Member News -- June 14, 2017

A Message from Our President 
Katherine Bassett on NNSTOY's recent meeting Sec. DeVos

As promised during our webinar and email messages to our membership, NNSTOY leadership both sought and obtained a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. We met with the Secretary and her Deputy Chief of Staff in person at the end of May. Attending the meeting for NNSTOY were Board Chair Christopher Poulos; Board Member Kelly Kovacic; Government Policy Advisor Jane West; and President and CEO Katherine Bassett.
 
During our meeting, we covered three main points:
  1. Overview of NNSTOY and our work;
  2. Explanation of the work that we have consistently done with USED during the past four years;
  3. Concrete examples of teacher leadership in action.
We also sought to learn from the Secretary what was important to her moving forward.
 
Our information was extremely well-received and the Secretary wants to continue all of the work that we are currently doing with USED; this includes our quarterly calls, our in-person participation in teas and other USED meetings; our serving as a sounding board for new ideas; classroom visits to our members; conference participation; our engagement in Teach to Lead; and sharing of our resources.
 
The Secretary asked several questions about teacher leadership and specifically wanted to know how she could best help to promote and advance it. We made the points that continuing the only Federal funding that can currently be used for teacher leadership - Title II funds - was critical and that keeping Teach to Lead in place is as well. We also encouraged the Secretary to include language about teacher leadership in her own speeches and remarks.
 
The Secretary also commented that although she has been viewed as not supportive of teachers, the opposite is true. We invited her to use our organization as a vehicle to prove this by interacting with, and learning from, our members as frequently as possible.
 
The Secretary is consulting with her scheduling staff regarding our conference, and our conversations will continue over time.
 
We wanted you to know that your voice was heard by both NNSTOY and the Secretary.
Conference To-Do List
DC or Bust -- July 15-19!

If you are planning to attend our national teacher leadership conference this July, and haven't yet signed up for these events, please do!

Sign up for one of the great Day of Service events July 15 by clicking on the "Sign Up for Events" button on the conference webpage. Review the options. There is even an option for those who cannot attend the Day of Service!



Register for our social outing, a night at the National Geographic Museum, Monday, July 17 from 6:30-9:00 PM. Your ticket for the family-friendly evening includes tantalizing food and drinks, private museum exploration, engaging activities, dynamic speakers, incredible networking, and a chance to unleash your inner child through exploration.

If you are a speaker and have special A/V needs for your presentation, please let us know. Every room will have a projector, speaker, sound system and a laptop. If you need anything else, please email Lauren Cantell ([email protected]). 

Sign up for focus groups and interviews with sponsors (held on the afternoon of July 15).


Utah's 2014 State Teacher of the Year Allison Riddle (far left) signs the petition for Utah's latest initiative, Our Schools Now.

Standing for  Our  Schools Now
Utah STOY speaks out

Allison Riddle spoke at a press conference last week for Utah's latest education initiative, Our Schools Now (OSN). OSN proposes a significant investment in education in order to improve student achievement and, in return, strengthen Utah's workforce. During the conference, Riddle advocated for the Teacher and Student Success Program which underscores the value in supporting districts as they create personalized success plans. The event was designed to launch the act petition.
Riddle was selected to be the on the steering committee for the event and presented among fellow award-winning educators, local board members and well-known business leaders in the area. This was a true community effort to benefit students across Utah. Learn more and sign the petition at Our Schools Now.

Our Heroes
4 of 7 new Milken Fellows are STOYs

Four of the first seven educators to be awarded a Milken Unsung Heroes Fellowship come straight from the NNSTOY membership list.
Established in 2007, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes works to transform classrooms and communities through student-driven projects that discover Unsung Heroes from history and teach the power of one to create positive change. Anna Morris (Mississippi 2015), Josh Parker (Maryland 2012), Allison Riddle (Utah 2014) and Mike Soskil (Pennsylvania 2017) will travel to Ft. Scott, Kansas the week of June 17 to receive special training

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

Myth-busting.  Help the public to understand that, contrary to the current perception, teachers continue to learn, plan and work during the summer. Tweet what you are doing #NoSummerOff.

Summer School is in Session. Limited seats are still available in Primary Source's summer online courses. Consider joining for one of 4-week or 8-week offerings, with the option for one or two graduate credits. Check their website for details on all 7 online courses (online options appear at the bottom).

Title II Day of Action. Hope Street Group will be hosting a live national Twitter chat this Wednesday, June 14 at 9pm ET. The subject of the chat will be Title II Part A funding. Also check out Learning Forward's resources for the Title II Day of Action.

Contribute Your Voice
Participate in Teach Plus's Flash Poll

Last month marked a major development in federal policy that will affect your students and school: the release of President Trump's federal budget for the next year. It calls for $3.6 trillion in cuts, including a 13% ($9 billion) cut in education funding. Among the programs slated for elimination is the Title II program of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Currently this program provides over $2 billion per year to states and school districts to promote equity and support teacher and principal leadership, development and advancement opportunities. 

