TAP that.

Charlotte and Colton are still young but I keep a close eye on the local school system because I want to be sure that that, when the time is right, my children will have the best educational opportunities. A new school initiative has been attracting attention lately and from what I see, it may be a program that would fit our neighborhood schools.

The program, called "TAP --System for Teacher and Student Advancement" is a project of the Lowell Milken Family Foundation which is at the forefront of some of the newest and most innovative educational programs which operate in America today. The goals of the program are to cultivate the potential of students of all ages by providing them with tools to help them develop the skills, knowledge and experiences that will prepare them for their future lives. The key word of the TAP methodology is "future" as the objectives of TAP include guiding students towards productive lives and becoming contributing members of society. 

TAP is based on the belief that our nation's future is in the hands of our children and if we can successfully educate the next generation, our nation will thrive.

The TAP program encompasses educators from all levels of a school system, from the school administrators to the classroom teachers. TAP invests money in schools which are concerned with creating a positive learning environment for students and educators alike. The TAP program aims to recruit and retain talented teachers by rewarding successful educators and pairing teachers for peer mentoring. TAP schools give teachers extra planning time including team planning. Periodic assessments are conducted which evaluate each teacher's successes. Teachers who demonstrate significant achievements in the classroom are rewarded with pay bonuses and professional advances.

TAP is supervised by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), also created by TAP founder Lowell Milken.

I don't ever think it's a bad idea to breathe new life into teachers daily routines and collaborate on ways to make education better.