Educator and Researcher to Lead Pioneering Developer of Early Childhood Assessments

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Teachstone, developer of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) included in 23 states' Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) and used by Head Start programs nationwide, today announced the appointment of Dr. Bridget Hamre as Chief Executive Officer.

"Bridget believes in the power of relationships between teachers and students to put children on a positive trajectory -- and affect outcomes at scale," said Dr. Bob Pianta, Ph.D., Dean of the Curry School of Education and Human Development at University of Virginia and Teachstone co-founder. "As an educator, researcher, and practitioner, she will bring the vision of an entrepreneur -- and experience of a classroom teacher --- to bear on our work and mission."

A co-founder and current board member of Teachstone, Hamre's appointment reflects the organization's continued commitment to the field, and ongoing investment in the development of tools that translate the science of learning into practice for educators.

An Aspen Institute Pahara Fellow, Dr. Hamre serves as Research Associate Professor of the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL). She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed papers and co-developer of innovative solutions to support teaching, including CLASS 1-on-1 Video Coaching (MTP), a video-based coaching model, as well as coursework for teachers (traditional and online).

"We created Teachstone to provide the field with reliable, research-based tools to measure and improve teaching quality and to ensure we're giving students the best start possible," said Dr. Hamre. "I am honored to lead our organization at a time when the promise of delivering on quality at scale has never been more critical, and emerging technologies provide almost limitless opportunities to support the work of educators."

A native of Sacramento, California, Hamre received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley and her MEd and PhD in clinical psychology and school psychology from the University of Virginia.

Teachstone was founded in 2008 to deliver the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) nationwide and around the globe. Developed through years of research, the CLASS observation tool measures the interactions between teachers and children, which have been shown to drive learning and lifelong achievement. Teachstone helps organizations conduct classroom observations and provide professional development so that teachers improve and children learn more.

Learn more about CLASS and how we can help you improve child outcomes: [email protected] or call 877-401-8007.

SOURCE Teachstone