Member News -- September 13, 2016
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What is Educational Equity?
NNSTOY Flash Poll 

In August NNSTOY asked members to share their ideas about the important issue of educational equity. Special thanks to the 141 who participated in the NNSTOY Flash Poll. Your r esponses allowed us to take stock of what our organization can do to ensure that children are not denied their right to an excellent education. 

Questions in the poll focused primarily on issues of social justice for children of color and those living in poverty, though the needs of LGBTQ students and those with disabilities were also raised.

The majority of respondents reported that educational equity is a problem in this country and in their school, but members defined the equity differently. Some stressed the need for equal opportunity, defining equity as "providing the same  access to educational instruction and resources to all students." 

Other respondents characterized equity as a condition that provides each individual student with what he or she needs to be successful. These responses distinguished between the terms equality and equity. One member wrote, equity is "having the resources to help disadvantaged students reach a level playing field."

Some responses went further, emphasizing that equity is "ultimately...about eliminating the achievement gap." Those with this perspective stressed the importance of culturally relevant teaching and high standards for all. One NNSTOY member wrote, "Equity is being intentionally inclusive and [it] requires eliminating the barriers that prevent the full participation of all peoples." 

Check out all of the responses to the question  and the varied definitions of equity from our members. Those are interested in diving deeper into the complete findings of the research may contact Laurie Calvert ( laurie@nnstoy.org). 
Supplement, 
Don't Supplant 
Title I Guidance Released

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has released draft regulations that show how districts will use Title I dollars to supplement state and local funds without supplanting those funds with federal dollars.  

The funding formula used by districts must send more money to high-poverty schools or demonstrate that those schools are getting an equal amount, including per-pupil spending on personnel. 

Learn more in the Washington Post (Emma Brown). Read ED's Supplement, Not Supplant fact sheet.
Washington's Education Policy Agenda
Excerpts from Jane West's Policy Update

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Determines Charter Schools are Private Corporations. 
In notable rulings last week, the NLRB determined that charter schools are not public schools  when it comes to labor laws. 

What Will the Next President Bring for Education?
The party platforms are worth reviewing to understand answers to this question.  While no President ever follows the platform like a script, she/he may use them as a guideposts. H ighlights are below.

  • "We...repeat our long-standing opposition to the imposition of national standards and assessments, encourage parents and educators who are implementing alternatives to Common Core, and congratulate the states which have successfully repealed it." (p.33)
  • "[The Republican Party] rejects excessive testing and 'teaching to the test' and supports the need for strong assessments to serve as a tool so teachers can tailor teaching to meet student needs." (p. 33)
  • "Democrats believe all students should be taught to high academic standards. Schools should have adequate resources to provide programs and support to help and meet the needs of every child." (p. 32)
  • "We are also deeply committed to ensuring that we strike a better balance on testing so that it informs, but does not drive, instruction." (p. 33)
  • "We oppose high-stakes standardized tests that falsely and unfairly label students of color, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners as failing; the use of standardized test scores as basis for refusing to fund schools or to close schools; and the use of student test scores in teacher and principal evaluations, a practice which has been repeatedly rejected by researchers." (p. 33)
Read Jane West's complete  Washington Update. In this latest edition, West offers information about where the primary presidential candidates stand on education, a summary of the PDK public education poll, and a report about a groundbreaking judicial ruling in Connecticut.
Power and Privilege:
A Conversation about Equity in the Classroom
NNSTOY Webinar

Please join us for a robust conversation about educational equity and the role that power and privilege play in the classroom. 

The webinar will be hosted by Maryland State Teachers of the Year  Jody Zepp (2015) and Josh Parker  (2012) September 27, 8-9 PM ET.
What We are Reading
New and noteworthy ideas about education from around the country.

New Ways to Engage
Plug into teacher leadership outside of your school

1. Join Tonight's Webinar: Taking Your Teacher Leadership to the Next Level, Featuring Microsoft Sway and Docs.com.  Register to participate  
in a hands-on workshop about how to create engaging presentations and lessons using free tools.

2. Chat with Global Educators Wednesday. Join the #TeachersLeading Twitter Chat September 14, 8-9 PM ET. This month's topic: What does it mean to be a global educator?
 
3. Apply to Attend DC Teach to Lead Summit (Deadline Extended).  
The folks at Teach to Lead have 
changed the application deadline for the November Teach to Lead Teacher Preparation Summit and eased up on the team requirements a bit. Any member of a team can now submit the application  by September 15. T eam participants must now only include:
  • An active classroom teacher
  • A representative from a College or University teacher preparation program
  • A current teacher candidate from that teacher preparation program
The other two team members can be any stakeholder the team feels is appropriate to move the idea forward.  

