History

The roots of the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) stem from the teacher development blueprint designed by the 1996 landmark report of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) . The Commission charted a coherent system of teacher recruitment, education, professional development, compensation, and school design policies that could dramatically close the achievement gap. Barnett Berry, founder of CTQ, assisted in developing the Commission report and launching its state partnership network, whose purpose was to help political and education leaders implement policies that would professionalize teaching in ways that would enable all students to reach higher academic standards.

Launched in 1999 by the BellSouth Foundation as a regional affiliate of the Commission, CTQ (then named the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality), has been engaged in a wide variety of policy and research initiatives, including developing sound teaching quality data bases, assessing the impact of the No Child Left Behind teacher quality requirements, studying the impact of high stakes accountability on teachers’ professional development, analyzing what it takes to recruit and retain accomplished (including National Board Certified) teachers for hard-to-staff, low-performing schools, and promoting innovative kinds of teacher preparation. As we move forward with a vision for the future of the teaching profession, we find our goals once again aligned with the current work of NCTAF in supporting 21st century learning for all students. Along with other colleagues and allies, such as the New Teacher Center at UCSC or the Teachers Network, CTQ seeks to advance a 21st century teaching profession -- from strengthening pre-service and induction programs to cultivating the growth of teacher leadership and expert collaboration.

CTQ has emerged as a national resource for policymakers and practitioners as well as business and community leaders who want to use new ideas and tools to solve America’s teaching quality and supply problems. As a research-based advocacy organization, CTQ focuses primarily on (1) the conditions of teaching that will allow teachers to help students learn, (2) leadership opportunities for America’s best teachers to improve teaching and learning policies, and (3) new ways to engage the public in teaching quality and student achievement issues that are critical to the success of America’s public schools and its democratic way of life.