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The Telescope Network creates opportunities for BPS educators to improve our collective practice through collaboration and connection in educator-led professional learning across the district.
The Telescope Network creates opportunities for BPS educators to improve our collective practice through collaboration and connection in educator-led professional learning across the district.
To do this work,
We ASK educators what they want and need to learn next in order to best serve their students
We MAGNIFY effective and equity-centered practices by elevating peer expertise across schools
We CONNECT educators to professional learning, resources, and each other based on their needs and interests
What's happening now?
What's happening now?
9/30 Elementary OpenSciEd Planning Cohort
9/30 Elementary OpenSciEd Planning Cohort
Start your year off right with this OSE Planning Cohort (Grades 3-6) focused on supporting Multilingual Learners and students on IEPs. This PD addresses the question: "How do we adapt the OpenSciEd curriculum to provide all students access to rich scientific tasks?" Facilitated by Andrea Meyer (science educator from Guild Elem), this cohort is a collaborative space to unpack OSE, engage in backwards-planning, and build equity and language supports directly into your lessons. Half of our session time is dedicated to collaborative peer coaching and supported planning so you can pool resources and leave with classroom-ready lesson plans. This course fulfills the BPS 12-hour inclusive ed course requirement.
10/7 Secondary Advanced Math Planning Cohort
10/7 Secondary Advanced Math Planning Cohort
Start your math instruction strong with a collaborative cohort for effective planning. Guided by expert BPS teachers, you will work alongside peers to design high-impact lessons integrated with proven instructional routines that increase access for multilingual learners and students with IEPs. A significant portion of our session time is dedicated to collaborative peer coaching and supported planning so you can pool resources and leave with classroom-ready lessons. This course fulfills the BPS 12-hour inclusive education requirement (or can be taken for an ALC).
10/9 Supporting MLs in ELA Day of Learning/Planning Cohort
10/9 Supporting MLs in ELA Day of Learning/Planning Cohort
Are you a secondary ELA teacher looking to improve how you embed ESL 4 into your content? Connect, learn, and co-plan with ELA educators as we explore effective approaches to embedding ESL instruction while maintaining meaningful access to rigorous ELA content. Who is it for?
Secondary ELA educators with ESL 4 students
ELA co-teachers, paras, and other instructional support
Instructional coaches of ELA teachers
11/10 Embedding ESL in StudySync Learning Site
11/10 Embedding ESL in StudySync Learning Site
Are you a secondary ELA teacher looking to build on your practice of embedding ESL 4 into your content? Join the Office of Multilingual & Multicultural Education, BPS ELA Department, and The Telescope Network for learning designed for ELA educators of multilingual learners. Together, we’ll explore how to embed ESL instruction in ways that support language development and meaningful access to rigorous ELA content.
This learning site focuses on a central question: “How can ELA educators embed ESL instruction in ways that support language development and meaningful access to rigorous ELA content?” You will spend time observing a live classroom, followed by a debrief where the host teacher explains the "hows" and "whys" behind their choices. Afterward, you will try out a new strategy in your own classroom, using student work and peer feedback to see what works best.
Follow-up coaching sessions help you track your progress. This course fulfills the BPS 12-hour inclusive ed course requirement.
When Educators Lead, Their Professional Development Works Better
When Educators Lead, Their Professional Development Works Better
(8/2026 Harvard Graduate School of Education Ed. Magazine) By centering teacher expertise and collaboration, the HGSE alums leading Boston’s Telescope Network are proving that peer-led PD can be relevant, rigorous, and effective. By Lory Hough
Recent Reports & Publications
Recent Reports & Publications
Spring 2026 Needs Assessment Report (April 2026)
Spring 2026 Needs Assessment Report (April 2026)
From January to March 2026, the Telescope Network shared this survey with educators across Boston Public Schools. We received 652 responses from 100+ BPS schools and Central Office Departments. Check out our new Data Studio interactive report.
BPS Wicked Math Learning Site (March 2026)
BPS Wicked Math Learning Site (March 2026)
We’re stepping into Ms. Garay’s calculus classroom at Charlestown High School where she welcomed fellow Boston Public Schools educators to observe her Wicked Math teaching strategies. Watch how Ms. Garay encourages student collaboration with whiteboards and “2 Truths and a Lie.”
