One of the most exciting aspects of our work at the Center is seeing the difference a single teacher can make. In all the talk of what’s wrong with education and what’s right with education, one thing I know for sure is that a passionate, focused teacher is our most precious asset and the best chance a K-12 student has of excelling in school.

One teacher can change the course of a student’s entire academic outlook. One teacher can transform a classroom from a dreary, dull place into a bright space of discovery and learning. But it doesn’t stop there. One teacher can spark an entire staff of teachers to step up and pursue their appetite for excellence, which was the reason they got into the profession in the first place.

When I first met Daniela Robles she had just finished her National Board Certification. The experience had changed her. She had settled her doubts and self-questioning and was ready to be not just a teacher, but a leader. She taught at the Mitchell School, a Title I school in the Isaac School District, which was in Corrective Action. Morale was low. Budget cuts were so severe that the school was rationing copy toner.

But Daniela was ready to soar. So when she began promoting National Board and Take One! at Mitchell, it wasn’t just the professional development opportunity the other teachers responded to, it was the changes they saw in her. I’d never met her before, but I could plainly see she was a powerhouse now. According to the Mitchell teachers she’d undergone a real transformation, from a shy and reserved person to an outspoken, confident teacher certain of her purpose.

Daniela’s transformation became the school’s transformation. Twenty teachers at Mitchell signed up for National Board or Take One! This in a district that only had three number of National Board Certified Teachers, one of them being Daniela. Feelings of frustration and helplessness turned to conversation about empowerment and opportunity. Mitchell has never been the same since.

But the story doesn’t stop at Mitchell. A brief video trailer made about the Mitchell School helped inspire other schools to follow suit. We are now supporting cohorts at nine or ten schools with about 200 teachers participating in National Board or Take One! All of them have in some way been touched by the experience of this one teacher. And each of them in turn is getting in touch with their power to make a difference as well. That’s exciting stuff, and we at the Center are thrilled to help support and guide these teachers every step of the way.

My niece Jessica’s graduation from the University of Arizona last month was a special day. It brought back memories of her as a little girl growing up, and how she always wanted to be a music teacher. Now here she was graduating with her degree in music education, preparing to set out on the very career she’d dreamed of when she was a child herself. It was beautiful to see her accomplish that goal.

Jessica strongly believes that kids need a sound foundation in the arts, and you can be sure she doesn’t get any argument on that point from her aunt. Now she’s in a position to do something about it, as she’s been hired by the Chandler Unified School District to teach music.I couldn’t be more proud of her, which got me thinking about all the new teachers out there in Arizona who are just now entering the profession. Like Jessica, they have a real sense of purpose in their hearts. They could have chosen other professions but they felt a passion to teach and touch kids’ lives for the better.

They’ve achieved Step One of their dream by getting the degree. But as we teachers well know, they are about to face the real challenge—the classroom. Unfortunately, they are not coming in to the happiest of circumstances. It’s a tough time for education in Arizona right now. Our already strained system is facing even more budget cuts. But Jessica and her fellow new teacher colleagues can’t help that. Their time is now.

I feel for Jessica and her new teacher colleagues. Teaching is tough enough without further distractions. But this is where the rest of us can help them, and they can help us. These newest members of the profession need our support and encouragement.

It’s good to be reminded of the passion and optimism that we felt when we first started. We had butterflies in our stomachs, but big plans in our minds. We dreamed not only for ourselves, but for our students. We saw big things for them, when they couldn’t see for themselves. And we still do today.

Maintaining that sense of purpose and excitement over time is what makes for a truly successful teaching practice in the long term. Jessica and her fellow new teachers are going to have their passion tested, there’s no doubt about that. The challenging kids, the difficult parents, the bureaucracy – they are going to face it all. We need to help them see beyond these obstacles to the opportunities that only teaching offers.

At the Arizona K-12 Center, we are as committed as ever to supporting new teachers as they enter into the profession. We understand that not only their dreams are at stake, but their students’ dreams as well.

