Dallas Day Two

Betsy Rogers, 2003 National Teacher of the Year

My mind and stomach are full tonight as I reflect on today. We got to hear from Lois Adams-Rodgers from the Council of Chief State School Officers who gave us a new challenge: "to educate children to levels higher than any time in history, to reach each and EVERY one of them and to carry out Mr. Veatch's challenge of NO EXCUSES, ALL THE TIME, GET IT DONE." This year is critical and historical in so many ways. The nation has new leadership and we have a new Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. We are facing an economic crisis like many of us have never witnessed. However, the one thing that is constant is public education is about zero-reject, to welcome each child, and to prepare them for learning in a global community. It is an exciting time to be an educator in America!

Next, we were inspired by 2003 National Teacher of the Year, Betsy Rogers. She shared with us her experience in helping to turn around a school in Alabama. The teachers and administration took a "throw away school" on Improvement for not meeting AYP to getting them to 100% at proficient or above. It was a moving story of caring and finding her "teacher voice" and no, I am not talking about the loud voice!! She found her student advocate voice! I have learned this week that is your "teacher voice." We can all be advocates and it doesn't matter if you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, or teacher. The students who need us most are the students we must advocate for daily. Her oath "Do not deprive HOPE" (Rick Stiggins) spoke to my heart as did her guiding question, "What can I do to make it better?" Can you imagine if every person asked themselves that question every day and then ACTED UPON their answer? Let's try it!

Whew - I am not done yet....because we also heard from Amy Starzynski with the Education Counsel. She spoke about Federal Education Policy and Legislation that are hot topics and being discussed. Although nothing is official, she does anticipate NCLB being "mended, not ended." I would personally like to see the "mending" part of it be a growth model. NCLB seems to be punitive for many not meeting AYP right now. There are examples of a 5th grade teacher getting students reading at the 2nd grade level up to the 4th grade level in one year, but yet still doesn't meet AYP. Her students made GREAT gains in one year, but sadly, it is not about how far you take them - only where they end up. We must start measuring student performance by GROWTH each year.

If you look real close, you can see my name being flashed on the background. They had all of our names and states rotating through at the Museum!

We concluded tonight with a visit to the Women's Museum. If you are ever in Dallas, you MUST visit this place. It is in association with the Smithsonian Institution and is the first comprehensive women's history museum in the United States. Learning about the women who sacrificed so much to give me the right to vote, to work, to lead, to educate is humbling. A surprise given to us tonight was from the University of Phoenix. They have created a Teaching It Forward Scholarship Program. This enables me to nominate a deserving high school senior in my state for a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Phoenix for 2 years. That is right- I can give any senior this scholarship. So, now I am interested if there is a senior ready to go to sunny Arizona and get an Associate Degree for FREE!!!! This has to be one of the most exciting and rewarding news I have had in awhile. Getting to impact a student's learning with a gift like this is humbling and brings tears to my eyes.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt