Intensive Partnerships to Empower Effective Teachers
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In the News:

Read the official announcement from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

2010 Annual Letter from Bill Gates: Helping Teachers Improve

Gates Foundation Grant would usher in new culture for Hillsborough Schools - St. Petersburg Times, November 4, 2009
Hillsborough Schools stand on the verge of massive, Gates-funded reforms to boost teaching - St. Petersburg Times, November 4, 2009
Hillsborough County schools hopeful for private grant money - Orlando Examiner, November 5, 2009
Going for the Gates Boost in Schools - St. Petersburg Times, November 6, 2009
Gates grant finalist pulls out; Hillsborough Schools await word - Tampa Tribune, November 6, 2009
A weekend interview about teacher quality and a possible Gates Foundation grant with Hillsborough Schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia - St. Petersburg Times, November 7, 2009
Hillsborough School Board expected to vote on $100 million Gates grant today - Tampa Tribune, November 17, 2009
School Board votes to take Gates Grant - Tampa Tribune, November 18, 2009
Hills. Schools considered for Gates grant - FOX 13, November 18, 2009
Hillsborough School Board unanimously approves $100M Gates grant - St. Petersburg Times, November 18, 2009
Hillsborough Schools wins $100 million grant from Gates Foundation - Tampa Tribune, November 19, 2009
Gates Foundation invests more than $300 million in ed reform - Washington Post, November 19, 2009
The Gates Foundation's $100 million challenge - Tampa Tribune, December 10, 2009
School district celebrates $100 million grant - Tampa Tribune, December 11, 2009
Gates reboots classroom skills - Tampa Tribune, December 12, 2009
Schools to pay best teachers more, faster with Gates grant - Tampa Tribune, January 5, 2010
What makes a great teacher? - The Atlantic (January/February 2010)
Questions remain on how Hillsborough can afford Gates grant - Tampa Tribune, January 25, 2010
Opinion: Education Reform, One Classroom at a Time - Melinda Gates, Washington Post, February 19, 2010
Teachers like Gates grant coaching, wary of reviews - Tampa Tribune, February 26, 2010
600 teachers apply for 116 new mentor/peer jobs - Tampa Tribune, March 5, 2010
Gates-inspired training system for Hillsborough Teachers on school board agenda - St. Petersburg Times, March 8, 2010

About the Initiative

Hillsborough County Public Schools is embarking on a more than $200 million initiative to improve teacher effectiveness and better prepare students for postsecondary education.  This initiative is called Intensive Partnerships to Empower Effective Teachers.  Recently, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced their contribution of a $100 million grant towards this initiative.  For the next seven (7) years the School Board, Hillsborough Classroom Teachers' Association, and the school district will collaborate on developing programs and strategies to place stronger teachers in the county's public schools.  Through this initiative, the district plans to increase the number of college-ready students graduating from 37% to 60% in five (5) years.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation is honored to serve as fiscal agent in this process.  We will also work to engage and communicate with the community about the progress made through this opportunity.  We are appreciative of the confidence from the school district and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in our ability to serve in this compacity.  We fully support the district in their efforts to implement an initiative that will directly benefit our teachers and students.  This work could change the face of education in Hillsborough County Public Schools, and ultimately around the nation.

The Intensive Partnerships to Empower Effective Teachers initiative consists of five (5) Core Initiatives and five (5) Enabling Initiatives:

Core Initiatives

• Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: using performance evaluation as a dominant role in determining teachers' career opportunities and compensation.
• Performance-Based Career Ladder: clearly define performance level required for tenure and advancement.
• Next Generation Pay-for-Performance: develop compensation system that bases salary increases on performance and progress.
• Programs and Incentives for High-Needs Students: develop policies and incentives to address schools with critical numbers of high-need students, and the high-needs students in the highest-performing schools.
• Apprentice Teacher Acceleration Program: high-quality induction program that provides experienced teachers as mentors and one-on-one support through weekly observation and feedback.

Enabling Initiatives

• Enhanced Recruitment and Dismissal: provide Human Resources support to principals through the HR Business Partners function, which will support all staffing needs within a school.
• Strengthen School Leadership: align evaluations of school principals with expectations of teacher effectiveness and student growth.
• Performance Management: create scorecards for schools and the district to evaluate performance.
• Integrated Instructional Toolkit: revamp the instructional resources available to teachers.
• Change Management/Communications: build support from district stakeholders, including teachers and the community at large.

You can find more information about this initiative on the website for Hillsborough County Public Schools.

Do you have questions about this initiative?  E-mail us!

Important Links

Ten Things You Need to Know
Podcast by Superintendent of Schools, MaryEllen Elia

Message from the School Board

Message from HCTA

Empowering Effective Teachers, Hillsborough County Public Schools website

Upcoming Events

Hear MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent of Schools, speak about the Intensive Partnership to Empower Effective Teachers initiative:

February 19, 2010
Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce February Membership Lunch
11:45am - 1:15pm
Maestro's at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts
For more information, click here.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

We look forward to helping with this effort in the coming years!