One of the fundamental facts about working in K-12 education is that no matter what is happening around us, we can never lose sight of our focus: providing kids with the best possible education. Personally, I’m no less passionate about this purpose and neither is the staff at the Arizona K-12 Center.

Like virtually everyone in the education community in Arizona, we’ve undergone significant cuts in funding. Yet our mission is no less urgent. If anything, the need to help teachers enhance their practices and become more accomplished educators and leaders is greater than ever. The fewer teachers working in our schools directly with kids, the more support they need.Kids are still getting up every morning going to school expecting an education. So we have to seek the means to continue to deliver top-notch professional development opportunities. One of our strongest assets has always been the relationships we have with teacher leaders throughout Arizona. Now we’re working on developing new relationships with community organizations so as to gain funding to further regionalize our efforts.

We’ve worked hard to reach out to teachers beyond the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. From Chinle in the northeast part of the state to Somerton in the southwest, we’ve connected with teachers who are ready to raise the bar. The next step is to establish on-going partnerships that can support systemic improvement through Master Teacher and National Board Certification
programs.

These areas would include the Yuma/Colorado River region, Flagstaff and the Apache Reservation and the Rim. Each region would develop programming relevant to its unique needs, with the goal of building sustainable capacity for teacher quality and student success. The Center is particularly well positioned to help get such programs up and running.

Another new initiative we’re working to get funded is Innovation Spaces. This project integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) through the opportunity to transform 9’6”x 8’x40’ shipping containers into a customized learning space. Participants engage in learning STEM concepts and content during all phases of the project and create an ecologically sustainable learning space for the community. We’re very excited about the possibilities this project opens.

While economic times are tough, we can’t lessen our efforts to find new ways to fulfill our mission. That’s because what ultimately matters is the kids in the classrooms. We in K-12 education owe it to them to be at our best.

We’re always excited to learn about new professional development opportunities for teachers, so this year’s series of trainings at the Biosphere are of special interest. The Center is teaming up with the University of Arizona, the Arizona Science Foundation and the STEM Center to offer this teacher training in science and math content areas.

These trainings are unique. Conducted within the Biosphere, a remarkable scientific facility known around the world, teachers will have the chance to work side by side with scientists conducting real research. They will then be able to draw from this research to replicate similar experiments in their classrooms with their students. What a wonderful way for teachers to strengthen their science and math curriculum.

We know that to be effective, teachers need a strong content background as well as skill in pedagogy. You can’t succeed at one without the other. Many teachers lack content expertise in science and math. This program gives teachers a fascinating opportunity to boost their understanding in a hands-on environment.

The Center’s role in this program is to help ensure the experience is an effective one for teachers by preparing and supporting the lead teachers who will be guiding it. We will also assist with the technology applications that dovetail naturally with this content. The Center has developed expertise in technology and teaching through our Camp Plug and Play, which has been a big hit, now going into its fourth year.

Teachers have three options to choose from. Two weekend courses will be offered, one in the spring and one in the fall. For teachers who want to delve more deeply into areas of interest, a three-week summer course will offer an extensive immersion into the world of science at the biosphere.

The topic of the first short course, Darwin Days, was in. The theme of the longer summer program will be a “State of Wonder”.  The idea is to create classroom environments that encourage kids to be inquisitive and creative. This is how real scientists function in their work. As educators, we want to nurture a state of wonder for students of all ages in what ever subject they are studying.

Participating teachers will no doubt learn a lot from the scientists and from the Biosphere itself. But this is also a great way for teachers to get out of the isolation of their classroom and share with colleagues.

This program is a learning experience for the Center as well. We are committed to integrating science, technology, engineering and math content into effective professional development opportunities for Arizona teachers.  As we continue to develop our 2009-10 program offering, we will apply the lessons we gain from these Biosphere trainings to future courses.

To learn more about the Biosphere and the Arizona Center for STEM Teachers, please visit http://www.az-stem-teachers.org/

“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.”

When I heard President Obama express this in his inauguration speech, I couldn’t help but think how strongly this applies to teachers. For years teachers have accepted the responsibility of educating our children, not grudgingly, but with sincere passion. We know well the satisfaction of fulfilling a difficult task, don’t we?  It’s one of the reasons we became teachers in the first place.

