Quest Center Professional Learning Philosophy

At the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation (CTUF) Quest Center, we lead by teaching and teach by leading.

We offer professional learning experiences designed by teachers and taught by teachers. We ensure the professional learning opportunities we provide our members reflect what current teaching pedagogy and content knowledge research says about what teachers should learn, know, and be able to do. Our professional learning offerings align to district and state requirements, and, most importantly, the needs of our students. The CTUF Quest Center honors what members need and want, what makes teaching most effective, and how our professional development can help members become better practitioners. We take participant feedback seriously. Because the members we serve and the students they teach change and move in new and different directions, we too, adjust our practice and professional development design to meet their needs.

Vision

Strengthen the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation and teaching as a profession through professional development, research and advocacy.

Mission

Build and sustain a community of union professionals by providing continuous learning opportunities that enhance members’ knowledge and skills in Best Practices; foster effective advocates for school reform that is research based and beneficial to students; and nurture teacher leadership to improve student learning.

Goals

The CTUF Quest Center serves as a city-wide catalyst for improving teaching and learning by implementing the following goals:

1. Offering professional learning experiences which reflect the changing nature of teaching and learning, from instructor to guide/coach, and from a singular focus to an integration of ideas, content areas and learning strategies.
2. Extending professional development as part of a career continuum from initial hire throughout the course of an educator’s career.
3. Providing preparation, structures and supports for school-based, teacher-driven teams that collectively improve teaching and learning.
4. Enabling members to assume roles which extend beyond the classroom and connect to parents, communities, and other professionals to promote positive school reform.
5. Establishing policies and structures in collaboration with partnering organizations that provide continuous professional growth opportunities for members.
6. Bringing academic rigor and research to discussions of educational issues, including teacher evaluation, standards-based teaching, performance-based pay, turnaround and charter schools, alternative certification, overuse of standardized testing, pension and class size, among other pertinent issues affecting our members and public schooling.
7. Publishing and disseminating research-based position papers on current issues.