“You can find evidence to support whatever you want.” It’s a common refrain heard in policy circles – but what happens when the evidence appears to say nothing at all? While one recent study appears to suggest that educator-preparation programs do not vary meaningfully in their performance – and thus data on performance should not be used for policy decisions – a more nuanced understanding of the interrelationship between research, policy, and practice may lead to a more nuanced conclusion.

That’s why at Deans for Impact we describe our mission – to transform the U.S. educator-preparation system to be the best in the world – in generational terms. Our members are acting now to improve their programs, to change existing policies, and to demonstrate our collective impact. But it will take years for these changes to take root and to spread to the broader field.

Today marks a day both bittersweet and joyous here in Austin, as Dr. Cassandra Herring formally launches the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity (BranchED), a new organization devoted to building capacity at educator-preparation programs within minority-serving institutions (MSIs).

The 11 fellows in our inaugural Impact Academy cohort recently completed their fellowship year, a year full of hard work and learning

In the wake of the violence committed by American white nationalists in Charlottesville over the past weekend, we reached out to offer our support to Dean Bob Pianta of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.

From our inception in 2015, Deans for Impact has faced a self-imposed problem. We have deliberately chosen to limit our core membership to no more than 30 leaders of educator-preparation programs at any one time.

We’re thrilled to announced the 17 fellows in the 2017 Impact Academy cohort. Each fellow is coming to Impact Academy because he or she wants to engage with peers how to create cultures within their programs that are data informed and outcomes focus.

At a convening last year, some of our member deans were sharing strategies for managing their leadership challenges. Many of the challenges likely sound familiar: how to re-allocate the budget; how to empower faculty leaders; how to deepen partnerships with districts.

In the past few years, special-interest groups have seized on teacher shortages in some states as an excuse to push legislation and regulations that throw open the classroom door to teachers with little to no preparation.

We are at a crucial moment in the relationship between learning science and education.