Member News

Member News -- June 28, 2017

NNSTOY Champions Teachers as Leaders Act

New bill proposed to strengthen teacher leadership

On June 22, a bi-partisan group of Senators introduced the Teachers as Leaders Act, a bill championed by NNSTOY. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jack Reed (D-RI) joined together across party lines to send an important message about the critical role of teacher leadership.

Acknowledging what NNSTOY has long believed -- that teacher leadership is a key to addressing teacher recruitment and retention -- The Teachers as Leaders Act authorizes teacher leader development programs through the Teacher Quality Partnership grants in Title II of the Higher Education Act. The grants would extend the continuum of teacher preparation and teacher development and promote differentiated career paths that foster new professional opportunities for accomplished teachers.

As quoted in the Senators' press release, NNSTOY President and CEO Katherine Bassett (New Jersey 2000) said, "The nation's expert teachers know that teacher leadership is critical for solving important challenges in education today, including teacher retention and recruitment. We salute Sens. Coons, Ernst, Grassley and Reed for their leadership in establishing this priority."

NNSTOY is excited for this new initiative and looks forward to advocating for the bill at Day on the Hill on July 19.

Take time to thank these senators for their efforts. Tweet @ChrisCoons, @SenatorErnst, @ChuckGrassley and @SenJackReed with the hashtag #TeachersLeading.

Conference Update

July 15-19!

Some have not even closed their lesson plan books, yet our national teacher leadership conference is coming up in the fast lane!

Use this short list of "to-do" items to make sure you are all set.

Sign up for our Night at the Museum, a family-friendly event at the National Geographic museum.
Choose one of the three service day options, including mentoring Urban Teachers, building a library for Horton's Kids and supporting the USO
Help our sponsors to understand how they can better support the teaching profession by participating in interviews or focus groups.

Raffle time!

Don't forget to bring a gift that represents your state for the NNSTOY scholarship fund raffle. Your gift should fit easily into a suitcase and cost $25 or less.

Day on the Hill. T urns out, there is room!

A few spots have opened up for members who want to participate in our Day on the Hill July 19. Learn more by reviewing the Day on the Hill drop-down menu on our conference website

and sign up!

SEL at the Forefront

NNSTOY releases new report highlighting the teacher's perspective

The Center for American Progress teamed up with NNSTOY last week to highlight issues related to Social Emotional Learning and opportunities for expansion of SEL under ESSA. The event served as a launch for new reports on the topic, including NNSTOY's Student Social and Emotional Development and Accountability: Perspectives of Teachers. NNSTOY President and CEO Katherine Bassett and Rebecca Snyder (Pennsylvania 2009) were among the panelists and fielded questions like:

What implications does recent research on social and emotional development have for federal, state and local policymakers?
What is the role of teachers and schools in fostering social and emotional competencies and skills?
Can we measure student competencies like growth mindset, empathy, or grit? If so, do these measures have a place in accountability systems?

You can view the full discussion on the Center for American Progress's website. Read the CAP report on learning mindsets by Ulrich Boser and Perpetual Baffour.

Progress Report: State Data
New research on how states are using data to be released

On Thursday, July 13th, the Data Quality Campaign will release inaugural research about state data efforts since releasing its policy recommendations in last year's Time to Act report. This research includes findings from focus groups with teachers across the country, as well as Project Tomorrow's Speak Up survey. Key findings include:

Data is no longer being used only has a hammer for accountability.
'Families and educators still don't have all of the information they need to support students.
While state leaders have prioritized education data, diverse voices aren't at the table when important decisions are made, and as a result, data often does not reflect the needs of all children.

To correspond with the release, DQC will host a Twitter chat at 3:00 p.m. Follow along on Thursday!

