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PSD Connectivity
Dedicated to excellence
February 5, 2016
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Teacher shortage prompts alternative pathways to certification
If you appreciate the chatter of students in the classroom, love seeing the "light go on" when learners make new connections, and have always dreamed of being a teacher, the Puyallup School District is interested in YOU!
With the recent addition of
full-day kindergarten, K-3 class size reductions, and
increased enrollment, there is going to be a high demand for certificated teachers in the next three to five years, especially in the areas of elementary education, math, science, world languages, and special education.
At the school board meeting on January 19, Director of Human Resources Ailene Baxter presented directors with data from a legislative report produced by the
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Baxter reports an anticipated statewide need for 10,000 new teachers in grades K-3 in the next year, while in-state production coming out of universities for elementary and early childhood endorsement totals less than 1,500 candidates per year. Puyallup School District is responding to the looming teacher shortage proactively by creating three alternate pathways for current employees and community members to get their teaching certificate and fill the need for teachers in the next several years.
"We want to recruit the entire state of Puyallup," says
Superintendent Tim Yeomans. We want to grow our own teaching force from our community members, our emergency substitute pool, and our para-educators. These folks are already well invested in our community. We are investing in them as well, creating reciprocal relationships that really work well for our community.
The
Professional Educators Standards Board (PESB) is proposing a variety of changes to certification programs in an effort to increase the number of teacher candidates. In response, the Puyallup School District has recently signed three partnership agreements to create a variety of non-traditional routes for current classified staff, substitute employees, and community members to become fully certificated teachers.
- Collaboration with Bethel, Franklin Pierce, and Clover Park School Districts
- Requirement is dual endorsement in Special Education with Elementary or secondary content
- Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree and one year of successful student interaction
- One year intensive coursework and mentored internship
- Non-profit, Puyallup School District is the foundational partner
- One year cohort model. Course content delivered through online modules with mentored internship in classrooms
- Certification offered in all elementary and secondary content areas and Special Education
Pierce College - designed for para-educators and community members who don't have a bachelor's degree
- Collaboration with Sumner and Clover Park School Districts
- Bachelor's degree is not required
- Candidates will earn a Bachelor of Applied Science leading to an endorsement in Early Childhood education and Special Education
- Timeline to certification is dependent on individual factors such as degree type and credit status
Currently employed in our district are over 80 para-educators with AA degrees, over 70 with BA degrees, and over 30 AVID tutors. In December, letters from Dr. Yeomans were hand-delivered to these teacher-candidates inviting them to an informational meeting that was held on January 11 at the
Karshner Center. An encouraged 80 people attended, and learned their next steps towards certification.
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Karshner Center hosts A Day of Drama
The Karshner Center was filled with actors of all ages experimenting with pretend characters and imaginary settings. Participants learned from professional actors and professional educators.
You could feel the nervous excitement from all who attended the workshop, "Drama is Fun," in which participants learned how to audition for commercials. Children learned about the craft and business of auditioning in front of a camera, then recorded their own audition. Words came alive through facial expression, body language, and expression in the voice.
Audience members learned that
Horace Pippin was an African American painter born in Pennsylvania in 1888. As a child, he loved to draw pictures for his sisters, his classmates, and his co-workers. Even during World War I, he filled his notebooks with drawings from the trenches . . . until he was shot.
Children watched with rapt attention as they witnessed Pippin's incredible true story of triumph when not even an injured arm could keep him from
his art.
Dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to read,
Book-It Repertory Theatre actors and staff led reflection conversations following their performances. They asked questions, exchanged ideas, and answered questions the students shared. Children were amazed with the time actors would spend with them, and engaged in thoughtful chatter about the story they had just experienced.
Throughout the day, participants were encouraged to make masks when workshops were not in session. The Karshner Center's day of drama wouldn't be complete without time for creative make believe. The art room was buzzing with activity as children designed and crafted their own mask.
The next Culture & Arts Festival will be
A Gathering of Families on Saturday, March 19, 2016 beginning at noon. We will celebrate the spirit of Indigenous People with exhibits of Native American artifacts, native dancers, storytellers, and an art show of modern native artists. Family activities are being planned, and will include a drum circle. We hope you will join us at the Karshner Center for this free event.
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District sells bonds to begin projects
In a competitive auction of bonds on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 the district received bids from seven investment banks, including some of the largest banks in the nation. The winning bid, submitted by
JP Morgan Securities, will allow the district to sell $68.9 million in bonds at a premium rate resulting in net proceeds to the capital projects fund of $80 million. The overall cost of borrowing is 3.36 percent which is an impressively low rate compared to other recent school district bond sales which ran between 4.2 and 4.89 percent.
The initial $80 million will be used to begin the projects authorized by the $292.5 million bond measure. The sale will allow for the district's
Capital Projects department to hire architectural firms, update the district standard educational specifications, and begin hiring essential staff. Chief Financial Officer Corine Pennington reported the next sale is anticipated in three years, and there is potential for a third sale sometime in the future.
