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Last week, Education Sector's Elena Silva published an excellent report on the success of formerly low-performing elementary schools in Hamilton County (Chattanooga), Tennessee.  With generous support from the Public Education Fund and the Benwood Foundation in Chattanooga, these "Benwood schools" used a combination of incentives, embedded professional support and strong leadership teams to fuel consistent, long-term improvements in student learning.  (See Public School Insights' story about the Benwood schools here.)

The report advances a very important argument:

It seems that what the Benwood teachers needed most were not new peers or extra pay--although both were helpful. Rather, they needed support and recognition from the whole community, resources and tools to improve as professionals, and school leaders who could help them help their students.

How refreshing to read such words at a time when so many think tank dwellers fill their days with discussions of governance and incentives without worrying overmuch about what actually happens in classrooms. 

In 2005, major national education associations in the Learning First Alliance reached conclusions similar to Silva's.  They came together to produce a framework for ensuring that students in our poorest, lowest-performing schools have access to the most effective teachers and leaders.  The Framework, which cites the Benwood initiative, includes incentives as one of eight issue areas, alongside issues such as working conditions, professional support and school leadership.  Like Education Sector, the Alliance recognizes that successful reforms should include specific and on-going (and sometimes expensive) support for excellent instruction.