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Welcome to this edition of the Opportunity Culture® Newsletter! Opportunity Culture® portal subscribers receive these newsletters automatically as part of their district's portal benefits (log in here). Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Join our mailing list here! |
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OPPORTUNITY CULTURE® NEWS
Record Number of Systems to Join Opportunity Culture® Initiative!
We're excited to announce that, with state funding in New Mexico and North Carolina and private funding in Oklahoma, 25 school systems will join the national Opportunity Culture® initiative in 2026. If you're on or support an Opportunity Culture® teaching team, take a little bow—the example you've helped set means more students will get to experience teaching that all students—and teachers—deserve! |
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Public Impact®, which founded the initiative, is taking applications now for 16 Oklahoma school systems to receive support for innovative staffing redesign and professional learning for educators in new roles. Up to eight systems will begin planning their redesign, using proven Opportunity Culture® models that fit district priorities, as early as February to implement in the 2026–27 school year, and the remainder will design this fall. Thanks to the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, which is spreading the word to school districts and charter networks statewide, and to the private philanthropy funding the design work as well as an evaluation of the effect on student learning and teacher vacancies in Oklahoma.
In New Mexico, state leaders appropriated three years of funding for innovative staffing redesign to increase educator satisfaction and student learning. The Opportunity Culture® initiative received the contract to support up to seven school systems in planning their redesigns. That includes Carlsbad Municipal Schools, which in 2023 became the first New Mexico system to use these models in three schools, leading to reduced teacher vacancies and increased student learning; the models will be in use in all its traditional schools by the 2026–27 school year. The state is also rolling out high-quality instructional materials and methods in some of the same schools, and funding will support evaluation of all sites' outcomes.
In North Carolina, the Alamance-Burlington and Mooresville districts received state advanced teaching roles grants to plan their Opportunity Culture® designs, joining 25 other districts, and more than 300 schools, already using the designs in the state.
Nationally, Public Impact® expects more systems to join in 2026, and several other states are considering similar efforts. Interested? We can help your system and schools through the design phase this spring or fall, and we're taking preregistrations now from systems that want to begin design work in early- to mid-2027. Learn about our spring design workshops, or contact us for other options!
READ MORE... |
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DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT
Carlsbad Municipal Schools |
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Cottonwood Principal
Donna Johns |
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Desert Willow Principal
Lisa Nesbit |
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PR Leyva Principal
Lynde Longbine |
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It all began with a fateful ride in a Chevy Suburban.
In 2022, Carlsbad, New Mexico, educators went on a Texas fact-finding mission to the Midland and Ector County school districts, checking out how they had restructured their staffing.
The trip was sparked by Carlsbad Deputy Superintendent LaVern Shan, a former Ector County principal who had begun to hear from colleagues there about Opportunity Culture® staffing models—and how they never wanted to be a principal anywhere that didn't use them.
When she went back to see what all the fuss was about, Shan said she thought, "This is crazy. There is no way this would work. But I watched the data. I watched their vacancies. I've watched how things changed."
Shan shared what she saw with Superintendent Gerry Washburn, and they took the 2022 trip with educators, school board members, and union officials.
"It gives me chills thinking about it," Cottonwood Elementary School Principal Donna Johns said. "Right from the beginning, I was like, this is what we need. This is exactly what we need. We had the opportunity to tour all these schools and see this amazing coaching and teaching and the collaboration. And then when we were in the Suburban driving home, I told a couple of the central office people, we're doing this. Like, this is what we're going to start tomorrow. And I was told, hang on, Donna Johns, you have to hang on; we have to have a plan. But it was so exciting, because I saw what was possible for our school and what was possible for our students."
