Member News -- May 3, 2016
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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
 May 2-6, 2016
It's that time again. No, not testing. 

The next few days mark a time when students, parents, administrators and the community pause to thank teachers for the difference they make in the lives of students and the community.

This year, educators are invited to participate in a twitter dialogue, to highlight #WhyITeach. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has suggested the following sample tweets for the Teacher Appreciation Week Twitter Campaign. 
  • I teach because [EXPLAIN WHY YOU TEACH] #WhyITeach
  • My classroom is special because [SHARE ABOUT WHAT MAKES YOUR CLASSROOM SPECIAL] #WhyITeach
  • My teacher colleagues inspire me because [SHARE WHY YOU BELIEVE IN TEACHERS] #WhyITeach
  • My students inspire every day because [SHARE HOW STUDENTS MOTIVATE YOUR WORK] #WhyITeach
There many more ways to appreciate teachers outside of the Twitterverse, like these ideas from Education World and the Teacher Appreciation Week boards on Pinterest. For more inspiration, check out Target's  Why You Should Thank a Teacher video (now featured on Buzzfeed) and watch ETS staff pay tribute to the teachers who have made the greatest impact in their lives in a new  video.
A Teacher's Guide to Better Blogging
Interactive Workshop and Webinar, May 10 8:30-9:30 PM ET

No doubt about it. NNSTOY members are some of the best teachers in the country. As a group we are passionate about our work and committed to making lasting change; individually, we bring different perspectives that drive our work and make us unique.

We are looking for educators like you who  are interested in expanding their reach and impact by blogging for NNSTOY about their ideas and experiences. Don't laugh! You will be a great fit if you are interested in any of the following:
  • creating content that inspires educators and policymakers to reframe their thinking on important issues in education
  • responding to the news as it happens and connecting events to your classroom experiences
  • offering ideas about education policy that solve education's most pressing challenges
If  you are interested, but nervous because you haven't blogged much (or even at all)-- not to worry. Blog writers and social media gurus at Education Post will be leading us through an online workshop, A Teacher's Guide to Better Blogging, May 10 from 8:30-9:30 PM ET. Learn more and register to attend.

After you have participated in the webinar, please reach out to Laurie Calvert ([email protected]) when you are ready to blog. 
Jahana Hayes Named National Teacher of the Year
High school history teacher, Waterbury Connecticut

The first in her family to graduate from college, 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes will be honored by President Obama at the White House today.

Jahana has taught for 12 years, for the last ten as a history teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, Connecticut.  Inspired by her own teachers, Jahana works with students to take ownership of their own communities and foster a sense of social responsibility. Jahana earned an Master's Degree from St. Joseph University and advanced certification from the University of Bridgeport.

Finalists     
Nathan Gibbs-Bowling  
teaches social studies at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington.




Daniel Jocz  teaches social studies at Downtown Magnets High School in Los Angeles, California.



Shawn Sheehan  is a specialized education Algebra teacher at Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma.

Students at Chicago's Millenium Park fountain are likely to provide educators some sweet inspiration.
Conference Highlights 
Chicago, July 11-14

We are lining up a great slate of influential education leaders to help us bridge theory and practice.  Anyone interested in teaching and teacher leadership can attend the conference. Register now to get an early bird rate and secure a room.


Mark Barnes.  Barnes is an engaging speaker and the author of  Hacking Education . NNSTOY member Michael Dunlea writes about him, "He is very progressive and is very easy to relate to. His 20 years of classroom experience give him a lot of credibility."

James Sanders.   The Chief Innovation Officer for EdTechTeam and co-founder of Future Ready Schools, James served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House working on education open data initiatives. He was the founder of the White House Film Festival (showcasing technology in education) and helped develop the President's postsecondary education agenda .

Kevin Brookhouser.  A Google Apps Certified Trainer and Teacher, Kevin has trained a wide variety of groups and individuals to use Google and other tools to save time, increase collaboration, and enjoy technology. Seriously. He is also a high school teacher at York School, in Monterey, California.
Photo courtesy of Sara Cimino  (Creative Commons)
W hat We're Reading*
New and noteworthy ideas about education from around the country.



We Aren't Using Assessments Correctly, John Hattie,  Education Week

*If you find something interesting, Tweet a comment about it or share it on Facebook.  
Education Policy Update
Jane West

Agents for Learning Competition. The next webinar to prepare for the Agents for Learning ESSA competition is Wednesday, May 11 at 6 PM ET. Learning Forward's Stephanie Hirsh will be leading a session called "A Deep Dive into Professional Learning for ESSA." Learning Forward has also posted a number of terrific resources to help teachers interested in submitting plan for the competition. ICYMI, you can review last week's webinar outlining the new law.

