FAQ

The Opportunity Culture initiative continues to add sites every year; see OpportunityCulture.org for a complete list of participating districts and results. North Carolina, New York, Indiana, Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, and Maryland are among the states with participating districts. 

We strongly believe that the impact of a teacher in the classroom is crucial to a student's performance. The implementation of Opportunity Culture provides an effective way to recruit, develop, retain, and reward excellent teachers. Teachers have consistently expressed their desire to make more of an impact, have leadership opportunities that do not take them out of the classroom, and receive fair compensation based on their level of responsibility and impact on students. Opportunity Culture roles address all of these needs. Additionally, we focus on supporting and developing our teachers with consistent, personalized, on-the-job, weekly, or even daily support through Opportunity Culture teams.

A study conducted by researchers from the Brookings Institution and American Institutes for Research has revealed that Multi-Classroom Leadership (MCL) can lead to significant improvements in student learning. The study found that teachers who were initially at the 50th percentile in student learning gains showed significant improvement when they joined teams led by teacher-leaders (MCLs) who had prior high growth as teachers. The study showed that the gains were equivalent to those of teachers from the 75th to 85th percentile in math, and, in six of the seven statistical models, from 66th to 72nd percentile in reading. The teams consisted of a median of five teachers in addition to the MCL. 

Multi-classroom leaders (MCLs) are different from most coaches as they are responsible for the academic progress of all students assigned to them and their team. Additionally, they continue to teach part-time while leading a team of two to five. This allows them to spend time in-school providing on-the-job guidance, co-planning, data analysis, and feedback that are essential for Opportunity Culture support. MCLs also assist in selecting their team members, help them advance in their careers, and collaborate with principals to enhance instructional excellence school-wide. Furthermore, MCLs receive additional pay for their role, which does not depend on grants.

We have a rigorous selection process, Behavioral Event Interviews, which puts emphasis on competencies, taking into consideration our mission and school fit. 

The Opportunity Culture Principles mandate schools to finance these roles in a sustainable manner, using budget reallocations instead of temporary grants. We firmly believe that these positions will become the norm in education, and they are already being adopted in other states as well. We are confident that these roles are in the best interest of students, as they provide them with a great education with the help of well-supported, excellent teachers or a team of teachers led by a highly successful teacher. We also believe that these roles are beneficial for teachers and the teaching profession.

In each school, a team of teachers and administrators takes on the Opportunity Culture roles that are best suited to their school's requirements. This enables them to reach more students with teachers who have a proven track record of producing high-growth student learning. The team is responsible for figuring out scheduling and how to pay for the roles.

Opportunity Culture schools are known for providing excellent support. Summer professional learning opportunities are provided before the start of the academic year to ensure effective implementation of the Opportunity Culture Model. All Opportunity Culture staff also receive on-the-job training and development, as well as dedicated collaborative time for planning, coaching, and support. 

A day in the life of an MCL can be busy and fulfilling. They may engage in various activities such as direct teaching to students, co-teaching, coaching, modeling instruction for teachers, planning with teachers, and analyzing data, observation, and feedback. MCLs have the flexibility to plan their schedules, but they must prioritize activities that will have the most significant impact on student achievement. If you want to see an example of an MCL's day, you can watch this video.

The curriculum will not be impacted as a result of Opportunity Culture.

Special programs teachers are allowed to apply for all positions.

Yes, J1 teachers are allowed to apply for all positions.

The Academics for Life, Behavior Transition, Structured Learning, and Applied or Resource classrooms will NOT be impacted by the Opportunity Culture Model.

The classrooms assigned to MCL teams will be strategically located on each campus. The capacity of the classrooms will be considered when assigning students to a classroom.

The Opportunity Culture Staffing Model is intended to incorporate other content areas as the model extends throughout Beaumont ISD. 

The district-level administration, along with campus principals, will conduct Behavioral Event Interviews with potential candidates.

Please see the job descriptions located on the www.bmtisd.com website.