The
Puyallup School Board voted unanimously to sell $80 million in general obligation bonds for capital projects funding. The resolution put before the school board at the November 24 meeting authorized the issuance and sale of unlimited tax general obligation bonds of the district not to exceed $80,000,000 to provide funds to begin planning and construction on the first three bond-related elementary school projects. These projects include replacing
Firgrove and
Northwood elementary schools, and building a
new elementary school on 144th on South Hill.
The authorization is a result of the voter approved November 3, 2015 General Election bond issue for School Construction and Facility Improvements. The passing of the bond provides for annual tax levies to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds; authorizing a competitive sale of such bonds and delegating to the Superintendent or Chief Financial Officer of the district the authority to accept a bid, determine the structure of the bonds, and approve the interest rates, maturity dates, and principal maturities for the bonds.
Superintendent Tim Yeomans stated, "We've been working very hard to meet our taxpayers expectations."
According to Pennington, the district received high bond ratings of AA1 from
Moody's and AA+ from
Standard and Poor's. These are the second highest ratings possible. School Board Director Pat Donovan noted the "strength of the bond ratings show district stewardship."
The School Construction and Facility Improvements bond addresses the need for elementary school classroom space. The five approved projects will create additional classroom space for 2,720 elementary students and will reduce the demand for the number of elementary school temporary instructional spaces, also referred to as portable classrooms, from the current 122 elementary portable classrooms to 22 of the temporary instructional spaces.
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Board Highlights - February 1, 2016
During the District Highlights portion of the meeting the
Rogers High School Concert Choir performed several pieces. Under the direction of Justin Wisness, this choir was recently invited to perform at the
Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) annual conference in Yakima during President's Day weekend.
A live stream of the performance at the school board meeting was shared on the
district's Facebook page. Visit the page to view streaming of the student performances at future school board meetings.
Action items:
- Board approved a donation of computers from Social Security Administration as presented by Executive Director of Technology Services Randy Averill.
- Board approved the 2016-17 calendar as presented by Assistant Superintendent Chrys Sweeting.
- Board approved a 2016-17 Growth and Student Housing Impacts Plan which postpones of the temporary relocation of 6th grade students from Shaw Road, Sunrise, and Woodland elementary schools to area junior high schools until the 2017-18 school year; adds a lighted walking path between Brouillet Elementary and Stahl Junior High School for 6th grade use of existing portables on the SJH campus; and initiates conversation with the Fruitland Elementary parents about the potential future movement of 6th grade students to an area junior high school.
Directors were presented the second reading of several policies under revision. They approved the following:
- Policy 2150 - Co-Curricular Program
- Policy 2151 - Interscholastic Athletics & Activities Eligibility
- Policy 3110 - Qualifications of Enrollment and Grade Placement
- Policy 3120 - Enrollment
- Policy 3121 - Compulsory Attendance deleted (content is contained in Policy 3110)
- Policy 3141 - Nonresident Students
- Policy 3143 - District Notification of Juvenile Offenders
- Policy 3230 - Student Privacy and Searches
Two reports were presented to directors including:
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Four teachers are newly National Board Certified
The newest Puyallup School District National Board Certified Teachers are:
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| Jeanna Kooser, unable to attend the school board meeting receives her recognition from Brian Fox, executive director of communications and information. |
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| Kelsey Massey, Katherine Puckhaber, and Christina Breeze shake directors' hands at the meeting. |
National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential. Teachers who earn the certification are highly accomplished educators who meet high and rigorous standards set by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The certification is valid for 10 years and candidates must begin the renewal process during their eighth or ninth year.
The
Puyallup School District Board of Directors recognized the four newest recipients at their last regularly scheduled board meeting on Monday, February 1. Executive Director of Communications and Information Brian Fox presented the teachers with a name badge, certificate, and flowers in recognition of their accomplishment.
There are currently 1,274 certificated teachers in the Puyallup School District. More than 115 of them currently have their NBCT certificate. There are currently 21 additional teachers in the district working towards their National Board Certification.
"The National Board certification process promotes teacher leadership," said Randy Dorn, superintendent of public instruction according to the
OSPI website. "The commitment these teachers have made to their profession is an integral part of raising the quality of teaching in Washington and making a difference students can feel in the classroom."
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Kalles JH 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. March
Puyallup schools honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. last month. In this video
Kalles Junior High students march to Pioneer Park in memory of the many marches of the past. As an accompaniment, the 2010 choral students from
Kalles,
Aylen,
Edgemont, and
Puyallup High School sing and perform the familiar song, It Takes a Whole Village.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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Puyallup School District
302 2nd St. SE Puyallup, WA 98372 | Phone: (253) 841-1301 ww.puyallup.k12.wa.us
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Puyallup School District provides equal opportunities in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
Questions or complaints of alleged discrimination may be directed to:
Human Resources, Amie Brandmire ~ (253) 841-8764, [email protected];
Equity and Achievement, Gerald Denman ~ (253) 840-8966, [email protected];
Title IX Coordinator, Rick Wells ~ (253) 841-8785, [email protected]; or
Section 504 Coordinator, Gerald Denman ~ (253) 840-8966; [email protected]
Puyallup School District
302 2nd Street SE
Puyallup, WA 98372
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