Greetings!
Happy New Year! We are hopeful that this year will prove to
be an important one for education in Oregon. There are innovative projects
taking place across the state and a lot of potential for empowering educators
and raising student achievement. There are also important conversations
happening about teacher effectiveness and what effective teaching looks like in
the classroom. Take a look at the list of characteristics from the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Youth Advisory Team.
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Calling All Partners
Chalkboard, with the support of Stand for Children, will request the introduction of Senate Bill 1048 in the short February legislative session in order to begin a conversation about reforms that will make Oregon more competitive for federal dollars and demonstrate the state's dedication to supporting our teachers and raising student achievement. We invite everyone to join the conversation in preparation to take action in the 2011 legislative session.
Senate Bill 1048, co-sponsored by Senate Education Chair Mark Hass (D-Beaverton) and Vice-Chair Jeff Kruse (R-Roseburg), is called the Oregon Teacher Effectiveness and Career Enhancement Initiative (OTECEI). The bill creates a framework for any Oregon district to apply for a grant to: � Strengthen student learning and achievement � Facilitate the recruitment and retention of effective teachers � Support and reward teachers who take on new roles and responsibilities School district participation in such a grant application would be voluntary. To apply for the effective teaching incentive grants, school districts would need to demonstrate a commitment to implement the following: � Expanded career paths � Effective performance evaluation systems � Relevant professional development � New compensation models
Read a short explanation of the bill. Read the full legislation: http://www.leg.state.or.us./bills_laws/concepts/sen/SB1048.pdfWe are not pushing for adoption of this legislation in 2010; instead we see it as a starting point. Over the next year we hope to engage in a thoughtful conversation about legislation to support effective teachers with the hope of a collaborative effort to bring about new opportunities in 2011. Join the conversation on the Mentoring Educators bulletin board. |
Defining Greatness
When we visited the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Youth Advisory Team
last month we spent a long time
talking with the group about what good teaching looks like. Their list
included:
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Builds variety into the routine
�
Checks for understanding-knows if you are
learning
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Builds community in the classroom
�
Structures hands-on, experiential,
learn-by-doing experiences
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Engages in the classroom-"never at their desk"
A recent report by the National Comprehensive Center for
Teacher Quality entitled, "America's Opportunity: Teacher Effectiveness and
Equity in K-12 Classrooms," provides a five-point definition of effective
teaching from Goe, Bell and Little (2008). The experts cite characteristics of
an effective teacher that are very similar to those the YAT students noted,
including having high expectations, using diverse resources, monitoring student
progress and encouraging cooperative behavior.
How do you know effective teaching when you see it? Do you
agree with the YAT students and Goe, Bell and Little? Are there some
characteristics that are more important than others? Join the
conversation here.
Read the full list of characteristics from the YAT students. |
And They're Off...
On Tuesday Oregon submitted it's Race to the Top application, requesting $200 million dollars from the federal government to implement innovative practices to raise student achievement in the state.
There is a lot of support for the application and a lot of excitement about the opportunity for Oregon's schools. The Oregon Education Association included a letter of support with the application in which they state, "Oregon's application is a blueprint for a sustainable support system that will ensure that educators have the tools necessary to help every student achieve success." Read OEA's letter of support.
Chalkboard also submitted a letter of support which specifically applauds the application's sincere focus on supporting great teachers and leaders. Read the letter.
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