Case Study: Teaching Matters achieves 65% increase in teacher leaders in struggling schools with Totara Learn

Teaching Matters boosts pool of teacher leaders in struggling schools by 65%

Teaching Matters is a New York–based nonprofit with 20+ years of experience improving teacher effectiveness in urban public schools. Facing a dispersed audience of more than 200 schools and 1,200 teachers annually, they needed an LMS that could deliver competency-based micro-credentials, streamline onboarding and administration, and provide reliable reporting and data integration to scale professional development and career pathways for teacher leaders.

They implemented Totara Learn with Totara Partner Envisiontel, using micro-credentials, badges, Audiences, Programs, custom reporting and an Envisiontel Salesforce plugin to automate tracking and personalized communications. Two years in, about 800 users are on the platform (200 active in the Emerging Teacher Leader program); 300+ badges were issued in one rollout, over 60% of participants mastered competencies and were invited to interview for formal Teacher Leader roles—growing the pool of leaders in struggling schools by 65%—while principals reported strong gains in teacher effectiveness, evaluations, retention, and long-term retention intent.

Teaching Matters

Evan O'Donnell

Director of Information and Technology