Schools as Drivers of Innovation - A Conversation with Anna Pons & Leila Loupis

The Schools Plus Network was launched in May by the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, led by Andreas Schleicher (previous guest on the podcast, Ep #38). The network is intended to position schools as the drivers of innovation and gather and connect the best innovative practices from schools around the world to share them with others. The network will work across three dimensions, to: Foster exchange between networks;  Scale up learning and innovation;  Inform policy, research and practice and the global education debate. Anna Pons is project lead of the Global Teaching InSights at the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. This initiative aims to use video to advance research on how teaching varies across countries and what practices are most effective for raising student outcomes, and to develop an online library to enable teachers to learn and share with their peers from across the globe. Previously, Anna co-ordinated the accession process of Costa Rica, Colombia and Latvia to the OECD in the area of education. Also, she co-authored in-depth reviews of the effectiveness and equity of nine education systems as well as the report Equity and Quality in Education, which identified system and school-level policies and practices for supporting disadvantaged schools and students. Prior to joining the OECD in 2010, Anna gained work experience in the Catalan government, a local government, and the private sector. Anna holds a BA in Economics and a BA in Political Science from University Pompeu Fabra, and a Master in Economics and Public Policy from Sciences Po, ENSAE and École Polytechnique. Leila Loupis is the Schools Plus Network Coordinator and Analyst at the OECD. Previously she was a senior coordinator of the Teacher Task Force network for UNESCO and has worked as a Communications Specialist for the United Nations and on the UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report. Links for further information Web: https://www.oecd.org/education/school/oecdschoolsnetwork.htm Email: [email protected] Twitter: @OECDEduSkills; @OECDDev; @aponsv