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Education and Society Program

Strengthening the Education Workforce

Thinking and acting strategically about human capital development and management is the lifeblood of most high-performing businesses and organizations. Public education in this nation should be no different. Principals' and teachers' performance has more effect on student achievement than any other factor and their effectiveness in increasing student performance varies widely. Given the stakes, it is imperative to act on that knowledge and strengthen the education workforce to better serve students.

Yet, few urban school districts have acted on this knowledge to make strengthening human capital a centerpiece of their improvement strategies. To generate and build momentum for new approaches to strengthening human capital in education, the Aspen Program on Education and Society has launched a multi-year effort that will:

  • articulate what a systematic human capital system in education might look like building on best practices in education and business both here and abroad;
  • identify entry points for rapid change from current practice to more effective approaches as well as specific models and implementation strategies; and
  • engage influential thought leaders, policymakers and practitioners in supporting implementation of these new approaches.

Readings on Strengthening the Education Workforce

We coordinate our efforts with complementary projects on strengthening human capital, including those carried out by:

The Program on Education and Society's work on Teacher and School Leader Excellence has been made possible by support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Ford Foundation, and The Carnegie Corporation of New York.