READ THE SPOTLIGHT... |
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OPPORTUNITY CULTURE® PORTAL
Learn More in the Portal! |
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Looking for a one-stop shop of resources on instructional excellence, creating a tutoring culture, Opportunity Culture® design and implementation, and hiring for Opportunity Culture® roles? The updated Learn room in the Opportunity Culture® portal has you covered! |
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We've added nearly two dozen on-demand modules, with credit hours districts can use for CEUs, designed exclusively for portal users—perfect for current sites and those not yet implementing Opportunity Culture® designs. Watch a few short excerpts on this webpage. |
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Modules waiting for you include:
Instructional Excellence
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High-Quality Instructional Materials and Methods
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The Science of Reading: Learning to Read and Reading to Learn
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A.I. and the Teacher-Leader Role
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Engaging in Intentional Planning and Internalizing Lesson Plans
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Leading Strong Instruction: Monitoring and Adjusting Instruction
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SIMPLE-TC™ Series—creating a tutoring culture with MCL™ teams
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Design and Implementation
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School Improvement Using Certification Standards: Certification isn't just for box-checking; learn how schools use the data gathered to receive certification to guide their next steps to keep getting better
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And modules on the entire design process and specific elements such as roles, stipends, schedules, residencies/apprenticeships, selection, and more, including how to scale up and optimize your designs
LOG IN to the portal and start learning! |
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OPPORTUNITY CULTURE® BLOG |
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In its new state of education report, SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education) recommends elevating excellence in teaching as Tennessee's most powerful investment, highlighting the use of Opportunity Culture® models to do so.
In a panel discussion tied to the report's release, 2026 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year Annette Tudor, the director of schools for Bristol Tennessee City Schools, spoke about how Opportunity Culture® roles are making a difference for her district.
"We are partnering both with SCORE and Opportunity Culture to offer strategic staffing opportunities for our teachers as an incentive to keep them in the classroom…We're seeing great success with that," Tudor said.
READ MORE... |
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In a new report, The Weight They Carry: Life as a Teacher in Mississippi, education policy nonprofit Mississippi First recommends addressing the state's ongoing teacher shortage in part by improving compensation through both an across-the-board pay increase and redesigned school staffing models that allow teachers to advance and receive substantial pay supplements without having to leave the classroom.
The report highlights Opportunity Culture® models, which are in their first year of use in the Jackson, Mississippi, school district. Opportunity Culture® design can help address the compensation pressures teachers face; Public Impact, which founded the Opportunity Culture® initiative, has also consistently called for higher pay overall for educators. Collaborative Multi-Classroom Leader® teams can also address some of the concerns teachers have about unmanageable workloads, and the distributed leadership inherent in schools using these teams both reduces the burden on principals and strengthens leadership pipelines.
The report makes policy recommendations around four goals:
READ MORE... |
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CERTIFICATION
Congratulations to Newly Certified Schools!
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Certification levels convey strength of implementation in key areas, including selectivity of Opportunity Culture roles®, student access to instruction led by Opportunity Culture® teams, incorporation of small-group, high-dosage tutoring into staffing plans, and financial sustainability of staffing plans.
See the full list, and check it often for updates with schools you know! |
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FEBRUARY UPDATES
This Month in Opportunity Culture® Certification
Certification Webinars
Make your Opportunity Culture® work visible! Schools show the strength of their model—to their educators, parents, and the community—through certification. Getting certified recognizes strong teaching, intensive support for educators, and a commitment to student growth.
The 2025–26 certification window closes June 30. Check your school's status in the portal, and if you need hands-on support to get certified, join one of these live, free, hourlong webinars: |
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This Month in the Opportunity Culture® Portal
The annual educator survey is open now through March 31—share your feedback!
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This anonymous survey for all schools nationwide that use Opportunity Culture® models. It gathers respondents' perceptions of their school, role, and the effects of Opportunity Culture® implementation, and their thoughts on areas for improvement. The survey is free and voluntary, and its results help improve implementation both within their school system and across the country. Questions? Contact your district's Opportunity Culture® lead and/or Public Impact® consultant for more information. |
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EVENTS
Upcoming Conferences
If you're joining this week's Strategic Staffing Summit, check out our sessions:
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Wednesday, 11:15 a.m.: Local Contexts, Shared Standards: Opportunity Culture Strategic School Staffing with Kendall King and Bryan Hassel from Public Impact
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Thursday, 10:15 a.m.: Breaking Down Instructional Silos to Strengthen Literacy" with Leading Educators and our own Reem Ahmed
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Planning ahead for your trip to SXSW Edu? Put our session on your agenda! Kendall King will facilitate Beyond Bricks: Hybrid Models that Boost Outcomes, on March 10 at 9 a.m., with panelists Moriah Dollarhite, teacher support coordinator in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Wendell Sumter, assistant superintendent for human resources in Chester County, South Carolina, and Mallory Morris, mentor teacher at NSSSI. |
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Upcoming Site Visits
Interested in seeing Opportunity Culture® design in action? We have multiple site visits coming up—space is limited, so register today to secure your spot or join our waitlist! Each live, one-day visit runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and includes an overview of the district's design and implementation and visits to one or more schools.
