A BETTER-THAN-EVER

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

It's a Wrap 

# THANK A TEACHER. A teacher's job never really ends. We follow some of our students forever, and they often remember us. Watch short videos of ED officials remembering their favorite teachers. These include James Cole Jr., ED's General Counsel; Deb Delisle, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education; and Ted Mitchell, Under Secretary. Watch Arne as he surprises and thanks teachers at Moten Elementary School (Washington, D.C.).

MORE WAYS TO GIVE THANKS. Keep teacher appreciation going year round by using our #ThankATeacher graphic and sharing it on social media. Learn more. 

NEVER SAY "JUST A TEACHER." Last week, Arne Duncan phoned teachers around the country to thank them for their incredible service, their genuine passion and their support for students. Read more and watch as the teachers receive unexpected calls for their amazing work. 

"HELLO, ED CALLING." Forty-one ED staff members, several of them former teachers, called 380 teachers from across the nation to express gratitude for educating America’s children. Most phone numbers came from employees who know teachers who make a difference or ones they knew when they were students. Next year it could be your turn. Read Mia Long's blog.

CALLING ALL TEACHER LEADERS

Submit an Idea for

D.C. Teacher Leadership Summit

Educators are able to submit ideas for the Regional Teacher Leadership Summit (in Washington D.C.) through 11:59 PM ET June 5. At the Teach to Lead Regional Leadership Summit in D.C., July 22-24, teachers from around the country will work to advance teacher leadership in their district and state. They will also network with supporter organizations and gain important skills and feedback on their work.

Want to learn more about Teach to Lead? Check out the Commit to Lead website and read stories from some of the teacher leaders who attended past summit experiences.  

ON THE WORLD STAGE

Teach to Lead

At the International Summit on the Teaching Profession 2015 teachers and principals had opportunities for learning about educational issues in other countries. 

In his blog, 2013-15 Principal Ambassador Fellow Sharif El-Mekki says that Secretary Duncan encouraged the U.S. delegation to help engage the international community. "This symbolized that educators were both an integral part of creating the United States’ commitments, as well as key to meeting them." 

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.

JEANETTE PATTERSON

Celebrating African American Educators

Jeanette Patterson is the Principal at Horizon Middle School in Aurora, CO. In 2014, she won the State Principal of the Year Award for Colorado.

Why and how did you decide upon a career in education?

In elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I took the Iowa Basic Skills Exam in the 4th grade and my exam results indicated that I would be a teacher. I loved history - preferably African American History - and I knew I wanted to teach it. My uncle, the late Dr. John F. Henson and my father, the late Matthew Washington were instrumental in me becoming an educator. Even though my father did not graduate from high school, he sat on the local school board for 25 years. He fought for the educational rights for the mentally challenged in my home town of Wellington, Kansas and eventually opened a handicapped workshop for the adult handicapped people. My uncle and I have the same doctoral degree; he was instrumental in Kansas City, Kansas by teaching history to young African American students but also becoming a community college dean at a young age as well.

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

The one thing I celebrate about my students is they represent our school mission in a positive way; they are true to the mission statement. When they are visiting another school, they respect self, others, learning and the environment. They are kind and caring young people that will give 100% to help others.

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

I encourage parents, family members and other caring adults by modeling a “go for it” attitude. I strive for the best in everything thing I do, but I also take risks. I believe if you want to do something, then go for it. I have had many accomplishments and the way I have obtained those accomplishments is through hard work, encouragement from family and friends and taking a risk.

Most states will be taking this spring’s Common Core-aligned assessments, but few are using the scores for student-related decisions, and most teachers won't be affected. 

It turns out that most states are giving schools the time to learn from the tests and adjust. Plans for the future vary. Read more. 

(The Hechinger Report, Mongeau, Felton and Butrymowicz) 

TACKLE THE WORD GAP

Talking is Teaching  

Too Small to Fail released Talking is Teaching Community Campaign Guide, a how-to roadmap for local leaders across the country working to close the word gap and boost young children’s early brain development.  

Check out the free guide and corresponding materials. It includes content and resources that encourage parents to talk, read and sing with their children during everyday routines.

