Washington's legislature convenes on January 10, 2022 and we are thrilled to welcome back Samantha Miller as CSTP's Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2022 legislative session. She will be writing CSTP's weekly legislative email updates during the session. Her emails highlight issues educators care about and provide a quick snapshot on their progress through session.

Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.

This week starts the first culturally responsive teacher residency between Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge and Clover Park educators. Follow along on our Twitter account (@WACSTP). This unique and intensive professional development experience is personalized to each teachers goals as they receive in-person real time coaching, facilitation and technical assistance from Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge.

If you are interested in culturally responsive teacher residencies and bringing Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge to your school for free professional development, learn more and apply on the CSTP website.

In 2022, CSTP will host two new Washington Educators Read and Discuss (WERD) online book studies. We are thrilled to have Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge, author of Culturally Responsive Education in the Classroom: An Equity Framework for Pedagogy, join us as a facilitator during each book study. Registration is free to all Washington paraeducators, teachers, principals, administrators and ESAs. Clock hours will be available for purchase upon completion for each book study.

Culturally Responsive Education in the Classroom by Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge

We will discuss the following sections of CRE on Tuesdays afternoon from 4:30-6:00 on the dates below:

Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

We will discuss the following sections of Caste on Tuesdays afternoon from 4:30-6:00 on the following dates:

NBPTS will release results for all 2020-2021 candidates, both initial and Maintenance of Certification (MOC), on Saturday,

December 11!

The National Board has some useful resources on the Score Release page for those waiting on their scores: 

Pro-tip: Make sure you remember and can login with your username and password the weekday prior to score release. The NBCT customer service line is closed on the weekends and unable to reset passwords until the next business day.

Register now for CSTP's online or hybrid support for Foundations and Components 1 and 3. Space is limited - register today to save your spot!

In 2020, the National Board introduced the requirements for MOC. NBCTs with certificate expiration dates in 2022 and 2023 are eligible for candidacy in 2021-22. Please visit this NBPTS link for additional details around eligibility.

The Washington Education Association's (WEA) MOC Jump Start training series guides participants through the requirements in a collaborative environment with other NBCTs. The MOC Jump Start consists of two modules. Each module is an interactive, 3 ½ hour virtual training. NBCTs are encouraged to attend Module 1 and can then determine if Module 2 is helpful. Cost: $20 per session; this is a WEA member event only

Module One provides a big picture approach to MOC. In this training, participants network with other NBCTs, review the Five Core Propositions, and get an overview of the MOC process. They will also begin to plan their Professional Growth Experiences (PGEs). The objectives for Module 1 include:

Module One Dates:

• February 5, Saturday, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM or 

• February 10, Thursday, 4:00 PM-8:00 PM

 

Module Two is a close look at the MOC instructions to inform next steps with PGEs. The objectives for Module 2 include:

Module Two Dates:

• February 12, Saturday, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM or

• February 17, Thursday, 4:00-8:00 PM

Are you considering earning your national certification or working towards your renewal? National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers free informational webinars including Introduction to National Board Certification, Preparing for Your National Board Journey, and Introduction to Maintenance of Certification.

As the Inclusionary Practice Project Lead CSTP wants to make sure that everyone knows it’s Inclusive Schools Week. CSTP is incredibly proud and has been blown away by all the work educators across our state are doing to increase true inclusion and inclusionary practices. Please visit inclusiveschools.org for more information and look for social media posts from us through the week for more resources to help create inclusive schools for all.

Ed4all WA is a collaborative project with the CEEDAR WA team and Washington Educators. Ed4all WA provides educators in the State of Washington with resources and online professional development opportunities to help strengthen their profession as an educator.

Check out the Ed4all website for educator resources to help support growth in awareness surrounding best practice to use with students of all ages. 

WEA is offering several synchronous courses supporting inclusionary practices for Washington educators throughout the 2021-2022 school year. All courses are free and offer clock hours. Upcoming courses include:

Upcoming FREE Assistive Tech Webinar Series  

Our webinar series includes the voices of assistive tech users, teachers, parents, and specialist such as OTs, SLPs, PTs, and specialists in vision and hearing and assistive technology.

