What is Happening with the Talking Teaching Foundation?

Talking Teaching Foundation was launched in the spring of 2011 at the outset of a significant educational reform. Along with many other states in the U.S., California adopted new and more rigorous standards in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The adoption of new standards also meant the development of new assessments and the implementation of new curriculum. Consistent with its purpose to improve education by supporting teachers and administrators, TT staff (Directors, Saunders, Marcelletti, and McCarthy) partnered with several school districts to engage in a long-term research and development effort designed to successfully transition to the new standards, assessments and curriculum. That collection of schools districts along with TT staff functioned as a network, the Talking Teaching Network (TTN).


The Talking Teaching Foundation is intending to dissolve as the original focus of the organization, studying the transition has run its natural course. The long-term effort to study and achieve with a set of committed partner districts a successful transition to the new standards is complete. While TT could likely identify another focus for a new long-term research and development effort and a new network of partner districts, such an undertaking would go beyond the capacity of current TT staff.


Can I Still Contact Talking Teaching Foundation Staff?

You may still contact Talking Teaching Foundation Staff:


Bill Saunders – bsaunder@ucla.edu

Kevin McCarthy - kevin.mccarthy50@gmail.com

Dave Marcelletti – dmarcelletti@gmail.com


Can I Still Obtain Talking Teaching Foundation Resources, Materials and Publications?

The following publications are available for download free of charge:


The Teacher Collaboration Handbook is designed to help districts and/or schools establish and maintain teacher collaboration for the purpose of studying teaching and learning using a generic Plan, Do, Analyze, Reflect (PDAR) cycle.

Teacher Collaboration Handbook of Concepts and Methods

Each of the following resources are intended to help teachers and others study and learn the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts, Math and English Language Development. Each Study Guide includes a purpose and directions for those who wish to use them as intended.

Transitioning to California's New Common Core English Language Arts Standards Study Guide

Transitioning to California's New Common Core Mathematics Standards Study Guide

Each of the grade level teacher guides below include both California's English Language Development Standards and English Language Arts/Literacy Standards