Now the stakes are even higher for our students. The economic downturn, the collapse of the real estate market and the ensuing foreclosures, has radically changed school demographics. In addition, budget cuts threaten to reduce resources even further on an already over-burdened educational system. Teachers find themselves faced with growing challenges and shrinking means to face them. Under such conditions, it could almost seem natural to resign ourselves to falling short of our own high standards, to giving in to the circumstances. If this did not mean quitting on our students. 

For many students, the uncertain economy has translated into a home life that is tenuous at best. For them, school may offer the only sense of security they have. And the urgency of their education is greater than ever. So it’s important to remember that no one influences the school environment more than teachers. No matter what’s going on in the world, teachers set the tone for their classrooms. That’s why it’s so vital that in this time of crisis, teacher leaders step up and make a difference. 

Being a teacher leader doesn’t mean that you know all the answers and can solve every difficulty that arises. It means that you feel empowered to positively impact your learning community come what may. In the midst of so much that could distract us, teacher leaders must help keep the focus on student learning. We need to continue to engage in the conversation about what our priorities are and how we can meet them. We need to be more vigilant than ever in our advocacy for education in Arizona. 

At the Arizona K-12 Center, we take particular pride in nurturing teacher leaders because we know how vital you are. Now is not the time to feel dispirited, confused and devalued.  No matter how difficult your circumstances may be, there’s always someone who’s got it worse. Now is the time to speak out for yourselves and your colleagues. We need to think about how we can support and boost one another. Being a teacher means making a difference. Now is a great time to exercise that responsibility.

2008 is coming to a close and we’re facing some big challenges. The economic downturn and real estate collapse in Arizona have hit budgets hard. The Arizona K-12 Center has been forced to cut back, along with school districts and most people. But our mission isn’t any less urgent.

The students in our schools today require just as good an education, if not better, than those who attended in stronger economic times. So we can’t let down just because the going has gotten tougher. In fact, now more than ever, we all need to advocate for the profession of teaching and for students. Education shouldn’t be seen as a casual expenditure but as a capital investment.

As a PhD student at Arizona State University, I regularly receive
emails from the ASU President, Michael Crow. One in particular recently
caught me eye. It was an invitation to innovate that said: Change begins with an idea, what’s yours?

You can see more at: http://www.asuchallenges.com/

I
don’t know that any one idea will answer the challenges we are facing
in Arizona education, but this is certainly the way we need to be
thinking today. Empowerment and responsibility go together. We can make
a difference; so we must make a difference.

Speaking of which,
I’m really excited to announce that 100 teachers achieved National
Board Certification in 2008, including the first National Board
Certified teachers from Window Rock and Somerton. For several of these
teachers, this wasn’t their first try, so a special congratulation is
due to them. Perseverance is a trait teacher leaders can use in
abundance these days. Our learning communities will be all the stronger
for the presence of these accomplished teachers.  

Even the most
motivated teachers need innovative tools to support them. Andrew
Benson, working with Randy Murray Productions, has already helped
create excellent videos for the K-12 Center. Now he is pushing the
creativity further with his idea of using discarded shipping containers
to create unique, mobile learning spaces for teachers and students.
Andrew is working with the Center, the Arizona Education Association
and other partners to bring this about.

More encouraging news
has come in Barack Obama’s choice of Arne Duncan as his nominee for
Secretary of Education. As Chief Executive Officer of Chicago’s Public
Schools, Duncan understands the investment necessary to make our
schools strong. Our greatest defense is an educated citizenry.
Improving teacher quality is a vital piece of the equation.

On
a personal note, I’ve finished the first semester of my PhD work. Yay!
It’s given me the opportunity to do something that many teachers never
get around to, which is to read original research. While news media and
others are quick to report bad news about our schools, there is
significant research to show the real impact teachers are making. So
let’s keep up the good work even as we find new ways to get better.

As teachers, we’ve always told our students that they could do or be anything they wanted to be. But did we really believe it? Or was it just our way of hoping for the best for them?

