Empowering Teachers: Tackling the Global Learning Crisis From the Front Line
Q&A with Heather Hiebsch
Heather Hiebsch is the Co-Founder and CEO of TeachUNITED. The organization is dedicated to ensuring that millions of children in rural and remote communities receive a high-quality education, and operates programs across the United States, Latin America, and East Africa. With over 20 years of experience in public and international education, Heather has made it her personal mission to tackle the global education crisis and address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 by supporting teachers and staff and enhancing educational outcomes for students. She is driven by the data and evidence showing children have the highest potential to succeed when they have highly skilled and engaged teachers.
Prior to TeachUNITED, Heather was a founding school principal and launched a nationally recognized pioneering K-12 hybrid school. She is a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur and Cordes Fellow. Heather has been a featured keynote speaker at Digital Learning’s Inaugural Conference, a finalist for the Global MindED Inclusive Leader Award, and published as a case study education leader by the Christensen Institute, Evergreen Education, Project Tomorrow, EdWeek, and Forbes.
The United Nations estimates that “by 2030 approximately 300 million students will lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills necessary to succeed in life.” Even though many people and organizations believe that technology can address these issues, the research is clear – enhancing the quality of teachers has the greatest impact on student outcomes. High quality education requires great teachers.
Sally Gail Bloomberg: Thank you for speaking with me about how TeachUNITED is helping to address disparities in education. You have dedicated your career to enhancing education for children. What motivated you to co-found TeachUNITED in 2016 and what is your current vision for the organization?
Heather Hiebsch: Thank you for inviting me. Like many of your readers, I care about the climate, poverty, access to health care, gender equity, and many other issues called out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is why we must improve education. An educated society is the only way to solve these massively complex issues. In other words, by improving education for 1 million people, I see this as 1 million more opportunities to address all other global issues.
I have worked in education for 25 years and was especially inspired during my time as a public school principal. While following the research, I also saw firsthand what a difference a great teacher could make in turning a child’s life around. We also saw the power of educational technology (EdTech) to amplify whatever is happening in the classroom, both good and bad.
When I saw the shocking United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) statistic that 250 million children cannot read, write, or do basic math, I wondered how we might be able to leverage technology and great teaching to change that statistic. In 2016, I left my job and joined a nonprofit working on a solution for mobile edtech. However, it soon became clear that the biggest factor in student success – a great teacher – was being left out of most education interventions. That led us to sunset our original model and revise our approach by focusing on enhancing the quality of teaching in order to have the greatest impact on student outcomes. We launched TeachUNITED to reflect our new focus.
There is no doubt that kids (and teachers) are engaged by technology. But people show up for relationships, and people show up for results. And that comes from great teaching.
My vision is for all students to have great teachers who believe they can (and will) succeed. TeachUNITED is committed to providing teachers in rural and under-resourced communities with the support, skills, and strategies to create these transformational experiences in the classroom.
Bloomberg: The United Nations created Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” in response to research that shows that “the world is falling behind in achieving quality education.” What is TeachUNITED’s approach to enhancing teacher quality and student outcomes? Also, who are the thought leaders who influenced your approach?
Hiebsch: TeachUNITED drew upon the work of many thought leaders in the field of education to create our approach including:
Dr. Phillip Schlechty - engaging students and staff to achieve long-term results.
Dr. Carol Dweck - growth mindset.
Dr. James Knight - instructional coaching in education.
Dr. John Hattie and Visible Learning - teaching factors and impact on student learning.
The Christensen Institute - blended-learning, personalization, and the transformational power of Disruptive Innovation.
Our curriculum has four main pillars: Mindset, Engagement, Personalization, and Data. We apply these concepts in every classroom, at every grade level, and within all the countries where we have programs. Our program starts by working with the teachers within existing schools, helping administrators and teachers build their capacity to lead, replicating and sustaining the program long term. We model everything with our teachers; then we translate the strategies and apply them in the classroom with the students.
We start with mindset, asking the teacher questions to help them reflect on their perspectives about themselves and their student population. We help uncover unconscious fixed mindsets that may inhibit both teachers and students. That’s a radical shift in classroom culture, and it’s important that teachers see themselves as having the ability to make a difference and close learning gaps (i.e. collective teacher efficacy).
Then, we focus on engagement. Using an engagement scale, teachers reflect on their current state ranging from disconnected, to compliance, to authentic engagement and excitement. We want teachers to reconnect with their purpose and goals within the teaching profession so they can share that energy with the students.