In Fall 2025, the @CityofBoston introduced Wicked Math, an initiative that aims to increase access to advanced math for more BPS students. As part of Wicked Math, the Telescope Network provides professional-development learning sites for teachers to observe, discuss, and adopt effective classroom practices.
Telescope Network 2024-25 Annual Report (Nov 2025)
Telescope Network 2024-25 Annual Report (Nov 2025)
Since 2018, the BPS/BTU Telescope Network has incorporated educator voice and district priorities to create hyper-relevant professional learning experiences where educators learn from and with their peers. In this report, you can read more about the impact of our work. According to an independent assessment by the Wheelock Education Policy Center (WEPC):
Since 2018, more 32% of BPS teachers have voluntarily joined at least one Telescope Network PD session. From 2022-24, more than 40% of district teachers engaged with Telescope.
In 2023-24, nearly 60% of BPS students had at least one Telescope-participating teacher.
Last year, 881 educators earned 4210 PD hours by attending Telescope Network sessions.
This work is both engaging (98% recommend) and impactful (fostering improvements in educator practices and mindsets).
Telescope Network’s work has been evaluated by WEPC/RPPL, shared at national conferences, and published in the Teachers College Record and other publications.
Literacy Development For All (Nov 2025)
Literacy Development For All (Nov 2025)
(11/2025 Boston Union Teacher) Over the past few years, there’s been a quiet revolution rumbling across BPS. It started in 2022 with a handful of teachers getting together to form a book study group. Currently, it includes more than 300 BPS educators from across the district who have been coming together to improve learning and living conditions for their students with severe disabilities. These revolutionary approaches have spread across schools and across our central office as well. What’s this revolution about? Emergent literacy ...
Teachers and coaches learn together at Boston’s learning sites (Feb 2025)
Teachers and coaches learn together at Boston’s learning sites (Feb 2025)
(2/2025 The Learning Professional) Biology teacher Sarah Benat stood at the front of her classroom at Brighton High School in Boston, moving her arm up and down to mimic the slope of an increasing, decreasing, or constant line on a graph. Her twelve students, all in the early stages of learning English, responded to each arm movement with a. . .
Ongoing
Ongoing
Spring 2026 Telescope Improvement Lab
Spring 2026 Telescope Improvement Lab
Big changes start with small cycles. Join the Telescope Improvement Lab to master the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) process. This individualized, self-paced course guides you from your first spark of an idea, to a final documented artifact you can share with colleagues. Join 4/1 launch then work at your own pace to earn up to 12 PD hours + 1 ALC. This session will also be recorded on video for anyone who can't make our 4/1 launch session.
Includes regular check-ins with colleagues & improvement coaches. Open to educators who have participated in Telescope Network PD during 25-26
Spring 2026 Telescope Network survey
Spring 2026 Telescope Network survey
Since 2018, the BPS/BTU Telescope Network has incorporated educator voice and district priorities to create hyper-relevant professional learning experiences where educators can learn from and with their peers.
Help to shape future PD offerings by sharing your successes, interests, and learning needs on the 2026 Telescope Network survey. You can connect to learning & leading opportunities and also shout-out peers who are ready to lead PD. Complete survey before 3/6 to enter a 10 x $20 gift card raffle.
Ongoing
DIY Peer Observation Toolkit
DIY Peer Observation Toolkit
One of the best ways to improve your practice is to observe someone else doing similar work. During a peer observation, you can observe a BPS colleague. After the observation, you’ll have time to debrief and set goals to bring back to your own classroom. Use our updated peer observation toolkit to prep your observation & debrief. Contact us if you want help finding a connection or facilitating your visit.
Educator & Staff Spotlight
Educator & Staff Spotlight
At the BPS/BTU Telescope Network, we magnify effective practices from across the district. We continually ask, “Who’s doing this work well?” and create opportunities for peer leaders to share their expertise with others across the district. Please use this quick survey to spotlight an effective educator or staff member.
How will this info be used? Bright spot educators highlighted below may be asked to help give feedback on our strategic plan. Additionally, the Telescope Network maintains a database of recommended educators who may be asked to host peer observers, facilitate PD sessions,, or lead in other ways.
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