Now, with the election of Barak Obama to be the next United States President, we know any given student really can become anything. After all, Obama is half black, came from a single parent home, and for much of his childhood was raised by his grandmother under modest circumstances.

This raises the stakes for teachers. There are students in our classrooms today who will change the world for the better. They will find the cure for AIDS and cancer. They will develop answers for global warming. This isn’t just hopeful rhetoric anymore; this is simple plain fact. And we as teachers are called upon to step up and give them the education they need to meet their destinies. We can’t discriminate when it comes to our students; every child needs the best possible education, as if they were preparing for the presidency.
On a recent trip to Washington DC for a meeting of the Board of Directors for the National Board, I heard many enthusiastic reactions to the election. Becky Pringle, NEA Secretary Treasurer, shared a wonderful experience:

Her grandfather had been a slave. He was gravely ill with cancer during the election and wasn’t eating. He lives in Pennsylvania, a swing state. She called him and told him to eat so he would have the strength to vote for the first African American President. Amazing!

But what is our role now that Obama has won the election? The country faces numerous challenges–education, the economy, the environment. We are all challenged to step up to help make a difference. What can each one of us do to support this new era of leadership? If everything is possible, how do we turn the potential into the actual, both for our students in the classroom and for ourselves?

One answer is to make the most of the opportunities before us. That’s why I’m so proud of Sarah Baird, Arizona’s new Teacher of the Year. Like many students in our classrooms, life was not always easy for Sarah. Yet she persevered. She had no money but went to NAU and wrangled the necessary funds to go to school. Today she changes people’s lives as a Math Coach in Kyrene District, a National Board Certified Teacher, a Master Teacher and a trainer for the Arizona K-12 Center.

So who in your class is the next Teacher of the Year? Who is the next President of the United States? We can’t back down from our goals and standards because of hard economic times. We have to keep our eyes on the prize, which is investing in the best possible public education for our students and our future.

Welcome to the Arizona K-12 Center blog, where you can find out more about what is happening in K-12 education statewide in Arizona, specifically in the area of professional development for teachers. In our complex educational system, there are a few simple truths. One of these is that the better the teacher, the better the student. At the Center, we are focused on supporting excellence in professional development as an essential means for improving student performance now and in the future.
Another simple truth I’ve learned is that when you force someone to do something, the outcome isn’t going to be nearly as good as when that person is motivated from within. This is certainly true of professional development. Too often, the only professional development teachers are given is mandated by some external entity or policy. Empowering teachers to choose their own path to excellence is critical in improving Arizona’s schools.

I just got back from a visit to Chinle, Arizona, six hours northeast of Phoenix on the Navajo Reservation. It’s a part of the state that most people never see, but some amazing things are happening up there. I have visited Chinle many times since becoming Executive Director of the Center and have the odometer reading to prove it. The schools there suffer from limited resources and extremely high teacher attrition rates—challenges not unfamiliar to schools right here in Phoenix. But what keeps me coming back are the exceptional teachers working there, who despite the obstacles are committed to making a difference.

Last year, a group of these teachers signed up for Take One!, the single entry alternative to National Board Certification. Today, nine of these teachers, while waiting for their results, are pursuing full certification! This is an incredible testimony to their commitment to professional growth and the students in their community. They want to be the best they can be!

Closer to home in Phoenix, at Mitchell School in the Isaac District, another grassroots learning community is taking form. With the support of their principal, Linda Crawford, and the leadership of NBCT Daniela Robles, 20 teachers are pursuing either Take One! or full National Board Certification this year. That’s well over half the teaching staff of a school whose students live largely in poverty and is in a district in corrective action. These teachers mirror the kids they teach. They are minority educators setting a wonderful example to their students to work hard and take advantage of life’s opportunities. They all comment that this is their first opportunity to make their own choice about professional development.

I have been so inspired by these teachers and others that I have recently begun work toward a PhD. If these teachers have the heart and the energy and the focus to continue to grow professionally, why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t any of us? I’m tired of people basing policy decisions on unsubstantiated opinion instead of on what works based on real research or without talking to practitioners in the field. We all need to take a more active role in our learning.