Member News -- November 21, 2017
Thank you for your excellence!
Help Build NNSTOY Advocacy

After you've eaten the pie and walked off the turkey and gravy, please support NNSTOY by contributing on #GivingTuesday, November 28. 

100% of the proceeds between now and the Tuesday after Thanksgiving will go toward NNSTOY advocacy on behalf of our students and our profession. 

Watch Facebook, Twitter and your inbox this Tuesday, #GivingTuesday, for updates and highlights. 

Use NNSTOY Research
to Advocate
Webinar Next Week
 
You are invited to join us  Tuesday, November 28, 8-9 PM ET,  for a webinar exploring how teacher leaders can use the latest NNSTOY research on Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems  to advocate for the profession in their district and state. 
 
This interactive webinar will feature three researchers -- David Bosso (Connecticut 2012), Derek Olson (Minnesota 2008), and Laura Goe (ETS). They  wrote the report with Caroline Wylie (ETS). Their findings draw on the knowledge and experience of some of the country's leading educators. 
 
 
A Night to Celebrate Great Teaching 
Spotlight on Connecticut STOYs 

The 2018 Connecticut Teacher of the Year annual recognition ceremony was held at the historic Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford last week.  Lauren Danner  (Connecticut  2017) offered reflections on her year of recognition.  The celebration culminated with an acceptance speech by 2018 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, Erin Berthold

The recognition ceremony marks the beginning point of a number of events and experiences in support of Connecticut's State Teachers of the Year. As always, it was an inspiring and memorable evening celebrating teaching excellence.


Members of the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council (L-R): David Bosso (2012 and President of the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council); Bill Davenport (2004), John Mastronianni (2014), Jahana Hayes (2016), Cay Freeman (2011 Finalist), Lauren Danner (2017), Cara Quinn (2015), Blaise Messinger (2013), Mary Kay Rendock (2006), Chris Poulos (2007), Chris Todd (2014 Finalist)

What We Are Reading
Interesting and emerging ideas about education

Speaking up for Global Empathy
STOYS take center stage at Oceanside X

Megan Allen (Florida 2010),  Sarah Brown-Wessling (National Teacher of the Year 2010) and  Mike Soskil (Pennsylvania 2017) captivated their audience in Ted-style talks at the Oceanside X event last week. The event, which also served as the Superintendent's Conference Day, invited teachers from across the Oceanside School District in New York to listen, learn and advocate. 

These TED-style talks spanned themes of teacher leadership, global empathy, the disconnect between policy and classroom practice, and elevating the profession.  "It is time for a rebirth of expertise in the teaching profession because expertise matters," said Megan Allen.


Aiming for Higher Quality Assessment
New NNSTOY Research Out This Week

NNSTOY has published new findings about assessment,  Case Studies from the High Quality Assessment Project

States are now using higher quality tests to better measure important student skills such as writing, problem-solving and critical thinking. The new case studies capture advice from teacher leaders who reviewed the quality of the tests and discusses how the experience affected their teaching. The brief also offers input on how states can engage educators in similar reviews.

Katherine Bassett (New Jersey 2000), Rebecca Snyder (Pennsylvania 2009), and Maryann Woods-Murphy (New Jersey 2010) coauthored the work with independent researcher Dr. Catherine McClellan.

Read more on our website
 
Call for Conference Speakers 
Las Vegas, Nevada ~ July 8-11, 2018

We need your voice at the next National Teacher Leadership Conference, where we will drill down on solving four critical problems of practice:  Teacher Leadership, Student Engagement, Social Emotional Learning and Educational Equity.

There are two ways for NNSTOY members to present their ideas about these challenges.  

 

1. TED-style talks. Completed applications are currently being accepted for the first day of the conference, which will be a unique day of inspiration and learning on the four problems of practice. 

 

Selection of the TED-style speakers will be made in two stages. First NNSTOY will select approximately 20 proposals from members to go on to a second round for consideration. Members who make it to the second round will participate in an amazing curriculum that TED Ed is developing to nurture effective storytellers. The training will take about 10 hours to complete, and everyone who goes through the training will benefit from it. During the training, STOYs and Finalists will hone their original pitch and resubmit their application. Applications to present a TED-style talk are due Friday, December 8 at 5 pm ET. 

 
2. Traditional conference breakout sessions. Sessions on the second and third days of the conference will resemble those from prior conferences. Applications to present a regular session are due Friday, January 5 at 5 pm ET.  

Please contact Joe Fatheree (joe@nnstoy.org) with any questions or issues.  

Tax Reform Winners and Losers
Jane West's Washington Update

Earlier this fall Congress adopted a budget resolution paving the way for a tax reform bill with a whopping price tag of $1.5 trillion! Because the bill is being considered under an arcane procedure called reconciliation (allowed because the budget resolution was adopted), only 51 votes are needed to pass the bill in the Senate.   

