Investing in Great Teaching: Expanding Co-Teaching and Building Collaboration at FirstLine Schools
Investing in Great Teaching and Learning at FirstLine Schools
At FirstLine Schools, we are always looking for ways to ensure that every student has access to excellent instruction and the support they need to thrive. This year, we have made two major shifts—shaped directly by listening to our teachers through surveys, focus groups, and months of work last spring to adjust schedules—that are already strengthening teaching and learning in our classrooms:
- Expanding Co-Teaching for Students with Disabilities: We know that our students with disabilities are not yet performing at the same level as their general education peers. To address this gap, we have implemented a new co-teaching model across our schools. In this model, a special education teacher partners with a general education teacher in the same classroom, providing real-time support and ensuring that all students can access grade-level content. This approach is helping us create more inclusive classrooms where every student can succeed.
- Building Time for Teachers to Plan and Collaborate: We also know that great teaching requires great preparation. That’s why we designed a new school schedule that prioritizes teacher planning time. With this schedule, teachers have more opportunities to collaborate with their colleagues, both within their schools and across the FirstLine network. It also builds in more intervention blocks for students, so that we can provide extra help where it’s needed most. When we give teachers the time to plan deeply and collaborate, we empower them to deliver even stronger instruction for every student — and create a more sustainable, fulfilling path for their work.
These changes reflect our ongoing commitment not only to improving student outcomes but also to making teaching more sustainable. We heard clearly from our teachers what they needed to be successful—and we acted. By incorporating their feedback into both our instructional model and our schedules, and by nurturing our students holistically, we are building schools where students thrive and teachers can see a future for themselves in the profession. This is how we live our commitments to keep learning, work together, and show results for every child we serve.
