California Education Collaborative for Children in Foster Care
Improving educational outcomes for children in foster care.

In 2005, The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning joined forces with Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc. to work for greater awareness of the educational consequences, and improvement in the educational outcomes, for children in California’s foster care system.

Of the half million American children in the foster care system, 74,000 live in California. Nearly a third of these children are under the age of 5.  Like their counterparts elsewhere in the country, California’s foster youth tend not to succeed in school.  This is not particularly surprising, since many foster youth lack the stability at home that translates into stability – and success – in school. 

Ready to Succeed: Changing Systems to Give California’s Foster Children the Opportunities They Deserve to be Ready for and Succeed in School was released by the Collaborative in May 2008. This report and its recommendations cap two years of collaborative effort between these two organizations and partners from the education and child welfare communities throughout California. This work was supported by the Stuart Foundation.

For more information about the Collaborative, please visit: www.cftl.org/fostercare

The California Teacher Advisory Council
Strengthening mathematics and science teaching by incorporating teachers in the policy process.

Cal TAC members are seen here with Senator Jack Scott who attended the first Cal TAC meeting in Sacramento

In 2005, twelve highly accomplished mathematics and science teachers were selected to serve as members of the California Teacher Advisory Council (Cal TAC), an effort by The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning and the California Council on Science and Technology to strengthen mathematics and science instruction in California.

Modeled after the National Teacher Advisory Council, established by the National Academies of Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine in 2002, Cal TAC is the first state-level chapter to be created. The goals of Cal TAC are to:

1. Disseminate policy information impacting science and mathematics teaching and learning from the state level to teachers;
2. Educate leaders from the education and policy communities on science and mathematics classroom practices;
3. Provide feedback to and from the National Teacher Advisory Council (NTAC); and
4. Become a proactive arm of the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning and California Council on Science and Technology to strengthen science and mathematics teaching, K-18.

Cal TAC members include outstanding elementary, middle, and high school teachers noted for their skills in the specific areas of mathematics and science. (Click here for brief bios of Cal TAC members.) Cal TAC convenes several times a year to address the goals outlined above.

Click here to read "View from the Classroom"

The California Teacher Leadership Forum
Bringing the experience of classroom teachers into the policy process.

The California Teacher Leadership Forum (CTLF) is a network of accomplished veteran teachers who have been recognized for excellence in teaching and who have an interest in strengthening teacher development policy and practice. From our perspective, the expertise and experience of accomplished veteran teachers can greatly inform the development of public policy, and thereby strengthen teaching and learning. The Center supports this network of teacher leaders and facilitates opportunities for the members to share their views directly with policy-makers.

Members of the California Teacher Leadership Forum serve on key committees and task forces convened by the Center as well as numerous statewide commissions. To date, CTLF members have served on the Joint Committee to Develop a K-12 Education Master Plan and the Professional Development Framework Team. Members have also provided testimony at legislative hearings on low-performing schools, minority teacher recruitment, and emergency credentialing. The Center supports the participation of CTLF members in state-level policy work in a variety of ways, including funding travel and substitute costs. Members are also available to respond to inquiries from media professionals.