JILL LEVINE (2013 - 2015 Principal Fellow): Recognizing emerging talent of our students is key. Read this story of how Levine helped launch the acting career of her then-third grade student Rendell Debose, now a professional actor. He appeared recently at the D.C. Warner Theatre for a performance of “Memphis: The Musical” (Maquiñana, TeachForAmerica).

GAME JAM

Better Games 

for Better Learning

In this blog, teachers Antero Garcia and Chad Sansing tell teachers how students, educators, developers, and policymakers can use games as a part of their students’ education. 

The authors participated in the Games for Learning Summit last month at the White House. They write that "Game-based learning isn’t about consuming a product to pick up a fact or two; it’s about learning to analyze or produce pieces of interactive media that require critical thinking, persistence, and problem-solving to master, critique, play, and make.” Read more and watch the video of kids learning from a new game developed there by Red Storm.  

VIDEO WORTH WATCHING 

Biker Chicks 

Pedal STEM Classes 

as they Cross America  

Teaching their students to be courageous, Elizabeth Case and Rachel Woods-Robinson, who met in a UCLA physics class, are riding their bicycles across the country and teaching science lessons at pop-up middle schools along the way. Learn more about their amazing story of persistence and passion for science (NBC News). 

GOODBYE PIN, HELLO FSA ID

Tools for Students

Login credentials for ED's student aid platforms are changing. Instead of using a PIN, borrowers will create their FSA ID. The simpler process will make your personal information more secure and easier to verify. Learn more.  

GIVING COUNSELING A BOOST

Good Stuff for Eduwonks

School counselors can make a huge difference in students' lives, helping them to navigate the social and emotional school landscape and guiding them to classes and choices that will affect their futures. Now ED has awarded more than $24.8 million to 67 schools districts in 26 states across the country to establish or expand counseling programs. Read more. 

Teachers' Notes

• MEANINGFUL PD. North Carolina teacher Ben Owens penned this terrific piece about meaningful professional learning. "Peer-to-peer collaboration, as opposed to traditional training workshops or classes," writes Owens, "is how one grows in his or her profession—not by going it alone but by sharing ideas with experts in the same field" (Hope Street Group).

• GETTING THE PICTURE. How can we use data from our classroom assessments to understand a particular instructional strategy? This toolkit from the Regional Educational Laboratory Central in collaboration with York Public Schools in Nebraska can help. 

• PRESCHOOL ACCESS INCHING UP. The latest look at preschool in the U.S. from the National Institute for Early Education Research's annual "State of Preschool Yearbook" shows that state funding and enrollment are up slightly, but access varies significantly from state to state (Mongeau, EdWeek).

• FIFTY YEARS OF FEDERAL POLICY. Register for a May 18 webinar on the politics of education reform with Jack Jennings, longtime education policy expert and author of a new book—Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools and Alliance for Excellent Education President Bob Wise, 

• LAB TECH OR AUTO MECHANIC. Career and technical education courses can offer a look at career fields without the commitment of formal training. Read more about T.C. Williams High School (Alexandria, Va.) students who earn credit and gain experience, regardless of where they go when they graduate (Quinton, National Journal).

BOARD CERTIFIED EDUCATORS MAKE GREATER IMPACT

Two recently released studies show higher test scores by students who are taught by board-certified teachers. 

The first , From Large Urban to Small Rural Schools: An Empirical Study of National Board Certification and Teaching Effectiveness, was funded by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and conducted by CNA Analysis and Solutions. The second one is by James Cowan and Dan Goldhaber, both of the Center for Education Data & Research at the University of Washington Bothell. Read more (Sawchuk, EdWeek).

Recommended Reading

• EXPERIENCE MAY BE A BAD TEACHER. In "Fooled by Experience," Emre Soyer and Robin Hogarth examine the ways we make decisions and suggest that alternate paths may lead to more successful outcomes (Harvard Business Review).

• LOOKING IN THE MIRROR. Improving instructional practice means thinking about how we do what we do. In "Teach, Reflect, Learn: Building Your Capacity for Success in the Classroom," Pete Hall & Alisa Simeral help us deepen our thinking about being educators. Watch the authors talk about their ideas. 

Arne Duncan with D.C. Education Innovation Fellows at the White House Teacher Appreciation Program May 5. From left to right: Alex Brown, Jerriel Hall, Eric Collazo, Arne Duncan, Milton Bryant, Dwight Davis.