipped to help them. 

The Corporation has focused on building both a vision and a demand for a more comprehensive approach to human capital management in K-12 education in the United States.  We have invested in the "component parts" of an improved human capital system, particularly in and for high-need, urban schools. Those include preparing and supporting excellent teachers and school leaders, improving the skills of educators and allowing greater accountability for student results, and enabling thoughtful innovation and continuous improvement.  Given that teacher shortages are particularly acute in math and science and that our nation’s output of STEM talent is not keeping up with current and projected demand, math and science teachers are a leading focus of this work. 

Priorities for the coming year include:

• Advancing a systemic approach to human capital management

• Strengthening the preparation and support of teachers and school leaders

• Mobilizing for stronger STEM teaching by engaging a wide range of organizations in significantly expanding the supply of STEM teachers and other STEM talent for the nation’s schools.

• Implementing the 100 K in 10 initiative, including identifying additional partners, strengthening the quality of commitments, and building the capacity of the partnership.

• Supporting innovative solutions that may result from the Ashoka Challenge and expanding support for school leadership