4. Send us your scoop! Members tell us they love reading about other STOYs and Finalists in Member News. Please send us items of interest about yourself or others to share. Send to Laurie@nnstoy.org

Review more strategies to lean into NNSTOY teacher leadership, understand member benefits and engage with the organization.
Resources for  #TeachersLeading   
Practice
Continuing Education
$5,000 grants Available for ALL Past State Teachers of the Year
Walden University is offering a $5,000 grant for educators who were awarded State Teacher of the Year prior to 2015. This grant can be used towards any EdS, EdD or PhD in Education degree program from the Richard W. Riley College of Education. This grant applies to the October 10 or November 28 start date. Call an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 or go to WaldenU.edu for more information.

A Call for Compassion 
Message from the Louisiana State Teacher of the Year

Dear NNSTOY Family:
 
I come to you with a burdened heart for our suffering community. I am a middle school science teacher in Albany, Louisiana and my community and 15 other schools in our parish have been impacted by a major flood. Three of our schools are a total loss and we have not been able to return back to school just yet. We are volunteering our time and efforts into cleaning and rebuilding our beloved schools. 
 
My concern is that amidst all of this tragedy, teachers and parents will be stressed that their students/children may not have anything to wear and/or no supplies for when school resumes.
 
I am reaching out to you with a call for compassion. Our needs are great and our supplies are minimal. Can you help with our needs? If so, here are two ways that you can make a difference. First, you can send any school supplies of your choice to our school board office. That address is Livingston Parish Public Schools  13909 Florida Boulevard  Livingston, LA 70754. Second, you can donate online at Assess the Need , this foundation is a non-profit 501 c 3. Any donation for these efforts would be greatly appreciated. We are desperate for any help we can get.
 
Examples of supplies needed: p aper, pencils, backpacks, glue sticks, markers, colored pencils, scissors, rulers, notebooks, etc.  Gift cards to Office Depot would be highly beneficial for teachers to restock their class supplies.
 
Let's join forces from across our great nation to show the future generation that we not only care for them but also that we value their education. Thanks in advance!

Thanks kindly,
 
Joni Smith
Albany Middle School 
Kudos, Shout-Outs & Accolades
News from the NNSTOY community
Megan Allen (Florida 2010) and NBCT Taryl Hansen have begun producing WarpED: An Education-Oriented Political Satire. Here is their first stab at this work.

Sarah Brown Wessling's
(Iowa and NTOY 2010) article "Time to Rethink Our PD Paradigms" was published in EdWeek and  on the NNSTOY blog . I n it, Wessling makes a confession about not always feeling engaged in professional development she attends. "Sometimes," she writes, "I want to check my phone...make a grocery list...respond to student work without anyone noticing." Read her insights about what PD presenters can do to authentically interact with teachers.

Maggie Mabery considers riding as a stowaway on John King's Opportunity Across America bus tour.
 
Maggie Mabery (California 2015) was one of two featured speakers at the kickoff for the U.S. Department of Education's back-to-school bus tour. Mabery spoke passionately about the importance of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which saved more than 20,000 education jobs in her state alone. She said, " ARRA also invested heavily in students from low income families and students with disabilities. During our most challenging times, like the Great Recession, we have to look at our core values and determine what's most important to us. I am thankful and I know I speak for teachers across America that we are all thankful, that during one of our generation's most challenging economic times, President Obama, the Department of Education, Secretary Duncan, Secretary King, and organizations like the National Network of State Teachers of the Year, put students and their needs first." 

James E. Ford's (North Carolina 2015) article "Mission-Minded Teaching" was published in EdWeek  and on the NNSTOY blog . Ford writes, " As educators prepare their hearts and minds for the endurance race of the academic year, we must also take time to reflect and remind ourselves of our purpose as educators. Revisiting the philosophical foundations of our work--understanding the 'why'--can provide much needed inspiration to sustain us throughout the year."

Dorina Sackman (Florida 2015) tied the knot with Desmond Ebuwa in Key West,
Dorina and Desmond, known to their peeps as Dee and Dez.
Florida earlier this month. Peruse their story , which includes pictures of the grand event. 

Joe Fatheree's (Illinois 2007) article "Leave Summer Vacation Alone," was published in EdWeek and on the NNSTOY blog . Fatheree argues that educators should stop complaining that the school year is not long enough because kids need time with their families and they learn during the summer as well as at school. He writes,  " Adding time to the school calendar will not alone remedy systemic inequity present in American public education. Nor will extending the school year change the fact that a large percentage of the children in the United States live in poverty. 

Justin Minkel's (Arkansas 2007) article " Accountability: Reclaiming the Worst Word in Education" was published in EdWeek . Minkel argues that the term "accountability" has always been "boring and sterile," but it has come to mean "punishment through standardized test scores." He contends that the word "
should  mean doing right by our students."

* If you have items of interest about yourself or other members, please forward them to laurie@nnstoy.org.

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