2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year Named

Jadun O. McCarthy, an English Language Arts teacher from Northeast Health Science Magnet High School in Bibb County, has been named the 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

Mr. McCarthy was named the winner of the award at the annual Georgia Teacher of the Year banquet held at the Georgia World Congress Center. As Georgia Teacher of the Year, he will serve as an advocate for public education in Georgia.

"Jadun McCarthy is going to be a great representative of the teaching profession in Georgia," said State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge. "He has such a compelling story about how education has impacted his life."

A product of the Bibb County School District, Mr. McCarthy initially was going to pursue a career in law. The night of his graduation from the University of Georgia School of Law, he realized that, instead of working in a system that locks up people, he would rather follow in the footsteps of the people who provided him the tools to be successful: his teachers.

"I wanted to have the same influence on someone that many of my wonderful teachers had on me. I wanted to stop some young man or young woman from stumbling onto the wrong path," says Mr. McCarthy. "I wanted to be a teacher."

Mr. McCarthy serves as the Academic Bowl Team Head Coach, chairs the school's 'Bridging the Gap' Eight-Step Process Achievement Initiative team, and is a member of the Georgia Association of Educators. Since 2007, he has been recognized each year as one of Northeast High School's End of Course Test Start Teachers. He also serves as the Junior and Senior Class Advisor, coordinates the Junior/Senior Prom and all Senior activities, including the annual Senior Class Trip to Orlando. Students have recognized him as the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Advisor of the Year.

As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Mr. McCarthy will represent Georgia teachers by speaking to the public about the teaching profession and possibly conducting workshops and programs for educators. He will also compete for the 2012 National Teacher of the Year.

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2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalists Announced

State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge announced March 1 the finalists for 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

The 10 finalists were chosen from a pool of 154 applicants who were selected as the Teacher of the Year in their school districts. The applications were read by a panel of judges that included teachers, past Georgia Teacher of the Year winners and finalists, administrators, community leaders and others. The finalists were chosen based on the strength of their essay responses.

"This is a strong group of outstanding educators who would each make a terrific 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year," said Superintendent Barge. "Congratulations to the finalists and to all those who applied for consideration. I know the judges had a very difficult job choosing just 10 finalists from this group of applicants."

Over the next several weeks, a panel of judges will observe and interview each of the finalists. The finalists will also give a speech at a luncheon sponsored by Georgia Power on April 1. The winner will be announced at the Georgia Teacher of the Year banquet on May 6, 2011, at the Georgia World Congress Center. The banquet, paid for through donations from sponsors, will honor each local district Teacher of the Year. A reception hosted by United Healthcare will be held prior to the banquet.

The 2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year will travel around the state and the nation, serving as an ambassador for the teaching profession. The winner will also be entered in the National Teacher of the Year competition.

The 2011 Georgia Teacher of the Year is Ms. Pam Williams, a teacher at Appling County High School. To learn more about Ms. Williams and the Teacher of the Year program, click on the following link: http://www.gadoe.org/ci.aspx?PageReq=TOTY 

2012 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalists (in alphabetical order by district)
Teacher, Subject, System, School

Jadun O. McCarthy, English Language Arts
Bibb County, Northeast Health Science Magnet High School

Ashlee J. Mitchell, Speech-Language Pathology
Bulloch County, Stilson Elementary School

Vicki Tarleton, Mathematics
Columbia County, Grovetown High School

Nancy Williams, Social Skills
Coweta County, Madras Middle School

Beth Sciarro, Reading
Houston County, Northside Elementary

Ivy K. Smith, Mathematics
Lowndes County, Pine Grove Middle

Christine W. Powell, Journalism, Art History and Literature
Muscogee County, Northside High School

Lisa Boyd, English Language Arts
Rockdale County, Salem High School

Melissa Webb, Second Grade
Savannah-Chatham, West Chatham Elementary School

Nancy C. Rogers, Literature
Thomas County, Thomas County Central High School

The Georgia Teacher of the Year Program is sponsored by United Healthcare.

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Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare Announces Sweepstakes Winners

Kudos to Georgia teachers Susan Hogan and Lexie Phillips for caring about our students!

Two teachers in each state have been chosen to receive a prize of two hundred books each from the Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program. These winners will then donate one hundred of the books to a local charity and keep one hundred for their own school. Winners were picked from more than 35,000 entrants in the 2010 "Care Where You Are Sweepstakes," an annual highlight of the Scholastic ClassroomsCare program, which donates more than a million books to children in need each year.

The Care Where You Are winning teachers, whose names are posted at http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/contests_home.htm#tcool will receive books and then can donate them to their local charity. In the past, Care Where You Are Sweepstakes winners have donated to children's hospitals, libraries, literacy centers and many other places that work with children in need. This year, Scholastic received more than double the number of entries from previous years.

According to Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, "We're so pleased that teachers are making time to help their students participate in the ClassroomsCare program. By entering the Care Where You Are Sweepstakes, teachers and their classes are showing their desire to help make a difference in their own community by reaching people most in need of quality books."

