NIET: National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
Laura (Sorochak) Tew is a Senior Specialist at the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, a position held since July 2019. Prior to this role, Laura served as the Dean of Instruction at Legacy Charter School/TAP from June 2011 to July 2019, and began a teaching career at Greenville County Schools from November 1999 to May 2011, earning multiple accolades including Teacher of the Year honors at Brook Glenn Elementary School and Tigerville Elementary School. In 2010, Laura was recognized as the Palmetto-State Social Studies Teacher and served as Chairperson of the Greenville County Schools Teacher Forum. Earlier in Laura's career, an Educational Therapist role was held at Charter Hospital from October 1997 to November 1999. Laura holds a Master's degree in Divergent Learners from Columbia College and a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Connecticut.
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NIET: National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
Recognizing that an effective teacher is the most important school-based factor impacting student achievement, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is committed to ensuring a highly skilled, strongly motivated and competitively compensated teacher for every classroom in America. NIET supports states, districts and schools in attracting, developing, supporting and retaining high-quality human capital in order to raise achievement levels for all students. Equipped with a diverse staff of educators, researchers and policy experts, NIET seeks to accomplish this mission through the development of comprehensive systems and tools to increase educator effectiveness. We partner with states, districts and schools to implement educator effectiveness best practices, as well as offer a comprehensive reform through the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement. NIET's services include strategic planning and assistance in the design, development and implementation of educator effectiveness policies and systems in the areas of educator evaluation, career pathways and teacher leadership, performance-based compensation and school-based professional development. We offer a range of online tools and resources to support individual, school and district work to improve classroom practice and meet instructional goals. NIET also supports districts and schools to implement the comprehensive TAP System, an educator effectiveness model that restructures and revitalizes the teaching profession by providing teachers with powerful opportunities for career advancement, ongoing professional development, a fair evaluation system and performance-based compensation. Working together with teachers, administrators, teacher associations, government, foundations, corporations and other leaders in educator quality and compensation reform, NIET aims to achieve the goals of Educator Excellence…Student Achievement…Opportunities for all.