Education News in Alabama

November 6 , 2007 (archive)

By Sallie Owen

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1. Greenville's 'Mrs. J' Makes USA Today's All-USA Teacher Team
   - And teaching excellence in Homewood too
2. Research Finding: Schools Should Change to Prepare Children for Changing World, Americans Say
   - Alabama schools leading the way
3. State Board of Education Update: Budget Pressure, Bible Textbook and Teacher Scholarships
4. APT's State of Our Schools

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1. GREENVILLE'S 'MRS. J' MAKES USA TODAY'S  ALL-USA TEACHER TEAM

Linda M. Jarzyneicki, who teaches advanced math at Greenville High School, is one of the 20 best teachers in the nation, according to USA Today's 2007 All-USA Teacher Team.

Effective teaching is the No. 1 way to improve student achievement, and USA Today spotlighted educators who excel at identifying and addressing their students needs and who, most importantly, make a difference for students and their learning.

Read more about "Mrs. J" and the things she does to help students conquer their fear of math from the Montgomery Advertiser ( http://snipurl.com/mrsj01 ) and USA Today (http://snipurl.com/mrsj02 ).

AND TEACHING EXCELLENCE IN HOMEWOOD TOO

English teacher Rebecca Stallings at Homewood Middle School earned one of 14 honorable mentions in the All-USA Teacher Team program.

2. RESEARCH FINDING: SCHOOLS SHOULD CHANGE TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR CHANGING WORLD, AMERICANS SAY

To be prepared for jobs, students need different skills than they did 20 years ago. And schools need to do a better job of keeping up with these changes, according to a new nationwide poll commissioned by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

Highlights:

• 88 percent of U.S. voters said schools should teach 21st Century Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, computer and technology skills, communication, and self-direction.
• 66 percent of U.S. voters say schools should teach more than the basics of reading, writing and math.

For more info: http://snipurl.com/21stcenpoll

ALABAMA SCHOOLS LEADING THE WAY

The Alabama Best Practices Center's 21st Century Learners Project is devoted to helping teachers use methods of instruction that lead to 21st Century Skills.

Here's a thought-provoking video shown at the ABPC's recent 21st Century Learners Symposium. http://snipurl.com/payattentionvideo

At the symposium, five-person teams from 20 schools across Alabama gathered to continue to learn more about effective teaching strategies that will help them prepare their students for the rapidly-changing future. Some of these school teams, now entering the third year of this work, served as presenters for part of the day, showing participants how they use Web 2.0 tools like wikis, blogs, podcasts and webquests to deeply engage their students in learning.

Learn more and find meeting handouts and other useful resources for educators at http://abpc.wikispaces.com/.

One teacher referred to the symposium as a "Jolt into 21st Century Learning." She wrote on her blog, "Somehow an energy source was poured into me and many of the other teachers present. This energy could be found everywhere."

Read more at http://snipurl.com/thejolt.

The Alabama Best Practices Center is part of the A+ Education Foundation.

3. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE:

Budget pressure, Bible textbook and teacher scholarships

Growing costs for teacher benefits may threaten the state's academic gains as the education budget tightens, said State Board of Education member Randy McKinney during a recent board work session.

The state spends $4 billion a year on K-12 education, and benefits are "rapidly approaching" the $1 billion mark, said Craig Pouncey, top financial officer for the Alabama State Department of Education.

McKinney said he is concerned that spending increases needed for teacher benefits are putting financial pressure on instructional initiatives like the Alabama Reading Initiative and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative. "At some point, we're going to hurt what's working for us," McKinney said.

He also estimated that health insurance and retirement amount to $15,000 worth of compensation in addition to a teacher salary for a 180-day contract.

Growth in Alabama's tax revenue for schools has slowed, and State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton outlined funding increases totaling more than $220 million for the 2009 budget year. The board is scheduled to vote on the budget request Thursday.

Here are some highlights that are closely tied to teaching and learning:

• $15 million more for the Alabama Reading Initiative
• $15 million more for the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative
• $10 million more for ACCESS distance learning
• $7 million more for technology
• $5 million more for mentoring of new teachers (a recommendation of the Governor's Commission on Quality Teaching)
• $3.8 million more for teacher recruitment/preparation initiatives (a recommendation of the Governor's Commission on Quality Teaching)
• $3 million more for school-based rewards
• $1.5 million more for gifted education
• $30 more per teacher for professional development, for an increase of $1.4 million
• $400,000 more for Advanced Placement programs
• $250,000 more for Principal Leadership (a recommendation of the Governor's Congress on School Leadership)

Morton also voiced his support for expanding voluntary, state-funded prekindergarten.

The budget discussion was the most significant item on the agenda when the board met for a K-12 work session Oct. 25. All board members except the governor were present.

In other action, the board asked Morton to communicate with Time magazine and Bible Literacy Project, a textbook publisher. The publisher issued a misleading news release about Alabama's approval of a textbook called "The Bible and Its Influence," members said.

The state will begin offering $2.4 million in scholarships for teacher education students. Priority will be given to applicants who want to teach math, special education, science and English language arts. Applicants must be Alabama residents enrolled at in-state institutions, and recipients will be required to teach in Alabama. Scholarships will be available for traditional four-year undergraduate students as well as those pursuing a three-year alternative teaching license. The first awards will be announced by May 2008. Information on how to apply is not immediately available.

4. APT'S STATE OF OUR SCHOOLS

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton went on Alabama Public Television recently to discuss the State of Our Schools. If you'd like to hear his thoughts, the segment is archived at http://snipurl.com/mortononapt

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The A+ Education Foundation, based in Montgomery, publishes Education News in Alabama twice a month. A+ is a nonprofit organization that advances policies, programs and initiatives in Alabama's K-12 education system that result in high achievement by every child.

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