THE SECRET SAUCE

What Makes 

a Great Teacher?

Teachers at ED are loving the stories of great teachers featured in National Public Radio’s (NPR) year-long series: 50 Great Teachers. 

The first story looks at the magic AP American government teacher MaryAnn Wolfe makes with Socratic seminars in her class at Oakland (Ca.) Technical High School. Other stories are equally compelling: a young Oklahoma teacher with a passion for math; the principal and teacher who was one of the first black women in the country to earn a Ph.D. and teach at the first public high school for black students; the blunt, loud and pushy Los Angeles Boy Scout leader who steers kids clear of gangs; the energetic teacher in Kabul who set up a school amidst rubble and violence; and more.

The series celebrates teachers past and present and shares stories about how teachers can change the lives of just one student -- or many. According to NPR, they will use the project “as an opportunity to do some reporting on what makes a great teacher, and how teaching can and should be taught. And, take a hard look at the big question of what, exactly, is great teaching?” Read and listen to all the stories and follow along during the coming year.

NOT NECESSARILY NEWS

The Federal Role in Education 

The federal government has had a role in education since the founding of the nation. 

The Northwest Ordinance in 1787, which created the first states beyond the original 13, required that every township set aside land to support education in that community.

(The Progress of Education Reform: The Shaping of Education Policy over Time, Christopher T. Cross, Education Commission of the States, Volume 16, #2.)

FREE RESOURCES 

Asian-Pacific-American Culture

May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM). First recognized in 1978, APAHM was established to honor the contributions, heritage, and traditions of Asian Americans and Pacific islanders, who are the fastest growing racial group in the nation.

Teachers and students can learn about the APAHM culture through these FREE website activities.  

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Apply for a Grant 

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is seeking innovative schools, libraries and community organizations to join the Toyota Family Learning movement. They are looking for applications for a three-year, $175,000 grant that will fund family learning programs that feature service learning and family mentoring. Five selected organizations will also receive a wide range of NCFL training, communication and technical support, learning items and materials. 

Organizations can fill out an initial brief application (less than 5 pages) through June 11. Programs chosen to join the initiative will engage families in learning activities that help them reach their full potential and serve their communities at the same time. Please visit www.toyotafamilylearning.org.

Editor's note: The following is part of a series reporting on excellent African American educators. Educators were selected by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

JUANDALYNN JA CINTA JONES-HUNT

Celebrating African American Educators

Juandalynn Ja Cinta Jones-Hunt is an Elementary Visual Arts Educator at Parkview Village Elementary School in High Point, North Carolina.

 What is the one thing you most celebrate about your students?  

I have a passion to teach, but the fact that my students seem to connect with me, the subject, and the purpose of the instruction moves me. When they produce original artwork from concepts developed through exploration of a topic that can be connected to real life experiences and tasks, I find joy in the steps it takes to achieve a final piece. We then celebrate both the process and the competition of work that they are ready to place before the general public.

 In what ways do you encourage parents, family members, and other caring adults to support the learning and development of African American students? 

We are truly the nucleus of the foundation of our children. From us, they will learn to develop into the adults they want to become. We will have failed our future, as a great people, should we miss any opportunity to uplift, direct, encourage, remind, or instill hope in our beautiful children.

ICYMI

Submit an Idea for DC Teacher Leadership Summit

It is not too late for educators to submit an idea to participate in the Teach to Lead Regional Teacher Leadership Summit July 23-24 in Washington, DC.  

At the Teach to Lead Regional Leadership Summit, teachers from around the country will work to advance their own teacher leadership ideas in their district and state. They will also network with supporter organizations (now 75 and growing) and gain important skills and feedback on their work.

Click here to submit your idea. (Link opens a Survey Monkey form.) Idea submissions are accepted through 11:59 PM ET June 5.

GOOD STUFF FOR EDUWONKS

New Stats on Safety and Discipline Incidents

Results from a Fast Response Survey System survey, which collected information on specific safety and discipline plans and practices, found that 88 percent of public schools had a written plan of procedures in case of shootings or active shooters in the school, and 70 percent of all public schools had drilled students on the use of this plan during the 2013–14 school year. Seventy-two percent of public schools had a written plan of procedures for suicide threats or incidents.

Find out more about responses to the survey, which was mailed to approximately1,600 regular public schools in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, in Public School Safety and Discipline: 2013–14 from the Institute of Education Science, National Center for Education Statistics.

Recommended Reading

WHAT IT TAKES. EdWeek education writer Marc Tucker penned this interesting opinion piece about the two things nations with the best-performing education systems have in common. According to Tucker, who takes a look at educational transformations in Japan and China, dramatic improvement in education has very little to do with policy. 

Teachers' Notes

• SOBERING FACTS ABOUT CHILD SUICIDE. Suicide ranks as the 11th leading cause of death in children aged 5 to 11 years, and a new study reveals that among black elementary school-aged boys, the rate is much higher than it was in the 1990s. Read more ("Suicide Trends Among Elementary School–Aged Children in the United States From 1993 to 2012," JAMA Pediatrics). 

• THE TEACHER PERCEPTION GAP. "When I first entered the field of education, I never would have guessed that the teacher leader role would take on a mind of its own," sixth grade teacher Amanda Morick (Marshall Middle School, Marshall, Mich.) recalls. Her blog, Things I Never Would Have Guessed About Teaching, traces her journey from reluctant learner to system-changing teacher leader. 

• STRIKING A CHORD. The NAMM Foundation has published an interesting study about the public's hopes and beliefs for K-12 music education in the United States. The study indicates that large majorities of teachers and parents consider access to music education vital for children, and they believe they support it more strongly than their school districts do. The report includes recommendations for teachers, parents and policymakers. 

Left: A breakout session from the May Symposium for male educators of color. 

Top 5 Quotes

Wisdom from educators heard by ED

5. The other American Soldier: "I am the other American soldier, standing daily in front of my troops, carefully laying out the marching orders for my students to prepare them for the battle which lies ahead of them, that is to be equipped and ready to sustain a living in a country with so many growing problems. I do not take my rank and post lightly and fully understand the importance of my job to the National Security of my Country." (Teacher, in an email message to Arne Duncan)

4. "Don't show me another urban model. Just because it worked in Los Angeles, doesn't mean it will work in Hazzard, Kentucky." (Teacher, Kentucky)

3. On why students opting out of testing can hurt a school or a teacher's record: "When parents opt out, often their kids would have done well because they are from homes with high parental involvement and support." (Teacher, Michigan)

2. "There is a misconception that Common Core dictates what we teach in the classroom." (Teacher, Arizona)

1. A Tweet from last week's Teach to Lead Summit: "The challenge w/#teacherleadership isn't being dressed up with no place to go, it's having someplace to STAY, to lead w/o leaving #TTLSummit."