The survey, the first-ever of its kind, illustrates that even from the beginning of many young education professionals’ careers, bridging that gap between what happens in the classroom and what gets made into law isn’t made a priority. Only about 14 percent of survey respondents said they get regular opportunities to work with and learn from other sectors in education, although more than 99 percent of them agreed it was critical for the future of reform.
It’s a disappointing finding, particularly in this chaotic time of change in education reform from new teacher evaluations to more rigorous standards and assessments. If we’re not encouraging our young education professionals to reach across the divide and learn from their colleagues in other places, how we will break the cycle of policy, practice, and research working in conflict rather than in harmony?