ClassroomsCare is an annual challenge to the one million classrooms that use Scholastic Book Clubs. Participating classes read for the cause, triggering a donation of a million books from Scholastic Book Clubs to ClassroomsCare's charity partners, such as Reach Out and Read, Save the Children and The Pajama Program. Books are then donated throughout the year to kids in preschool to middle school who in many cases wouldn't otherwise have books of their own. Since August 2010, more than 8,592,613 books were read as a result of the program in 100,000 classrooms.

By the numbers:

* 30,127,000* - kids have read for ClassroomsCare since 2001
* 10,000,000 - books donated to charities through ClassroomsCare
* 1,234,580 - classrooms have participated in ClassroomsCare
* 126,050,613 – Total Books Read because of ClassroomsCare


*The number of kids who have read for ClassroomsCare was calculated by multiplying the number of participating classrooms by 25.

Scholastic Book Clubs is a division of Scholastic (Nasdaq: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company.

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Toyota TAPESTRY Program Now Accepting Entries for 21st Annual Science Grant Competition

/PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program, the largest science teacher grant program of its kind in the nation, is now accepting entries for the 2011-2012 program year.

Sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the program offers $10,000 grants to K-12 teachers for innovative science projects that enhance environmental science education in their school and/or district over a one-year period.

Fifty $10,000 grants totaling $500,000 will be awarded this year. Individual science teachers or a team of up to five teachers can submit proposals in the category of environmental science education. Subcategories from which applicants may choose include: biotic (all living factors) and abiotic (all non-living factors such as pollution, oil, energy, human interventions, water, soil, air, temperature, etc.)

"For 21 years Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers have provided thousands of teachers and students the opportunity to further explore the wonders of science. The focus on environmental science for this year's awards is important and will help both teachers and students to better understand and appreciate critical environmental issues that can and will have an impact on our nation's future," said Francis Eberle, NSTA executive director. "We greatly value our relationship with Toyota and applaud them for their commitment to science education."

The focus on environmental education is a shift from previous years when proposals also were accepted in the areas of physical science and integrating literacy and science. The emphasis closely reflects Toyota's global mission to work in cooperation with society by building relationships with those making environmental preservation a priority, and also aligns with the trend that NSTA has seen in the rising percentage of applications submitted to the environmental science education category.

"The new concentration of this year's Toyota TAPESTRY program allows us to maximize our ability to encourage solutions that lead to greener communities and greener technologies," said Jim Lentz, TMS president and chief operating officer. "Toyota is honored to be celebrating more than two decades of recognizing exceptional teachers who inspire students to form passionate connections with science. We look forward to enhancing environmental education as a result of our continued partnership with NSTA and America's educators."

A judging panel convened by the NSTA will select the award-winning projects based on several criteria, including the teachers' innovative approach to teaching science and their ability to create a stimulating, hands-on learning environment.

Applicants must either be an elementary teacher who teaches science in the classroom or a middle or high school science teacher, with a minimum of three years teaching experience. Applicants must be residents of one of the 50 states or a resident of Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. territories including American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For more information about the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program or to learn how to apply, visit http://www.nsta.org/pd/tapestry/. Applications must be submitted no later than February 23, 2011 to be considered.

Since the program's inception in 1990, Toyota TAPESTRY grants totaling more than $9.2 million have been awarded to science teachers across the country. More than 2,000 teachers have used those funds to develop and execute extraordinary programs that helped hundreds of thousands of students nationwide make real-world connections with science.

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Georgia Southern University Works to Introduce Engineering to Schools around the U.S.

Georgia Southern University is working to bring engineering education to middle and high schools around the country, and a major part of that effort will take place this week at a summer institute for teachers.

Georgia Southern is hosting Project Lead the Way, which is a national effort to equip middle and high school teachers with the information and skills they need to incorporate engineering into their curriculum. Teachers from around Georgia and the U.S. will spend two weeks at the University participating in hands-on lessons and activities they can take back to their classrooms.

"This is an incredible opportunity for teachers and for their students," said Georgia Southern Mechanical and Electrical Engineering associate professor and Project Lead the Way affiliate director Aniruddha Mitra, Ph.D. "Project Lead the Way focuses on helping teachers really engage their students in engineering studies. The lessons the teachers will learn here and then take back to the classroom will be an important and valuable foundation for students who want to pursue engineering-related careers."

A major goal of Project Lead the Way is to boost both the number of students and diversity of students who pursue engineering degrees and careers. Georgia Southern University became a Project Lead the Way affiliate in 2006, and hosted its first summer institute a year later. In addition to the summer institutes, the University has also hosted events for guidance counselors. The University also handles certifications for Georgia schools participating in the Project Lead the Way program.

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NASA and NSTA Send Teachers Flying for Science in Microgravity

/PRNewswire/ -- NASA and the National Science Teachers Association, or NSTA, have selected high school teachers from Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Missouri, New York, North Carolina and Washington to fly an experiment in microgravity.

