MCESA has the privilege to partner with many forward thinking and courageous school districts. The smallest, but by no means any less innovative, is Mobile Elementary School District. With just 25 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, Mobile is one of the smallest districts in the entire state. Located almost an hour away from the closest metropolitan area, Mobile experiences staffing challenges that many of our small rural districts face.
As reported in an Arizona Republic article on Saturday, January 4, 2014, a large number of Arizona school districts struggle to attract and retain highly qualified teachers. Factors such as location, poverty levels, and prior student achievement data are unattractive for many teacher candidates. Like the school districts featured in the article, Mobile faces many of these challenges. However, superintendent Dr. Kit Wood meets this challenge head on with a innovative approach. Dr. Wood creates a school culture that grows it's own teachers. 
With only four full-time teachers on staff, Mobile has very little flexibility in staffing. If a teacher gets sick or is out of school for personal or professional reasons, classes go uncovered. Dr. Wood deals with this issue by hiring part-time substitute teachers. In Arizona, substitute teachers just need a two-year college degree to work. They do not need a college degree in education or an Arizona teaching certificate. Mobile is very selective in hiring substitute teachers. One of the requirements is a four-year college degree. Once on staff in Mobile, Dr. Wood is very intentional about bringing them into the culture of the school as well as the teaching profession. Dr. Wood ensures substitute teachers are included in professional learning opportunities, staff meetings, and special events. The substitute teachers are treated just like any other teacher at Mobile.
This practice has paid off. Over the last three years substitute teachers at Mobile have been encouraged and inspired to return to college to become teachers. Entering a teacher education program with a deep understanding pedagogy, professional expectations, as well as content knowledge from their prior degree, give these teacher candidates a huge head start. What is even more impressive is that in every case those once substitute teachers return to teach in Mobile or neighboring communities.

7 Maricopa County teachers and 5 Maricopa County leaders have been named Rodel Exemplary Teachers and Principals. Out of that distinguished group, 3 of the teachers, and 1 of the principals represent MCESA REIL and REIL-TNG Alliance Districts.

REIL Alliance Districts

Audra Damron; Tolleson Elementary School District. Ms. Damron teaches preschool at Desert Oasis Elementary and speaks to the importance of engaging her students through real-life activities in order to make learning meaningful.

Christine Pentkowski; Alhambra Elementary School District. Ms. Pentkowski teaches third grade at Granada Primary School and credits collaboration with her colleagues as key to her success.

Lina Muñoz; Isaac Elementary School District. Ms.Muñoz is the principal of Esperanza Elementary School. She is proud of her school community's commitment to working as a team to support their students in overcoming difficulties in order to experience real success.

REIL-TNG Alliance Districts

Tasha Smith; Roosevelt Elementary School District. Ms. Smith teaches fourth grade at Cloves C. Campbell Elementary where she believes an essential component of her instruction involves ongoing analysis of up-to-date student data.

MCESA is committed to supporting these incredible educators, as well as all of their colleagues in the REIL and REIL-TNG Alliance districts, by providing them with high quality student assessments, differentiated professional learning, and reliable and transparent educator effectiveness data. To learn more about the resources provided to REIL and REIL-TNG Alliance districts, visit www.maricopa.gov/mcesa and select REIL on the homepage.

Since January 2012, MCESA has been developing assessments for the non-tested subjects and grades to measure student academic growth as a component in determining educator effectiveness. To support compliance with ARS 15-203, assessments for visual arts, music, PE, theater, and dance courses at the high school and elementary level are already in use this school year.  The matched pre- and post-assessments are available for order, and hard copies are delivered though a secure FTP site.  We are pleased to announce new Membership and Purchase Plans for assessments for grades 6-8 social studies courses and high school US history, world history, government, and economics courses.  For more information visit www.maricopa.gov/mcesa (direct link) or contact laura.harnish@mcesa.maricopa.gov

On January 31, 2014, school district leaders and business officials are invited to a symposium sponsored by the Arizona Business and Education Coalition (ABEC). During the symposium, participants will learn about the guiding principles to developing, maintaining and sustaining partnerships. This year the symposium will be focused on STEM-related partnerships. Find out how technology can be used to connect rural schools to partners in urban areas and how a high school has been transformed thanks to a key business-community partnership. Wrap the day up learning about a newly designed app to create a logic model for project development, as well as the tools that go with it to monitor success. Best yet – it’s free! Go to www.azbec.org for more information and to register.