Systems that empower teachers also empower students. Teachers need our government to support them in their work to give students the best education possible. The current draft of the House FY18 Appropriations Bill fails our teachers and puts students at risk. The bill cuts funding for the Title II-A program, which supports teacher training.

About two years ago, Teaching Matters decided to couple professional development focusing on teacher leadership with a micro-credentialing plan that identifies, coaches, and rewards the kind of digestible chunks of knowledge and competence that are especially worthwhile. We made it our business to target the highest leverage skills in a prioritized and integrated way so that demonstrating these competencies is meaningful and substantial - and they can be recognized as the essentials that characterize a well-prepared teacher leader.

It's been said before: Teaching reading IS rocket science - or at least similarly difficult. We understand. Learning to read is both complex and crucial. So is teaching students how. Early Reading Matters is our initiative to transform reading instruction in high needs elementary schools. CNN’s Kelly Wallace recently spent the day visiting P.S.

This is the hour of "teacher leadership." It's one we don't want to waste.

Nationwide, the idea is gaining traction as a school improvement strategy. It's being endorsed by unions, ed reformers, front-line educators, researchers, and policymakers alike.

Poor and minority children lag behind their wealthier peers in academic and other well-being results. How much of the discrepancy is because they have unequal access to effective teaching? How much is linked to a have-and-have-not reality for children, a pervasive opportunity gap that goes far beyond schools?