This flight opportunity will allow high school teachers and students to propose, design, fabricate, and evaluate an experiment the teachers will fly in a reduced gravity environment. The overall experience will include scientific research, hands-on design and test operations aboard a modified Boeing 727 jetliner. Zero-Gravity Corp. of Las Vegas will conduct the flights the week of July 29 to Aug. 7 in cooperation with the Reduced Gravity Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"This is another innovative NASA project for students and educators to work on actual flight projects that use the unique environment of space while applying their academic knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Joyce Winterton, associate administrator for Education at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

The teams selected to participate in the program are:
-- Delaware Agriscience Teachers, Middletown High School, Middletown,
Del.
-- Dover High School/Capital School District in Dover, Del.
-- A team of Einstein Fellows, who are teachers spending a year in
Washington at a congressional office or a federal agency
-- Fairport High School/Fairport Central School District in Fairport,
N.Y.
-- Fulton High School in Fulton, Mo.
-- Greensboro Day School in Greensboro, N.C.
-- Jackson High School in Jackson, Mo.
-- Jefferson County Public Schools and Trussville City Schools/Hewitt
Trussville High School in Homewood, Ala., and the University of
Alabama, Birmingham
-- Muscogee County School District in Columbus, Ga.
-- New Deal High School/New Deal Independent School District in New Deal,
Texas
-- Northbrook High School/Spring Branch Independent School District in
Houston
-- Van Alstyne High School/Van Alstyne Independent School District in Van
Alstyne, Texas


"For years NSTA and NASA have enjoyed a strong partnership that has benefited thousands of classroom science teachers," NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle said. "We are excited we can bring the experience of 'weightless science' to scores of teachers and students nationwide with this program."

Teachers and students will share their experiences and research in a series of interactive Web seminars after the flight week. The seminars are held by NSTA and NASA's Teaching From Space office and Reduced Gravity Flight Opportunities Program. Teaching From Space manages NASA's Education Flight Projects, a national program for educators and students in kindergarten through 12th grade that facilitates and promotes learning opportunities using unique NASA content, facilities and flight platforms.

"This is a unique way to engage students and teachers in hands-on science, as well as give them a ride of a lifetime," said Susan White, director of Education at Johnson Space Center. "Our goal is for that excitement to be carried into the classroom."

The opportunity is one of NASA's many educational outreach programs to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines critical to future space exploration missions.

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Seeking Nominations for Nation's First Online K-12 Teacher of Year Award

/PRNewswire/ -- The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) are seeking nominations for the first Online K-12 Teacher of the Year Award. The National Online Teacher of the Year Award is a new program that will recognize an outstanding online teacher for exceptional dedication and contributions to online K-12 education. A superintendent, principal, program director/manager, department chair, or any other supervisor of the teacher may nominate an online educator in any public school or state virtual school for the honor.

"Teachers are the real unsung heroes in online learning. Online teachers provide the gold standard in enabling 21st century models of student learning. Students spend more time online learning, writing, creating, playing, researching and working - and teachers are connecting and interacting with students in online courses to provide high-quality instruction, personalized learning and unprecedented access to world-class educational opportunities," said Susan Patrick, the President and CEO of iNACOL.

One top winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Virtual School Symposium (VSS) hosted by iNACOL, November 14-16, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. VSS will bring together more than 1,600 participants from national, state, district, private and other virtual school programs to explore trends and best practices in e-learning. Considered the nation's leading event in online education, experts in K-12 virtual education have robust networking opportunities, learn about the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in e-learning; interact in session presentations; and gain access to the latest research and best practices reports. The winner will be recognized at the iNACOL Annual Meeting on November 14 in Glendale and will be featured on the SREB and iNACOL websites.

Nominations for the Award must be submitted to SREB by April 16, 2010. Forms and complete rules are online at http://www.inacol.org/events/awards.php.

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2010 Siemens Teacher Scholarships Awarded

/PRNewswire/ -- The Siemens Foundation announced the winners of the 2010 Siemens Teacher Scholarship today in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The program provides scholarships to students enrolled in the nation's public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are pursuing teaching careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).

This unique program provides scholars with a fun, laboratory-style teaching opportunity through the Siemens Foundation's Siemens Science Day program (www.siemensscienceday.com), a nationwide initiative in partnership with Discovery Education that has reached more than 54,000 elementary and middle school students in 36 states since its inception in 2006. This year's scholars taught classrooms from New York to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"We know the value of good teachers, and we're committed to encouraging scholars who want to teach vital STEM subjects," said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, Vice President of the Siemens Foundation and graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. "Our Siemens Teacher Scholars have shown the type of enthusiasm and drive in science and technology that will inspire our next generation of innovators to pursue their dreams."

Mehrin Gadit, a senior Biology/Secondary Education major at York College, City University of New York, visited P.S. 120 in New York City to conduct her Siemens Science Day with fourth graders. "This was my first time interacting with students of this age, better yet my first time teaching them," she said. Mehrin's experiment helped students gain an understanding of how botanists define fruits, and about plant reproduction. "It is great that students get to exercise science by doing and discovering their own knowledge, instead of teachers lecturing to them. Inquiry-based lessons open up the mind of the student, letting them explore their options," she said.