From there we move into personalized learning. We practice strategies to address the common challenges: What does it mean to not just teach to the middle? What does it look like to challenge kids who need an accelerated schedule? What do specific interventions look like to help close gaps for other students? And most importantly, we meet the needs of each individual student in the reality of today’s classroom with limited resources, a tight schedule, and without creating more work for the teacher.
Finally, we help teachers embrace the power of data in the classroom – to truly know where their students are and what they need. Assessments can be quick, informal, and part of the daily lesson. Data is the underlying foundation of personalized classrooms. It is the evidence we need to ensure all students are growing (and helps overworked teachers know their time is spent where it’s most needed).
Our first year working with a school is the most intensive because we are working with lead teachers, modeling the strategies, and providing feedback. Teachers work online, in small groups, and one-on-one with their coach to master the skills that they apply in the classroom. In year two the lead teacher moves into a role where they coach other teachers. Our goal is to build a school system’s capacity, not dependency. By developing lead teachers into in-house coaches, school systems are left with the local expertise and resources needed to sustain the outcomes long-term.
Bloomberg: Within the United States, each state has a lot of flexibility in establishing school curricula and regulating teaching methods and instructional materials. They also establish standards regarding teacher qualifications. How does TeachUNITED adapt its program to ensure that it complies with the laws and regulations in the different states and countries where it operates? How does TeachUNITED go about creating a program that addresses the specific needs of the different places you serve?
Hiebsch: Our model is rooted in global research, and we also work closely with the local communities that we serve to ensure that our programs reflect their specific needs and are relevant to their students and teachers. Within the US, we work with State Departments of Education, Districts, and individual schools. For schools located in Latin America and Africa, we work closely with local governments and NGOs. We build deep, strategic partnerships with local schools and education stakeholders and ensure that our programs reflect the situations that they face in their classrooms. Engaging with people at every layer of the system is the best way to create system-wide change and increase engagement and ownership.
To co-design the program with our partners, materials are customized by local teams who lead everything from translation to creating culturally appropriate content. We use country-specific anecdotes, media, and examples of how to apply the strategies in their classroom. The teams also make sure that the program complies with local policies.
Bloomberg: Please introduce us to your learners, teachers, and coaches. Who are they and where are they located?
Hiebsch: In support of TeachUNITED’s commitment to educational equity access, we focus primarily on rural, remote, and traditionally underserved communities. In 2023, we served more than 479,000 students in seven countries in Africa (Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda), more than 577,000 students across six countries in Latin America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru), and more than 151,000 students in the United States (in rural parts of Colorado, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Wyoming). We focus on schools where teachers’ access to ongoing professional opportunities is limited because of geographic isolation or insufficient financial resources.
Our students are in grades 1 through 12, and our teachers range from those new to the field of teaching to people who have been teaching for their entire careers. Our programs are available in English, Spanish, Swahili, and Mayan.
All but one of our coaches are former teachers, and approximately half are TeachUNITED alumni.
Bloomberg: Earlier you talked about moving away from a technology-driven focus, but I know that you continue to use technology to support your program. How have you chosen to incorporate technology?
Hiebsch: Although we are not technology-focused, I would describe our approach as technology-enabled. We recognize that technology has a place in enhancing access and equity in education and plays a key role in our global reach. It enables us to access more teachers in rural and remote areas who would not otherwise have the opportunity to benefit from our program. Thanks to technology, our program is borderless and enables teachers to talk with each other regardless of the country where they work.
Technology also elevates whatever is happening in the classroom. It can amplify a great situation and enable one teacher to reach many more students.
Bloomberg: How does TeachUNITED evaluate its impact? To what extent are these measures the same or different in the various countries that you serve?
Hiebsch: We have similar measures in all the countries we serve because we are focused on academic outcomes for foundational skills for graduation, like literacy and numeracy. Collecting data about student performance and teacher engagement is baked into our approach. Our teachers incorporate data on a daily basis rather than wait for the national exams. That way, lessons can be adjusted based on students’ needs. As some people say, we'd rather take a temperature than conduct an autopsy.
Regarding impact, one thing we see a lot in our work is that people get really excited about program reach numbers. But reach is not always synonymous with impact; therefore, we measure both. We are thrilled to report that we have reached more than 1.5 million students and 40,000 teachers in 14 different countries. This number includes the teachers we have trained directly as well as the teachers trained by our certified NGO and government partners. These numbers reflect the local ownership and scalability of the program.