ESSA: The Department of Education Seeks Input on Guidance. The U.S. Department of Education has put out a call for recommendations about which parts of the new law would benefit from their guidance. Guidance, unlike regulations, is not binding. 

Among the areas the Department of Education is interested in are:  ways to expand early learning; strategies to recruit, develop and retain teachers and leaders; diversity and equity; building and using evidence-based practices; professional development and educator evaluation; teacher leadership; student support services; serving students in foster care, homeless children and youth and English Learners.
 
The deadline for comments is May 25, 2016. ED requests that comments be submitted by email to:  [email protected]. They ask that you include a note about the topic area in the subject line of your email and identify your name and, if applicable, your organization.
New Ways to Engage
Strategies to lean into teacher leadership.

Blog for NNSTOY
Teacher Leaders interested in advocating for the profession through writing  will want to check out the upcoming workshop-style webinar, A Teacher's Guide to Better Blogging . During this session, communications experts at Education Post will lead participants in a workshop focused on building strategies to write effective education blogs that get read and influence others. Held Tuesday, May 10, 8:30-9:30 PM ET.

Stock our Photo File
NNSTOY has a need for high quality photographs that may be used without paying royalties. If you have good digital photos of schools, communities, teachers and students that may be used freely in our blogs, tweets and posts, please send them to [email protected].

Share with Your Friends
Likes are nice, but if you really appreciate any of our posts, blogs or newsletters, please  retweet and  share them. 

Influence Policymakers through our Government Affairs Work
Members interested in education policy can join the Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Justin Minkel and board liaison Maddie Fennell.  Most recently the Government Affairs Committee release the  2016 Federal Policy Survey .

The committee's purpose is threefold: 
  • To ensure the creation, representation and sharing out of the collective policy voice of the membership to key national stakeholders, including the legislative (Congress) and executive (administration) branches and other national organizations. 
  • To develop strategies and activities to ensure the successful engagement of NNSTOY in the national policy dialogue.
  • To oversee development of member services that provide professional development activities for the members related to policy and advocacy.
Members who are interested in joining or knowing more should contact Brad Hull, [email protected].

Tweets this Week
Mark your calendars!
Upcoming NNSTOY events

Tuesday, May 10 
8:30-9:30 PM ET

(webinar)
Wednesday, May 1 1
8:00 PM ET
Filling Your Forever File: Little Things Teachers Can Do to Keep Those Fires Burning
(Live Twitter Chat #Teachers Leading)
Tuesday May 17
8:00-9:00 PM ET

Monday-Thursday, July 11-14
Teachers Leading:Bridging Theory & Practice
Leigh schmoozes with Secretary King.
Shout-outs, Kudos & Accolades*
News from the NNSTOY community
  • Peggy Jackson  (2010, New Mexico) is now President Elect of the Board of Directors of the National Council for the Social Studies.
  • Joe Fatheree (2007, Illinois) will present a session on the Engagement Gap at ASCD's Whole Child Symposium May 4 (6:30-9:30 PM) at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. 
  • Leigh VandenAkker (2012, Utah) spoke with leaders at the U.S. Department of Education, including Secretary John King April 19. Their discussion was about supporting undocumented students. 
  • Rich Ognibene's (2008, New York) blog "American Schools Still Have Bragging Rights" appeared in Education Week. 
  • Alex Kajitani's (2009, Caliifornia) blog "The #1 Factor Determining a Toxic or a Thriving School Culture" was published in Education Week.
  • A number of NNSTOY members worked on a teacher leadership project at the Teach to Lead Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana,  April 22-24. Pam Reilly's (2014, Illinois) team developed a plan teacher leadership in Illinois. Anna Baldwin 2014, Montana) worked on a project to provide support for rural teachers through National Board Certification. Mary Margarett King (2015, Mississippi),) Stacey Todd (2013, Mississippi), Stacey Donaldson (2010, Mississippi), Ginger Tedder (2016 finalist, Mississippi) and Anna  Morris (2016, Mississippi) developed plans to establish a STOY chapter in Mississippi that  will increase the capacity of teacher leaders to lead change efforts locally, statewide and nationally and improve the retention of great teachers.
  • Sarah Loomis had her first NNSTOY blog published in Education Post, Using Technology to Break Down Language Barriers in the Classroom.
Send us scoop! If you have news about yourself or other members, please forward it to [email protected].

#TeachersLeading