Teach Plus is one of the organizations who, like us, are advocating against these cuts. They are asking for our input on the priorities of this advocacy. Please consider helping them prioritize by taking this short poll.

Teachers who complete this poll will be entered into a random drawing for one of five $25 Amazon gift cards.  
NNSTOY to Release SEL Report
June 23 10:00-11:30 AM ET

NNSTOY will release an important report about what educators should do with data to designed to measure students' social and emotional growth.
Student Social and Emotional Development and Accountability: Perspective of Teachers will be released at the Center for American Progress Friday, June 23 from 10:00-11:30 AM. State Teachers of the Year  Rebecca Snyder (Pennsylvania 2009),  Maryann Woods-Murphy (New Jersey 2010), and  Katherine Bassett worked on the report with other educational researchers.
The event will be live-streamed. Look for an invite in your mailbox soon!
What We Are Reading
Interesting and emerging ideas about education from around the country
"Sydney Chaffee on Equity, Federal Funding, and the Resistance Movement," Stephanie Johnson and Chris Ford,  Center for American Progress

"How to Recruit Black Principals," Lillian Mongeau,  Atlantic


"Music as a Teaching Tool," Maria Alegria, Edutopia

Kudos, Shout-Outs & Accolades*
News from the NNSTOY community


Kathy Assini (New Jersey 2014), Monica Washington (Texas 2014), Scott Slechta (Iowa 2016), Amy Konen (Montana 2015) and Debra McDonald (Ohio 2014) attend a residency for Walden University in Dallas, Texas.

Monica Washington (Texas 2014) has a new piece in EdWeek. In "Sometimes Calling Teachers "Valued Professionals" Just Feels Empty,"  Washington highlights the contradictions felt by teachers and students. She writes, "...[Teachers]  are often told that we are "valued professionals" who "change the lives of our students every day." But we are also micromanaged to immobility, not trusted to make the simplest decisions that affect students' learning and well-being." Read more on the NNSTOY Blog. 


"4 ways to tie summer reading into the real world," is Kathy Powers's (Arkansas 2011) feature in eSchoolNews. In this engaging piece, Kathyhighlights the ways in which teachers and students can make use of free virtual tools like Smithsonian Learning Lab to make summer  reading relevant for all students. 

Who better to profile the 2017 Teacher of the Year Sydney Chaffee than a fellow teacher leader? In his new piece "A Passion for Her Student's Success: National Teacher of the Year Sydney Chafee," posted on the U.S. Department of Education's Homeroom Blog,  Patrick Kelly  (Finalist, South Carolina 2014) presents highlights from his interview.

Patrick Kelly (Finalist, South Carolina 2014) has also written a post that is getting so much traction.   "He's One of the Finest Educators I have Ever Seen and He's Leaving,"  has seen more clicks, shares and tweets than recent article on Education Post. In his piece, Kelly pays tribute to an outstanding colleague while also bringing to light the deep issues surrounding teacher retention. Kelly writes,  " As a society-with dramatic teacher shortages in key areas across the country and reduced applications for teacher preparation- we can't afford to adopt any mindset that gives us even a measure of peace about the loss of a great teacher. "
 
Joseph Fatheree (Illinois 2007) has a new, thought-provoking post available on his blog, @joefatheree. In "Children Don't Have to Fear the Future," Fatheree crafts a clear message for parents as summer approaches,
"M ake time this summer to turn off all of the technology and just play games. Start new traditions. Let your kids see you having fun.  Listen to their stories. Help them dream big.  As a teacher, I am a band aide. You are the cure . With your help, next year's class can take the global stage with a little less fear and trepidatio n."

Rebecca Mieliwocki's (California 2012) latest EdWeek post introduces us to the, "Unexpected Grief of Teacher Leadership." In this piece describes the challenge in moving from classroom life to office life. Mieliwocki writes, " It whispers snidely in your ear that "real" teachers work in classrooms. It wraps its heavy cloak around you and asks, "Are you really even making a difference?" It keeps you awake at night contemplating your decision to leave the classroom." Read the full article on the NNSTOY Blog. 
 
"I Have the Courage to Teach LGBTQ Literature Because it Saved My Life,"
is Jane McMahon's (Wisconsin 2014) piece in EdPost  this week. McMahon shares her personal story and underscores the value of LGBTQ literature for all children,  " Students who identify as LGBTQ have many opportunities to see themselves represented not only on the shelves, but also in the curriculum. And all children benefit from the wellspring of understanding and empathy these books inspire." 

*Send us your scoop!  If you have professional information to share in  Member News,
 please connect with [email protected].

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