"The Siemens Foundation's investment in increasing the pipeline of highly-qualified minority teachers in STEM fields directly addresses the national call to higher education to produce the caliber of students that will shape the future," said Dr. N. Joyce Payne, Founder, Thurgood Marshall College Fund. "Thurgood Marshall College Fund is proud to join efforts with the Siemens Foundation that has a long history of support of excellence in education, particularly in science and mathematics."

Morayo Adebiyi, a junior biology major at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, described her Siemens Science Day at nearby middle school: "I purposely targeted a school where the students were not performing well in the areas of science and math. My idea was to help these students develop a passion for these subjects and allow them to apply what they learned to their everyday lives." Morayo's activity helped students learn about elasticity and kinetic energy. Students learned how the height from which a ball is dropped affects how high it bounces. Students also learned about averaging and graphing. She brought a basketball to class so that the students could apply these topics to a game they all know and love. "This experience allowed me to be aware of the immediate need for passionate teachers in my community," she said.

A complete list of the 2010 Siemens Teacher Scholarship recipients follows:

Alabama A&M University
Britney White (Mathematics)

Alabama State University
Deshawn Sutton (Biology)
Hartrice Walker (Special Education)

Benedict College
Tinika Jacobs (Elementary Education)

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Charles Yongu (Elementary Education)

Claflin University
Tiasha Jones (Chemistry)
Walter Lee (Middle-Level Education)
April McPherson (Mathematics Education)
Devin Washington (Middle-Level Education)
Robert Platts (Mathematics Education)

Elizabeth City State University
Tiwana Walton (Mathematics Education)

Florida Memorial University
Ingrid Louis (Elementary Education)

Harris - Stowe State University
Deontrel Brownlee (Secondary Education)
Mary Davis (Elementary Education)
Michael Roessler (Secondary Mathematics)
Rico Smith (Teacher Education - Mathematics)
Lorinda Weinrich (Biology, Secondary Science)

Jackson State University
Zackery Hodge (Elementary Education)
Dzondria Tarver (Elementary Education)

Langston University
Aleshia Richardson (Mathematics Education)

LeMoyne-Owen College
Kimberly Nailor (Education)

Norfolk State University
Candace Myrick (Education)

North Carolina Central University
Tremain Holloway (Mathematics Secondary Education)
Timothy McAllister (Elementary Education)

Spelman College
Morayo Adebiyi (Biology)
Brittany Harris (Biology)
Monique Merritt (Biology)

University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Phylicia Gibbs (Mathematics Education)

University of the Virgin Islands
Rhashaunda Charles (Elementary Education)
Daniella Henry (Education)

Winston-Salem State University
Kari Dixon (Mathematics)

York College, City University of New York
Jasmaine Calizaire (Education)
Mehrin Gadit (Biology, Secondary Education)

Siemens Foundation

The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. Its signature programs include the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, and The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, which encourages K-12 students to develop innovative green solutions for environmental issues. In February 2010 the Siemens Foundation launched its newest initiative, The Siemens STEM Academy, a national STEM education program for teachers designed to support educators in their efforts to foster student achievement in these fields. By supporting outstanding students today, and recognizing the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps nurture tomorrow's scientists and engineers. The Foundation's mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens' U.S. companies and its parent company, Siemens AG. For further information, visit www.siemens-foundation.org.

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Website for Teachers Offers Expanded Research-Based Resources for In-School and Out-of-School Learning

PRNewswire- Teachers and parents will find a one-stop-shop for standards-based classroom resources at the new-and-improved ReadWriteThink.org (http://www.readwritethink.org/), the popular website developed by International Reading Association (IRA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and Verizon Thinkfinity in 2002 to provide reading and language arts educators with access to an ever-growing collection of free educational materials.

Launched in mid-January 2010, the redesigned site features improved organization and navigation tools that make it easier to browse among hundreds of standards-based lesson plans, timely activities, recommended book lists, printable worksheets, and interactive tools so that users can quickly find the right resources to support teaching and learning.

Intuitive design is at the core of the new site which features collections by grade-level, as well as collections dedicated to learning outside of the classroom, and professional development.

Every lesson plan at ReadWriteThink.org has been aligned to individual state standards, which can be viewed easily in the new design.

Teachers can also support their students' learning beyond the classroom by referring parents and after-school care providers to the site's new after-school resources section, which features tips and how-to's, activities and projects, podcasts, and online tools.

ReadWriteThink.org owes its success to a dedicated community of literacy professionals who write and review lesson plans and other materials. Through the new Communities section, users can go behind the scenes to learn about the authors and reviewers that inspire, educate, and show how ReadWriteThink.org is making a difference.

Users can add their own comments and share their experiences and ideas, as well as e-mail and bookmark resources on the site. Other social networking opportunities are available through RWT's fan page on Facebook.

