Greetings!
With Thanksgiving Day rapidly approaching and the rest of the Holiday Season soon to follow, we would like to thank you for your efforts to support the quality education of Oregon students. We send thanks to all the dedicated educators throughout the state of Oregon who work tirelessly to provide opportunities for all Oregon students to be successful. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Chalkboard Welcomes New Member to Its 'Family'
Congratulations to Sue Hildick (Chalkboard Project President), and Mark Klein on the birth of their
daughter, Clare Addison. Both mother and daughter are healthy and
enjoying their time together at home. We extend our best wishes to Sue
and Mark as they welcome the newest addition to their family
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Future of Teaching Forum Inspires 'great hope and optimism' as Oregon Education Stakeholders Unite
"The Future of Teaching in Oregon"
forum held at the Oregon Public Broadcasting studios on November 18
launched a new coalition of business, government, teachers and
education organizations with the goal of improving the educational success for all students by focusing on high quality teaching and learning to create a strong
K-12 public education system. More than 100 community leaders
were convened by the Chalkboard Project in collaboration with the
National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF).
Panelists from both the education and policy arenas covered a range of
topics including professional development, mentoring programs,
community involvement, rethinking teacher preparation, higher
education/K-12 partnerships and the business community's role in
education. In partnership with NCTAF, an Oregon coalition will be convened in support of 21st century teaching and learning.
Paramount in this effort is the necessity of supporting teaching
quality through mentoring programs and professional development. "What
I heard today was great hope and great opportunity for Oregon's
teachers," said Randy Hitz, Dean of Education, Portland State
University. "It was obvious to everyone in the room that recruiting
and preparing new teachers, supporting existing teachers and putting
all Oregon students on a path to success will take hard work by all of
us -higher education, state leaders, educators, the business community,
parents and the broader community." Read more...
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Legislative Session Begins January 12, 2009
The 2009 Legislative Session is on the horizon. The Chalkboard Project will continue to advocate to strengthen mentoring and professional development programs for educators. The 2007 Legislature allocated $5 million to teacher and administrator mentoring. Chalkboard supports continued expansion for the mentoring programs for all new teachers and administrators. Stay tuned to Chalk Talk for further updates about the 2009 legislative session and details about Chalkboard's upcoming Lobby Day.
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Speak Out: Chalkboard still wants to hear your ideas about how to make Oregon schools great!
Four
years ago, Oregonians shared their opinions about public schools. Now we want to know: How are things the same? How are they different? Have
your priorities for public schools shifted? Are your neighborhood
schools better or worse off than they were four years ago? Please take a few minutes and complete our online survey. We want to hear from you.
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Staff Updates
Matthew Kinshella has joined the Chalkboard Project team as the new Communications Associate. He arrives from Washington DC where he worked on a presidential campaign and then for a nonprofit organization. Mr. Kinshella has a background in communications and government relations. "I came to Chalkboard because of their unyielding commitment to improving the lives of Oregonians by supporting teachers and students alike," said Mr. Kinshella. Welcome aboard Matt! |
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"The Future of Teaching" Forum Panelist Profile: Todd Jones, Teacher, West Linn High School.
At the end of the "Future of Teaching" forum the moderator Jack McGowan made this statement: "the longest journey begins with one step - and what a big step this was."
In light of this comment we asked a member of the forum's first panel, Todd Jones, what next steps he would like to see along this journey.
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During the forum you stated your belief that: "a rising tide lifts all boats," and that we need collaborative workers, critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and committed citizens.
What outcome from this collaborative forum would you like to see implemented right away?
I would like to see through the things we already have on the plate, such as professional development for teachers. I would also like to see Chalkboard's CLASS program extended.
We need to stay the course in 2009 and not let important programs like mentoring fall by the wayside.
In the future - maybe five or ten years out - what major changes would you like to see happen to teaching in Oregon?
I would like to see students and families be able to tailor their own education. What time of day would I like to go to class? What can I study? What internships can I incorporate in the curriculum? How can I get college credit while still in high school by attending community college classes? These are the questions students should be able to ask.
Many thanks to
Mr. Jones for his participation in the "Future of Teaching" forum!
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