EP 156: A Way to Optimize Teacher Development

Scalar Learning Podcast

“School leaders spend nearly 10% of their time each week managing the mountain of paperwork that comes from teacher observations and feedback.” That can add up to as much as six hours a week dealing with feedback from countless sources across numerous locations.

But leaders shouldn’t have to waste valuable time on spreadsheets and data — it was from this simple premise that Whetstone Education was born. Founded in 2010 by two school leaders fed up with the nightmare of state reporting while tracking mounds of teacher feedback and data, Whetstone has since grown to a platform used by over 500 schools, resting on a foundation of providing an easy place for schools to store data on performance, observations, and feedback while also enabling administrators to spend more time with teachers and students.

The platform allows schools to work with data analytics to provide professional development and advice for growth that is backed by more than just word of mouth and “a hunch.” Instead, actual reports allow for feedback that makes sense. Whetstone’s algorithm uses both quantitative and qualitative reporting to home in on exactly what teachers need to improve upon and where instructional time can grow. The information is easily shared with teachers, thanks to video coaching and live connections to teachers. But the platform is still customizable to ensure that each school is getting exactly what they need.

This week, we spoke with Michael Richard to learn more about Whetstone and its implementation of technology to make education a more manageable. To learn more about this revitalization of teacher development, visit https://www.whetstoneeducation.com/ or listen to the full podcast interview below.