"ReadWriteThink.org has always been a deep resource," says International Reading Association President Kathy Au. "The improvements to the site make it even more meaningful by bringing users directly to the content they need and by creating a community of educators and learners. Improving literacy learning has always been our goal; the new site achieves that by helping -- and connecting -- everyone in the circle, from educators to parents to students."

NCTE president Carol Jago invites, "Hungry for fresh ideas to make learning come alive in your classroom? ReadWriteThink is a cornucopia of teaching produce that will nourish both you and your students. Created by classroom teachers who know how quickly lessons can grow stale, this virtual basket is easy to access and yours for the taking. To paraphrase the title of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir, Eat Teach Love."

The International Reading Association is a professional membership organization dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit.

The National Council of Teachers of English has been dedicated to building teacher knowledge and improving student achievement in English language arts since its founding in 1911.

Verizon Thinkfinity is the cornerstone of Verizon Foundation's literacy, education, and technology initiatives. Their goal is to improve student achievement in traditional classroom settings and beyond by providing high-quality content and first-class professional development training.

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Teach For America Offers Hispanics the Opportunity to Have a Positive Impact in Their Community

/PRNewswire/ -- Teach For America, the prestigious national team of teachers, announced today that it will soon end their selection period for new teachers for the 2010-2011 school year. The final deadline for submitting applications is February 19, 2010. Those interested can obtain information about requirements and present their applications online at www.teachforamerica.org.

Teach For America is a non-profit organization whose goal is to eradicate inequality in education through the recruitment and training of professionals and outstanding recent college graduates from all backgrounds and professional areas. The organization offers them an excellent opportunity to help their communities while at the same time allowing them to obtain a full-time job with a competitive salary, health benefits, financial support and training in different areas to ensure their success as educators and offer them the tools to become leaders and highly qualified professionals inside or outside the field of education. Additionally, becoming a member of Teach For America carries great prestige. BusinessWeek's 2009 ranking of "Best Places to Launch a Career" Teach For America came in at #7 and for the third year in a row was the top ranked non-profit organization.

Teach For America seeks individuals from all origins who have demonstrated leadership skills, high achievement in academic and extracurricular activities as well as in their work and family responsibilities. They will dedicate themselves to teaching in public schools, both in urban and rural areas, for a period of two years, offering the students in these low income communities, such as Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Chicago and Dallas, the opportunity to receive a high standard of education that is comparable to that found in schools in higher-income communities.

This 2009-2010 school year, Teach For America placed more than 4,000 new teachers in public schools in low-income communities across the country, representing the largest incoming corps in its history. They are now teaching in 35 urban and rural regions in over 100 school districts in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Some 7.3% identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino, which represents an increase of over 1.3% compared with the previous school year.

Although students in low-income communities have the potential to reach the same academic levels as those students in more affluent communities, they confront additional challenges associated with growing up in poverty. On average at a national level, nine year-old students who live in low-income communities are academically three grade levels below students who live in high-income communities. Only 50% of these low-income students will graduate from high school, and those who do, on average, perform on an eighth-grade level. Only one in every 10 of these students will obtain a college degree. This considerably affects Hispanic students, who are three times as likely to live in low-income communities.

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TMA Offers $5,000 Cash Prize to Outstanding Teacher

/PRNewswire/ -- The Turnaround Management Association, the premier nonprofit organization representing the corporate restructuring industry, is accepting applications for the 2010 Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Award.

The program recognizes K-12 classroom teachers who have changed students' lives and the communities where they teach. Established in 2004 with a grant from the John Wm. Butler Foundation, Inc., the award is named in honor of Leslie Bender Butler and Cindy Butler Cooley, relatives of a former TMA chairman and teachers who collectively have spent more than 50 years influencing children's lives.

TMA will award a $5,000 cash stipend and cover travel and lodging expenses for one teacher to attend the TMA 2010 Spring Conference, April 20-22, at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York, NY. Entries are due February 1.

Nominees must:
-- Be licensed and active elementary or secondary (K-12) school teachers
-- Teach at an accredited public or private school
-- Have at least five years of teaching experience
-- Have taught the equivalent of 20 hours per week (based on at least a
nine-month academic calendar year) for at least five of the prior
seven years

Guidelines, entry forms and lists of previous winners are available at http://www.turnaround.org/About/Awards.aspx.

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NASA Selects Georgia Teacher Hallstrom to Inspire Next Generation Explorers

/PRNewswire/ -- Susan Hallstrom, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School teacher in Shawnee, Ga., has been awarded a fellowship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project was created to allow teachers an opportunity to carry back to the classroom a greater understanding of NASA discoveries to inspire a next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers and astronauts.

"Through the program, educators learn how to deliver cutting-edge science into the classroom, promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education," said Joyce Winterton, assistant administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This includes proven NASA and NASA-sponsored educational resources to meet specific learning goals."

The program provides workshops and online graduate courses with NASA content and materials with a focus towards students in K-12 classrooms. NASA is also working in partnership with state departments of education to ensure program participation is accredited towards state certification requirements.

Project fellows will earn graduate credit and a certificate of completion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from Teachers College, Columbia University, N.Y.