SETC will be offering an online PRE-conference session focused on inclusionary practices. Technology integration? In a math classroom? Yes, it’s completely possible! Come learn (and create!) with us on how technology can help provide an academically safe environment for mathematics teaching and learning across grade levels and math concepts — environments where students feel secure and confident in engaging with one another, their teachers, and math!

Collaborative Learning Solutions is a member of the statewide professional development cadre for the Inclusionary Practices Project with OSPI. They are offering free training, resources and supports to educators, students and schools to create conditions for all learners focused on restorative practices and equity emphasizing the educational and social-emotional needs of all students. The training they are offering is comprised of distinctive targets including Restorative Practices, Community of Equity and Inclusive Practices, and Restorative Justice Centers. The target audiences for their trainings are district leaders, school leaders, teachers, counselors, parents and students. Learn more and register.

Also, check out their new weekly SEL lessons. This December they will focus on friendship.

The League of Education Voter's talk to Native Student Program Specialist and 2022 Washington Teacher of the Year, Jerad Koepp, about supporting Native American students, his education journey and changes he would like to see to our education system.

Listen now on the LEV website.

Educators can apply by January 14, 2022 to participate in the U.S. Department of Education School Ambassador Fellowship for the 2022-2023 school year. This Fellowship is designed to improve educational outcomes for students by leveraging the expertise of school-based practitioners in the creation, dissemination, and evaluation of national education policy. Founded on the principles of partnership, collaboration and cooperation with school-based educators, the Fellowship seeks to:

The latest posts from CSTP's teacher bloggers on www.storiesfromschools.org.

"Such children can feel overwhelmed with all the things they have on their plate. Add to that the expectation that they will excel in every endeavor. Otherwise, how will they get into that top college and achieve that career success that everyone expects?"

"My goal as an English teacher is to create lifelong readers. They don’t all need to love reading novels or highlighting nonfiction like I do. But, they will all have myriad opportunities to flex their reading muscles in almost every facet of their lives–from job applications to voters pamphlets. I believe the attitudes and practices I foster around reading are critical."

"What if we cared so much about how our students felt at school that we mandated their joy? This is not to replace academics, but to enhance learning. What if every classroom was full of happy, engaged, and joyful children? Before you get too skeptical, consider this: Isn’t that just as achievable as every child meeting standard on a state assessment? Therefore, is it not a goal worth pursuing?"

"You have most likely seen a lot of talk on the news or in social media about subjects that some parents and pundits believe should not be taught in school, i.e. Critical Race Theory. Many teachers are being instructed to steer clear of political conversations, an all too common policy.

"We asked the Stories From School Bloggers some questions about the work they are doing in their classrooms. 1) How are so-called taboo topics handled by you and your administration? 2) Do you actively avoid controversy? 3) How do you help students learn to have tough conversations in a civil setting?"

"We’ve had multiple lockdowns. Once a neighbor’s bull got loose and rampaged through the playground. Once police called the school and said an armed suspect was in the area; they asked us to keep all the students inside. Once there was a chemical spill scare."

Did you know that there are 20 free asynchronous learning modules designed by Washington educators for educators teaching remotely? The modules are geared for educators teaching grades K-12 with topics ranging from engaging students, relationship building, online tools to equity in a remote setting. Badges and clock hours are available for those completing any of the 20 available asynchronous modules in the Teacher Tech Project. Each completed module is worth one clock hour.

Learn more on the CSTP website.

Everett teacher Sean Reich represents the apple state well on the Ellen Show as they showcase his unique talent of splitting an apple with his bare hands. While he certainly makes it look easy, you may not want to throw out your apple slicer just yet, as it is a technique that may take a while to perfect.

Your gift ensures that CSTP continues to support student achievement through a focus on teaching excellence. With you as a partner in CSTP’s mission, you directly make a difference in the lives of youth across Washington State schools. Donations are tax deductible and essential as CSTP works to support educators navigate unique models of student engagement during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Liking and sharing our posts on social media is another way you can support CSTP during these times. Thank you for sharing our message.