Michigan Mathematics and Science Leadership Network (MMSLN)

Our Mathematics team is small but mighty; made up of and led entirely by women. There are currently 16 of us who are teachers, coaches, and consultants with deep expertise in facilitating curriculum-based professional learning for teachers and their school leaders. Over 30% of us are from diverse backgrounds or underserved populations.

Learning for teachers and leaders

• Prior to implementation: setting the stage for problem-based instruction and making student thinking visible.
• During implementation: understanding the problem-based lesson structure, key instructional routines and curriculum features, supporting access and challenge for all students, and IM’s approach to mathematics content.
• On-going learning for teachers and leaders: continuing study with resources for teachers and leaders, including: multiple topics for multiple years of ongoing study, IM-facilitated workshops introducing a year-long course of study, IM-facilitated PLC sessions with debriefs and resources for follow-up by local leaders.

When MMSLN partners with educators, we collaboratively assess their professional learning needs and create a progression of sustained professional learning experiences for teachers and leaders that support achieving their goals. High-quality, OER instructional materials like OpenSciEd and IM Math often require time for teachers to explore, understand, and enact the potential shifts in teaching and learning, and for leaders to inspire, motivate, and sustain these shifts. MMSLN provides PL for all teachers to embrace new and challenging instructional strategies and school leaders to confidently lead the implementation of new curricula.

MMSLN supports teachers and leaders in ensuring positive and inclusive learning environments that students deserve. We foster a robust implementation of high-quality, OER instructional materials, including IM Math and OpenSciEd. Through professional learning, teachers enhance their identities, beliefs about students, and teaching and learning math and science. They enhance their strategies, structures, and systems to guarantee grade-level, standards-based instruction to all students and, in particular, racialized and marginalized students. Educators deepen their ability to engage students in phenomenon- and problem-based teaching and learning so that students spend most of their time engaged in high-quality equitable learning.

Initial Implementation Supports

Ongoing Implementation: Support for Teachers

Ongoing Implementation: Support for Leaders

• Traditional District
• Charter
• Private
• Parochial
• Urban
• Suburban
• Rural
• Fewer than 2,500 students
• 2,500 to 10,000 students
• 10,000 to 50,000 students
• 50,000 to 100,000 students
• More than 100,000 students
• Greater than 60% of economically disadvantaged students
• Greater than 20% of English language learners
• Greater than 20% of students with disability
• Greater than 80% students of color

• Initial Implementation
• Ongoing Support for Teachers
• Ongoing Support for Leaders