The project is administered by the U.S. Satellite Laboratory Inc., of Rye, N.Y. Funding for the program is provided through the NASA Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund, in tribute to the dedicated crew of the space shuttle Challenger.

For additional information about the Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project and other NASA education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/educatio.

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NASA Selects Georgia Student Teacher to Inspire Next Generation Explorers

/PRNewswire/ -- David Yenerall, North Georgia College and University student teacher in Dahlonega, Ga., has been awarded a fellowship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project was created to allow teachers an opportunity to carry back to the classroom a greater understanding of NASA discoveries to inspire a next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers and astronauts.

"Through the program, educators learn how to deliver cutting-edge science into the classroom, promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education," said Joyce Winterton, assistant administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This includes proven NASA and NASA-sponsored educational resources to meet specific learning goals."

The program provides workshops and online graduate courses with NASA content and materials with a focus towards students in K-12 classrooms. NASA is also working in partnership with state departments of education to ensure program participation is accredited towards state certification requirements.

Project fellows will earn graduate credit and a certificate of completion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from Teachers College, Columbia University, N.Y.

The project is administered by the U.S. Satellite Laboratory Inc., of Rye, N.Y. Funding for the program is provided through the NASA Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund, in tribute to the dedicated crew of the space shuttle Challenger.

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New fellowship program draws STEM majors to teaching in public schools

Ten recent graduates or professionals in mathematics and science have returned to classes at the University of Georgia this fall to become future math and science teachers in Georgia’s public schools, thanks to a new scholarship program in the UGA College of Education, funded by nearly $1 million in federal grants.

The Noyce Fellows program provides scholarships and stipends for science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors and professionals to attain a teaching certificate or a graduate education degree in exchange for a two-year commitment to teach in a high-needs public school in Georgia.

The program, based in the college’s department of mathematics and science education, was originally funded by a four-year, $750,000 National Science Foundation grant which will support three cohorts of 10 fellows each to complete teacher certification and a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree.

Now, the NSF has awarded the department an additional $150,000 to support four more scholars per cohort, thanks to funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Those four fellows will be added in January to the original 10 who began the program this fall. A second cohort will start in summer or fall 2010 and a third will begin in summer or fall 2011.

“The program is helping us attract highly qualified individuals to teacher careers in science and mathematics to overcome the teaching shortage in these critical fields,” said Denise Mewborn, principal investigator and head of the department of mathematics and science education. “Many of these individuals are giving up lucrative jobs to change careers, so the support the fellowship provides is essential.”

The fellows, who range from recent college graduates to those with years in the workplace, have found themselves drawn to the world of teaching.

Courtney Boehlke, a fellow in this year’s cohort, worked for nine years as a research technician and coordinator for a large lab in UGA’s cell biology department.

“I recently took a good look at what I felt was the most rewarding part of my job,” said Boehlke, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from UGA. “I enjoyed my role as a teacher most. I find my greatest fulfillment in sharing my knowledge with others and seeing their faces when they understand a difficult concept. It is my hope that my career change will allow me to move out of the lab and to pass on my passion for science and learning to future generations of scientists.”

After tutoring college students in mathematics for five years, Priscilla Alexander, a recent graduate of Paine College in Augusta, changed her career plans because she recognized a need for more qualified math teachers in high school classrooms.

“I earned my undergraduate degree in mathematics and planned to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics, but I decided that mathematics education would be more conducive to my career goals,” said Alexander. “Most of all, I want to make a change when it comes to educating future mathematicians.”

Jamie York began to question her career goals after three years as an engineer. She took a strategic approach by researching potential careers and talking with more than 30 people in the teaching field.

“My desire is for a career that has a lasting impact, not simply a bottom line,” said York, who has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech. “I also have a growing desire to work with youth, specifically those at risk. Having spent time volunteering with tutoring programs, at-risk youth mentoring programs, and high school discipleship groups, this desire has only continued to grow over the years. Finding a career path that integrated both my passion and my skill set was exactly what I was looking for.”

The fellowship provides financial support, including tuition, fees and a stipend of $4,000 to cover living expenses and books, for gaining certification to teach secondary mathematics or science as well as a graduate degree in those fields.The fellows will proceed through a carefully structured four-semester (summer-fall-spring-summer) program designed to help them develop subject matter knowledge for teaching and implement that knowledge in diverse school settings.

The Robert Noyce Scholarship program has funded four similar fellowship programs in Georgia at Clark Atlanta, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, and Kennesaw State universities.There are about 250 of these programs across the nation, ranging from $60,000 to $1.8 million.

For more information on the Noyce Fellowship Program at UGA, see www.coe.uga.edu/mse/nsf_info.html.

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2009 Great American Teacher of the Year is Named

The Ron Clark Academy, in conjunction with Great American Financial Resources, selected its first Great American Teacher of the Year – Dr. Aimée Burgamy. Burgamy is a middle school art teacher in Lilburn, GA, who serves as the lead teacher for twenty-five middle school art teachers in Gwinnett County. She is the winner of the National Art Association's Jr. National Art Honor Society Sponsor of the Year award and was recently named as her District Teacher of the Year. Burgamy received her PhD in Art Education from University of Georgia in 2009.