What We Are Reading

Interesting and emerging ideas about education from around the country

"Here's what male teachers of color want their districts to know about them," Laura Faith Keede, Chalkbeat

"Why schools still can't put segregation behind them," Derek W. Black, The Conversation

"ISTE 2017: Reduce Internet Distractions with 7 Simple Steps," Education Dive

"Add 'Common Core Ends Recess' to the List of Ridiculous Myths about High Standards," Katrina Boone, Huffington Post

"Memo Outlines Education Dept. Plans to Scale Black Civil-Rights Efforts," Adam Harris, Chronicle of Higher Education

"N.C. teacher surprised by high standards placed on teaching profession in Germany," Lee Quinn, EdNC

New Ways to Engage

Plug into teacher leadership outside of your school

Join the NNSTOY Facebook Group. Our NNSTOY Facebook Group is open to State Teachers of the Year and Finalists, as well as coordinators, board members and staff. If you aren't in the group, you could miss out on important news!

Rise up, California! Rise is a non-profit organization that enlists student leaders to advocate for expanding opportunities for higher educator for middle and low income students in California. Contribute your voice by signing their petition, writing an op-ed, or, if you are in California, attending their pre-launch party. For more information, contact Laurie Calvert.

Contribute your voice. Devised under Sec. Devos, the Regulatory Reform Task Force has been charged with reviewing policy and regulations at the Department of Education. Their next step will be to make recommendations on which policies deserve further attention, and which should be eliminated. The task force has sent out an open call for educators to contribute their perspectives to inform their evaluations. You can submit your comments on the Federal Register.

Call for Applications. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation seeks applicants for their "Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Program." Fellowship grants of $20,000 are available for Ph.D., D.B.A., or other doctoral students who are studying at accredited U.S. universities to support dissertations in the area of entrepreneurship. Applications must be submitted by August 16, 2017.

New & Noteworthy

Tools and opportunities to support #TeachersLeading

Hear my Voice: Strengthening the College Pipeline for Young Men of Color in California (Education Trust)

Equity and Education: Key Questions to Consider (Education Commission of the States)

Schools are watching students' social media, raising questions about free speech (PBS Newshour)

Effective Teacher Professional Development (Learning Policy Institute)

Student Enthusiasm Falls as High School Graduation Nears (Gallup)

Let Her Learn: A Toolkit to Stop School Push Out for Girls of Color (National Women's Law Center)

Toward Love, Healing, Resilience & Alignment: The Inner Work of Social Transformation & Justice (NPQ)

Kudos, Shout-Outs & Accolades*

News from the NNSTOY community

"Special Education Was Created to Push Students Forward But It's Been Used to Hold Them Back," is Jemelleh Coes's (Georgia 2014) latest piece on EdPost. Jemelleh writes, "In the name of special education, we have relegated students to lowered expectations when they were more than capable of meeting the high expectations set forth."

Steve Perkins (Indiana 2014) has a new post on his blog Magister's Musings. "Bad Administrators Are Killing Education," underscores the necessity of a school administration that aligns with the needs of the school community. He urges teachers, "...if the environment of your school or district is such that you cannot be the teacher you were made to be, do not leave the profession, but find another place where you can thrive."

Last week Peggy Stewart (New Jersey 2005), Jemelleh Coes (Georgia 2014) and Chris Todd (Connnecticut FInalist 2014) were invited to the Aspen Institute to engage in an Educator Roundtable on Professional Learning Systems. They also attended a public event, Practicing What We Teach: Conversation on Connecting Curriculum & Professional Learning in Schools. Catch up on important points on twitter through the hashtag #Educator Expertise.

Congratulations to Shanna Peeples (Texas 2015) on her new e-book 52 Things I Learned in 52 Years. This compilation is full of resources, lessons learned, impactful experiences that have shaped Shanna to be an outstanding teacher leader. Download for free on her blog.

Nikos Giannopoulos (Rhode Island 2017) has gone viral. He met the President and first lady in the White House earlier in the year and snapped the photo below that has been garnered significant Attention. NPR took time for a "Q&A With The 'Sassy' Teacher of the Year About that Fan and Going Viral." Says Giannopoulos, "I just want to say that the teaching profession has been the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. Every single day I go to the classroom energized and thrilled to be there and to have been elevated to represent all of the teachers in my state. I'm not the best teacher in my state. I'm not the most thoughtful planner. But I do care a lot about my students and they mean a whole lot to me."

*Send us your scoop! If you have professional information to share in Member News,

please connect with [email protected].

#TeachersLeading