Below are some specific concerns of education advocates in addition to the overall pressure the bill would put on the government for spending cuts across the board:
  • The State and Local Tax Deduction is under threat in both bills. The House bill would cap the local property tax deduction at $10,000 while the Senate bill eliminates the deduction all together. Losing or limiting this deduction will mean less funding for public education at the state and local levels. 
  • Teacher Expenses: Currently a teacher may deduct up to $250 paid for supplies or training. The House bill eliminates the deduction while the Senate bill doubles it to $500. 
  • College Savings Accounts: "Unborn children" are eligible as college savers in both the House and Senate bills. The House bill expands the 529 college saving accounts into the K-12 sector, replacing the existing Coverdell accounts.
  • Higher Education: Deductions for student loan interest, college tuition and expenses and tax breaks for university employees and graduate students would be eliminated in the House proposal, but remain in the Senate proposal. The House bill also repeals the lifetime learning credit. Both bills include a 1.4% excise tax on earnings of endowments at private universities, though the criteria of eligibility differ.
The mood on Capitol Hill seems to be skewing toward passage of the bill as Republicans believe they must score a legislative win before the end of the year. However, much negotiating remains to be done. 

Read West's complete Washington Update on our website. 
New and Noteworthy
Tools and Opportunities for #TeachersLeading

Kudos, Shout-outs & Accolades
Within the NNSTOY family

Sydnee Chaffee (National Teacher of the Year 2017) has been recognized in the Massachusetts Department of Education newsletter, where she promotes NNSTOY's Social Justice Book List and throws a shout-out to Nate Bowling (Washington 2016)!  

Have you heard about Dorina Sackman's (Florida 2014) initiative to help teachers, students and schools in Puerto Rico? Dorina has a thoughtful reflection on her great work and contributions of teachers around the world on the NNSTOY blog this week. Be sure to check out her piece: Materials for Maestros: Lessons in Compassion

The 2018 STOYs and Finalists are off to a great start, joining the  NNSTOY Facebook Group  and introducing themselves as the teacher leaders that they do doubt are. Picture here is  Brian McDaniel , the 2018 California Teacher of the Year, with some of his music students.

Joshua Parker (District of Columbia 2016) is at it again, this time on EdWeek . His latest piece is called, "This, Not That: Real Strategies for Teacher Leaders ." Parker writes, "If you want to lead you have to become comfortable, or at least willing to have tough conversations." Keep reading on the NNSTOY Blog

Katherine Bassett (New Jersey 2000) and Peggy Stewart (New Jersey 2005) both received shout outs in a recent article on EdCircuit.  "Advocacy: We should all be doing it," further profiles NNSTOYs vital mission and their expertise in teacher leadership.

" Jonathan Crossley is a happening thing in Little Rock education" - and then some! Jonathan Crossley (Arkansas 2014) has been profiled in a new article in ArkansasOnline called, "BRUMMET ONLINE: Democratic Rebirth."  The article follows Crossley's presence in education and in politics in Arkansas, "Crossley represents bright and driven young progressives given to public service who believe Arkansas, to succeed, must declare war on substandard schools in impoverished areas."

Melody Arabo (Michigan 2015) has a new post on HomeRoom, The Official Blog of the US Department of Education. In her piece, "FLOTUS, Secretary Visit Highlights Anti-Bullying Efforts," Arabo reports on her own area of expertise: Bullying. She writes, " One thing these kids all have in common is that they do not see themselves as bullies since they do not resemble the exaggerated characters in TV and movies. No one is a bully all the time, and this misconception makes it hard for kids to accept their actions as bullying behavior."

  Planning has begun for the first ever ECET2 event in Minnesota! The planning committee, Minnesota STOYs (left to right)  Katy Smith (2011), Derek Olson (2008), Megan Olivia Hall (2013), Lee-Ann Stephens (2007) and Tom Rademacher (2014, met last week to get planning started. 

Kelisa Wing (DoDEA 2017) has a powerful new piece published in ASCD's journal, Education Update. In "Road Tested/ Unlearning Hate in Your Classroom," Wing confronts everyday racism in the classroom and offers an action plan to counteract. She writes, "Educators have a responsibility to help change the narrative in society. We are better than this and can be better than this by committing to this work together."  Also from Kelisa Wing this week: a new article on EdPost,  "Once You've Got a Seat at the Table, You Need to Have the Tough Conversations."  Here, she shares her story: "Throughout high school, I was the only Black girl in my honors class. In the 11th grade, I was the only camp counselor of color. Back then, it never really registered with me that I was one of a few."

STOYs gathered in Tacoma, Washington, as a part of the Aspen Institute's National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development. They include  Lyon Terry (Washington 2015),  Sydnee Chaffee (National Teacher of the Year 2017),  Nate Bowling (Washington 2016) and  Leticia Ingram (Colorado 2016).