The hour-long awards gala, which was broadcast LIVE to millions of viewers via public access channels and web streams, was held at the W Atlanta Midtown Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Burgamy was one of five finalists selected by an esteemed panel of judges, who voted Friday afternoon on the winner. During her acceptance speech with some of her students by her side, Burgamy energetically expressed the importance of highly creative and effective teachers. She also encouraged those members of the audience with an interest in teaching, “to join in on the fun!”

The 2009 Great American Teacher receives a cash gift totaling $15,000 from Great American Financial Resources - $10,000 for personal use and $5,000 for his/her school, a Promethean Active classroom, a Complete Audio Enhancement System for his/her classroom, a DELL Color-Laser printer for his/her classroom and a personalized DELL Tablet PC.

Sponsors of the 2009 Great American Teacher Awards include Great American Financial Resources, Inc.; The Coca-Cola Company; Comcast Communications, Inc.; Verizon Wireless, Delta Air Lines, the preferred air line of The Ron Clark Academy; Promethean; DELL, Inc.; Audio Enhancement; Presentation Services; Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia, Inc., Image Master Productions; and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Please visit www.ronclarkacademy.com to learn more about next year’s awards. To see a rebroadcast schedule of this year’s awards show, please visit the Florida Education Channel website at www.fec.tv. Comcast will also feature highlights of the program during its Red Carpet segment on CNN Headline News in early December.

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Georgia Tech to Transform Unemployed Technology Workers into High School Computing Teachers

(BUSINESS WIRE)--In today’s economy, unemployment rates have spiked and out-of-work professionals are forced to either join the thousands looking for jobs or seek new career paths. Through a recent $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the Georgia Tech College of Computing will mitigate the stress of joblessness for unemployed information technology (IT) professionals over the next three years. Operation Reboot, as the project is aptly titled, will transform an initial set of 30 IT workers in Georgia into high school computing teachers. The initiative began September 1.

Operation Reboot will combine Georgia Tech's innovative high school computing teacher training program and the successful Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (GaTAPP) to pair an IT worker with an existing computing teacher. They will co-teach at least two computing classes for one year, allowing the IT professional to learn the ins and outs of a classroom and the teacher to get an education in IT. Simultaneously, the IT worker will receive an initial teaching certificate and a computer science endorsement, a special area of expertise for teachers to add on to their certification.

“A teacher's motivation, self efficacy, job satisfaction and commitment to teaching are closely linked with their professional identity,” Barbara Ericson, Director of Computing Outreach at the College of Computing and principal investigator for Operation Reboot, said. “Through the teacher workshops at Georgia Tech, courses needed for certification, co-teaching and mentoring we will transform these IT worker's identity into that of a computing teacher.”

Operation Reboot ultimately aims to improve the computing education of 4,600 students over the next three years by increasing the number of well trained computing teachers and the number of computing classes being offered. By creating highly engaging curricular materials, improving the content and educational knowledge of computing teachers, Georgia Tech expects the number of students receiving a computing education to increase by at least 30 percent. This is especially important for the economy and students interested in computing careers, as jobs in the field are expected to be some of the fastest growing through 2016.

With computing a critical component of every American business, the need for innovative, skilled IT professionals is more vital than ever. The demand for IT professionals, as predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is not currently being met by computer science enrollments in American universities and the United States still faces a tough challenge in remaining competitive in overall science and technology education.

Georgia Tech will publish results of the project and share materials with other states to serve as a model on how to successfully transform unemployed IT workers into high school computing teachers.

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Office Depot Honors Georgia Educators with Teacher Appreciation Breakfast and Benefits

Teachers Provided With A 10% Discount on Qualifying School Supplies, Complimentary Products, 50% Back in Rewards on Select Products* Purchased on Saturday, And A Free Networking Breakfast On August 1 In Celebration Of Back To School

Office Depot® (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, is hosting a celebration for Atlanta-area teachers as they get ready to head back into the classroom. Taking place this Saturday, the special Teacher Appreciation Breakfast will be held at Office Depot retail stores in the following areas: Atlanta, Athens, Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Glynn, Gordon, Hall, Macon, Thomas, and Whitefield County.

Both new and existing members of the Office Depot Star Teacher Program are invited to enjoy 10% savings all this week on qualifying in-store purchases* and attend Saturday’s event, which will include a breakfast, bonus rewards and a complimentary tote bag and flash drive with discounts and offers to be used throughout the upcoming school year.

Educators attending the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast on Saturday will receive 50% back in Rewards* on products from the following event sponsors: Crayola®, Expo®, Five Star®, Mead, Paper Mate® and Sharpie.

The Office Depot Star Teacher Program provides members with special promotions, discounts and offers to help teachers stretch their classroom budgets in these challenging economic times. Pre-K through 12th grade classroom teachers are eligible to be a member of the Office Depot Star Teacher program. Enrollment in the program is free and can be done at any Office Depot store or online at www.mystarteacher.com. Ask a store associate for details or visit www.mystarteacher.com for more information.