When we dig into the impact, I am particularly proud to share some specific positive outcomes experienced by our students and teachers. In 2023, our participants regularly outperformed controls. Specifically, in Africa, while TeachUNITED primary schools improved their graduation rates by 10%, control schools actually dropped 10%. Secondary schools also excelled, improving their pass rates 92% more than control schools.
In Latin America, young learners continue to build strong foundations, as TeachUNITED early primary students grew 57% more in reading fluency than their peers at comparison schools.
And in the U.S., students of TeachUNITED teachers outperformed their peers across the board on state standardized tests. TeachUNITED schools had 93% more growth in math and 22% more growth in literacy than comparison schools.
In addition to looking at student success measures, we also have teacher-specific measures that we track. For example, we evaluate teacher retention in all the regions and countries we serve; this ties back to UN Sustainable Development Goal #4 and the sub-goals. In the US, TeachUNITED schools reported a 12% improvement in teacher retention (as self-reported by participants at the beginning vs. the end of the program).
Bloomberg: According to CAMFED, a pan-African, grassroots-led movement tackling poverty, inequality and injustice through girls’ education and women’s leadership, investing in educating girls is vital to overcoming pressing global challenges. Specifically, investing in educating girls in sub-Saharan Africa has significant benefits in terms of changing the course of their lives by reducing rural poverty and the incidence of disease such as HIV/AIDS and creating positive outcomes such as improving maternal health. To what extent does TeachUNITED reach these young girls?
Hiebsch: I am personally excited about the work that we have been doing in sub-Saharan Africa and the positive outcomes we have helped to realize. CAMFED data show it is not uncommon for families to decide that their young daughters’ highest value is to be either working at home or married. However, according to CAMFED research, when girls receive an education, they earn up to 25% more for each year they are in secondary school. World Bank research shows that ”women with a secondary school education will earn twice as much, on average, as women without an education and lack of girls' secondary education costs countries between $15 and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings.” In addition, educated girls and women are better able to resist gender-based violence and discrimination. Therefore, investing in educating girls is vital to overcoming pressing global challenges.
Along those lines, I am excited to share results we have seen with girls in Africa. We have seen double digit improvements in the number of girls who stay in school and move from primary to secondary school, and a 92% increase in the number of secondary school girls scoring well enough to go on to higher education.
Bloomberg: The United Nations continues to highlight teacher shortages as the greatest impediment to achieving equitable, quality education for all children, worldwide. What is TeachUNITED doing to address attrition, burnout and other factors that contribute to these shortages? And do you see common themes across the different countries that you serve?
Hiebsch: Across all regions we serve, we are hearing about increased teacher workload, teacher exhaustion, and insufficient resources to invest in professional development. The challenges are accentuated in the types of communities we serve – rural and remote regions where isolation is a big issue. There may only be one math and/or science teacher for a given high school. Even though our program improves the situation for these teachers by making their lives in the classroom easier, we know it can sound like one more thing being added to their already too busy schedules. Unfortunately, we see high turnover at both ends of the spectrum – the newer teachers who are still acclimating to their role and looking to find their groove and the veteran teachers who may be on the edge of burning out. Rural and remote districts typically don’t have the capacity to provide support for these teachers. Hence these schools are at an increased risk of losing their most experienced teachers, as well as new teachers before they really find their footing. Our flagship program develops the leadership capacity of veteran teachers, while our newest program provides mentorship and support to early career educators. I am thrilled to share that more than 90% of the teachers who participate in our programs report feeling energized, more effective, supported by their coaches, and connected to a professional learning community.
Bloomberg: Looking ahead, what’s next on the horizon for TeachUNITED?
Hiebsch: Now that we have validated our proof of concept and proof of scale, it is our moral imperative to provide the program to as many teachers and kids as possible. This means we are looking at increasing the number of school systems we serve. Meanwhile, we are continuing to monitor the results in the schools where we have worked. It is important to us to strike the right balance between scalability where we know our program can be replicated in other countries, while maintaining high quality. We are also developing programs to provide ongoing support to the teachers and schools we have served via an alumni program designed to sustain the great outcomes that have been achieved.
Bloomberg: Heather, thank you for your time.
About the Author:
Sally Bloomberg was a member of the 2021 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Leadership cohort. Sally is passionate about the human side of change. She works with individuals and organizations to enhance performance through coaching, facilitating, and organizational strategy and change consulting. She was a founding board member of Compass, a provider of pro bono consulting services to nonprofits and served as the Chair of the Washington, DC area alumni club for Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. She mentors underrepresented and first-generation undergraduate students as they prepare to pursue professional careers, and provides pro bono support to several Washington, DC area nonprofit organizations.
This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.