February 26: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, N.C.: Learn more and join the waitlist
March 17: Wake County Public Schools, N.C.: Learn more and register
March 18: Edgecombe County Public Schools, N.C.: Learn more and register |
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Other Upcoming Events |
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February 2026
5 Observing Data Meetings & Providing Feedback, 4:05–6:00 p.m. ET | Register
11 Introduction to Aspiring MCL™ Academy, 4:35–6:30 p.m. ET | Register
12 Opportunity Culture® Info Session, 1:00–1:45 p.m. ET | FREE | Register
18–19 District-Level Staffing Design Workshop, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET | Register
19 Advocating for Your Role, 4:05–6:00 p.m. ET | Register
19 Navigating the OC™ Certification Process, 10:00 a.m. ET | FREE | Register
25 Aspiring MCL™ Academy Session 2, 4:35–6:30 p.m. ET | Register
25 Site Visit to Carlsbad Municipal School District, NM (FULL)
26 Site Visit to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET | Waitlist
26 National Behavioral Event Interview Training, 1:00–4:00 p.m. ET | Register
March 2026
1-3 Mississippi Association of School Administrators conference | Learn More
5 Office Hours for Teacher-Leaders, 4:05–5:00 p.m. ET | Register
9-12 SXSW EDU 2026, Austin, Texas | Learn More
10 Office Hours for Principals, 4:05–5:00 p.m. ET | Register
11 Aspiring MCL™ Academy Session 3, 4:35 –6:30 p.m. ET | Register
12 Office Hours for RA™ Paraprofessionals, 4:05–5:00 p.m. ET | Register
12 Opportunity Culture® Info Session, 1:00–1:45 p.m. ET | FREE | Register
17 Site Visit to Wake County Schools, NC 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET | Register
18 Site Visit to Edgecombe County Schools, NC 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET | Register
18–19 District-Level Staffing Design Workshop, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET | Register
24–25 School Level Staffing Design Workshop, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET | Register
25 Aspiring MCL™ Academy Session 4, 4:35 –6:30 p.m. ET | Register
26 National Behavioral Event Interview Training, 1:00–4:00 p.m. ET | Register
27 Navigating the OC™ Certification Process, 12:00 p.m. ET | FREE | Register |
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RESOURCES
Tools You Need Now |
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Check out the instructional leadership and excellence resources on the Opportunity Culture® website. This month, principals and team leaders may find the Manage Yourself section especially useful, and all educators may find the Monitor Learning and Adjust Instruction sections valuable.
Watch this video --> |
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The following terms are registered trademarks: Opportunity Culture®, Public Impact®, Multi-Classroom Leader®, OC®, and Certified Opportunity Culture School®. We thank sites using Opportunity Culture® models for adhering to trademark usage standards, signaling to the public that they are using data-proven models to dramatically increase student learning and boost teacher satisfaction. |
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To stay up to date on all Opportunity Culture® happenings—new resources, news stories, new Opportunity Culture® districts, and more—follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Bluesky—and if you're posting, use #OpportunityCulture, @OppCulture, or @PublicImpact, and we'll retweet/share your comments! |
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The Public Impact® mission is to improve education dramatically for all students—especially students whose needs have not been well met. We are a team of professionals from many backgrounds, including former teachers and principals. We are researchers, thought leaders, tool builders, and on-the-ground consultants who work with leading education reformers. To learn more, please visit www.publicimpact.com.
This newsletter was made possible in part by supporters of the Opportunity Culture® initiative. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of Public Impact®.
© 2026 Public Impact®/Opportunity Culture® |
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Public Impact, 405 East Main Street, Carrboro, North Carolina 27510, United States |
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