Star Teacher Program benefits include year-round offers, including10% back on ink, toner and paper purchases, an instant 15% off Design, Print, & Ship Depot services, PLUS an additional 1% back on almost everything else.* Membership in the Star Teacher Program is free.
To find your local Office Depot store, please visit www.officedepot.com/stores.
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NASA Grant Targets STEM Teachers

Georgia teachers will have the opportunity to hone their instructional skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as a result of a $3 million NASA grant awarded to the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The Electronic Professional Development Network Grant is designed to help Georgia Tech, in tandem with Orbit Education, Inc., prepare, produce, deliver and evaluate NASA-related online courses, workshops and experiences for the benefit of STEM educators in Georgia and across the nation. Courses and workshops will emphasize best practices, incorporating inquiry learning, case-based scenarios and data analysis actively into the programs. Georgia Tech’s Distance Learning and Professional Education (DLPE) and Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) will be the lead units on the project.

“This project will allow Georgia Tech to reach a community of educators, enabling them to better prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists while enhancing their own careers”, says Dr. Nelson Baker, vice provost for Distance Learning and Professional Education (DLPE).

The five-year project will utilize existing NASA products and data. CEISMC, Georgia Tech’s K-12 educational outreach center, regularly conducts teacher professional development workshops face-to-face with Georgia teachers.

“We are eager to translate these professional learning experiences into an electronic format”, says Dr. Marion Usselman, CEISMC senior research scientist. “This will enable us to reach teachers who otherwise don’t have access to STEM professional development and to help move towards a more environmentally sustainable model where teacher and staff developers aren’t required to drive long distances to effectively get together.”

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UWG Receives Grant Funds to Train Teachers

The University of West Georgia received $100,000 in Higher Education Improving Teacher Quality grants to offer three professional development workshops for elementary, middle and high school teachers.

The programs are funded approximately 80 percent in grants from the PL107-110 Title II-Part A, No Child Left Behind Act.

Dr. Sharmistha Basu-Dutt, associate professor of chemistry, Dr. Joy Black, assistant professor of mathematics and Dr. Gail Marshall, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, will use these grants to train teachers from around the state in effective methods of teaching and learning in the sciences and mathematics.

Dr. Roy Forbes, director of the Evaluation Center in the College of Education, will assist with evaluation of the programs and implementation of training in the K-12 classrooms. Programs funded through these grants will be available beginning this summer and are titled: “Helping Teachers to Incorporate Inquiry and Nature of Science in the Elementary Classroom;” “Training for Technology Integration in Middle and Secondary Science & Mathematics;” and “High School Chemistry Laboratory: A Contextual & Inquiry Based Teaching Approach.”

Teacher Quality funds are used to strengthen and deepen teachers’ content knowledge, teaching practices and student learning in academic subjects including science, mathematics, language arts, reading and social studies at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in public and private schools.

For more information about the grant and workshops, contact the professors at sbdutt@westga.edu, jblack@westga.edu and gmarshal@westga.edu. To learn about other Teacher Quality programs, visit http://www.coe.uga.edu/teacherquality/projects.html.

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Georgia State College of Education prepares high school students to be teachers

Georgia State University’s College of Education is working to meet the teacher shortage by preparing the next generation of science and math educators.

Each summer, the college hosts the Advanced Academy for Future Teachers, a three-week, math and science-based program for rising high school juniors and seniors from Atlanta Public Schools and other metro systems.

This year’s academy will be held June 8-26 at Georgia State’s downtown campus. The Advanced Academy for Future Teachers is now seeking motivated Atlanta area high school students who want to build the teaching skills and explore the profession in an urban environment.

Applications are due by April 30. Information is available online at: http://education.gsu.edu/aaft. Or, call 404-413-8121 with any questions.

Since 2001, the college, working with the Atlanta Public School system, has prepared over 240 high school students. As a reward for successful completion of the program, they collect a $200 stipend.

At the academy, students focus on math and science concepts as they acquire teaching and tutoring skills. They also develop personal insights that enhance teamwork and leadership opportunities.

“It’s been great working with other students who want to be teachers. Everyone has different approaches and different ideas,” said Sarah Gibson, who participated in last summer’s academy when she was a senior from Pope High School in Marietta, Ga.

Students collaborate with faculty, attend educational workshops and participate in other personal and professional development activities. They focus on teaching pedagogy, math and science content as well as communication and interpersonal skills.

Students also have an opportunity to teach their peers both individually and in groups. Their presentations are later reviewed by their classmates, who offer praise and advice on how they might improve.

“This is the experience I need to learn about teaching and to prepare myself,” said Bianca Poindexter, who participated in last summer’s academy as a senior at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta.

Applications are online and can be submitted three ways: Scan and send electronically to AAFT@gsu.edu, fax to 404-413-8103 or mail to Laurie Forstner, AAFT Coordinator, Georgia State College of Education, P.O. Box 3980, Atlanta, Ga., 30302-3980.

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