A new statewide partnership between the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and Hope Street Group, to support and equip teachers to engage local and state policymakers in education policy development, recently was announced by Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
The Virginia State Teacher Fellowship, which will launch in January 2018, is designed to connect educators to state and school division policymakers. The two-year fellowship will provide Virginia teachers with training, resources, and support to interact with policymakers and inform policy decisions that impact the teaching and learning conditions in Virginia public schools.
The collaborative statewide program is an initiative of Hope Street Group, a national organization known for its influential teacher engagement work.
The program has been successfully implemented in several states.