The Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession (CSTP) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to building a strong, supported and effective teaching force for Washington’s students. CSTP is grounded in the belief that Washington state needs reliable, timely information about the conditions of teaching in each of the schools across our state, and it needs that information conveyed in ways that help educators, community members and policymakers improve schools. Our state needs a corps of experienced and talented teachers who can contribute to policy discussions based on their instructional expertise and commitment to students. CSTP is built on a strong foundation of professional leadership, reputable financial support and diverse community partnerships. The CSTP professional staff is guided by a board of directors representing the parent, teacher and advocacy communities of Washington state. CSTP collaborates with government, civic and private industry organization. CSTP also manages the blog http://www.storiesfromschool.org/.