Amber Arellano

Michigan Nightlight: What does being a leader mean to you?
Amber Arellano, Executive Director of Education Trust-Midwest: Being a leader means that you are willing and able to stand up for what’s right for students, even while others are standing up for only what works for adults, even when that may create tension with people you truly respect.

Being a leader means that you are willing and able to stand up for what’s right for students, even while others are standing up for only what works for adults, even when that may create tension with people you truly respect.

Truth-telling requires courage and perseverance. Vision is also something that we need more of in Michigan and across the country. 
 
What is your dream for kids?
Our dream is for all kids – regardless of race, income, etc. – to have effective teachers, strong curriculum, high expectations, and the opportunity to graduate from high school, go to college or join the workforce. I want to see our Latino and African American and low-income students here become the top learners in the U.S.  They are so talented and full of potential, just like kids everywhere, but we are failing to provide them equitable educational opportunities. We are working to raise achievement for all Michigan students.
 
What is one concrete thing that could be done to improve the environment for social sector work in Michigan?
Helping civic leaders, business, policy leaders, educators and Michigan families understand that our socioeconomic challenges are just that: they are challenges, but not our destiny. Michigan does face challenges as it transitions from a once-vibrant industrial economy to a global knowledge economy. Michiganders understand that, and are up for the challenge. What is less understood: How do we transform our educational system (and jobs sector) to make our Great Lakes State a Great Education State? 
 
As a society, we’ve learned a lot about what works in education over the last fifteen years. We know many of the ingredients which are needed in order to raise Michigan’s student learning, particularly for low-income and minority children. By and large, however, our institutions and public policies and investments haven’t caught up with research and innovative practices.  We need a new era of enlightenment, information-sharing and learning to help all of us -- and our institutions – adapt and flourish.  
 
How do you know you’re making progress?
Twenty seven states have narrowed at least one achievement gap since the early 2000’s. Tragically, Michigan isn’t one of them. We can and must change this. What are the signs of progress?

We know we’ve made progress when Michigan is no longer at the bottom of the national assessment of learning, but at the top. This is not some pipe dream – other states are doing remarkable things to narrow achievement gaps. Michigan can, too.

Once we see more schools and public policies putting proven practices into place that raise learning, we’ll know we’re taking the first steps. For example, we know we’ve made progress when we hear educators tell us that, because of the reforms we helped pass, superintendents, school leaders and teachers – for the first time – agree that the number one job of schools is helping students learn, and they are adapting their instruction to effectively improve student learning.
 
Other signs of real progress include: all students’ achievement in Michigan is improving, especially poor and minority children; more students are graduating from high school; and more students are completing post-secondary education. We know we’ve made progress when Michigan is no longer at the bottom of the national assessment of learning, but at the top. This is not some pipe dream – other states are doing remarkable things to narrow achievement gaps. Michigan can, too.
 
What are you most proud of?
Teacher quality is the number one in-school predictor of student learning. Yet as a state, we haven’t recognized the tremendous importance of educators. Our state lacks a coherent set of policies, systems and practices that focus squarely on teacher effectiveness. We are especially troubled that our state lacks an effective system to grow the capacity of our teachers to teach rigorous content — such as Michigan’s new required high school curriculum — to a wide range of learners. 
 
In 2011, we helped lead the development of reforms that are the first steps toward changing all of this. Our work helped make teacher tenure be based on performance, not only time served.  We are particularly proud that the legislation passed by state lawmakers in June of 2011 has led to the creation of the Governor’s Council on Educator Effectiveness. Led by Dean Deborah Ball of the University of Michigan’s School of Education, the Council is charged with developing Michigan’s first state standards around effective teaching (such as common definition of what good teaching looks like – something we still lack) and a new system of educator support and accountability for all K-12 educators.
 
Done right, this pioneering new work has the potential to improve educators’ practices – and raise student learning in dramatic new ways. Years of work are ahead to fully develop and implement these reforms. There will be tremendous political pushback, difficult months (even years) and a steep learning curve as we learn what works and what doesn’t. But with courage and perseverance, we can do this. We must do this for our children.
 
What keeps you awake at night?
Thinking about how many students are suffering in chronically failing schools, and how much work needs to be done to change that. I worry that our state and local educational leaders will bend to the will of adult interest groups rather than stand up for what’s right for students. I worry that, because the work is long and difficult, some Michiganders may become fatigued or lose faith that we can make things better. I truly believe we can. And we are.