Member-Sponsored Briefing: Modern Classrooms Project in Baltimore

One of the fundamental design flaws of our public education system is the premise that all children should learn at the same pace regardless of educational background. Differentiated instruction and pacing are not the norm, with few teachers equipped with the tools to create classroom environments that support students learning at different speeds or via different modalities.

The Modern Classrooms Project was developed by two DC-based teachers with the mission to empower educators to meet every student’s needs through blended, self-paced, mastery-based instruction. The organization trains teachers – in any subject area, grade level, or school – to implement research-based practices to engage students, increase teacher satisfaction and retention, and ultimately increase student achievement. (This very short video helps bring the approach to life.)

Modern Classrooms entered the Baltimore market at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year with support from the Abell Foundation, the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, and the Lockhart Vaughan Foundation. Modern Classrooms now has almost 150 Baltimore City teachers participating in its training. It projects that this number could at least double in the coming year, necessitating additional funding to support increased demand for coaching, including on-site support.

Please join us via Zoom to learn more about this “classroom up” approach to school improvement.

This meeting is for Maryland Philanthropy Network members and invited funders only.