The Extra Yard, Vol. 3, Issue 2

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AUGUST 2019 | VOL. 3, ISSUE 2

A REWARDING JOURNEY

Survey Reveals Most of U.S. Teachers are Satisfied with Their Jobs

BY DAVID LEE

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t’s no secret that teachers don’t enter the teaching profession for the money. Yet, according to a recent worldwide survey, 90 percent of U.S. teachers said they are satisfied with their jobs, even while their top budget spending concern is the improvement of teacher salaries.

9,000 principals and 152,500+ teachers participated in the survey, including over 150,000 in lower secondary grades and another 2,500 from grades 7-9. The questionnaire asked teachers about their working conditions, professional practices, society’s value of the profession, the importance of professional The most rewarding part of the development, and much more. job as a teacher is watching “The most the lightbulb moments.” rewarding part of the ERICA STRAUSS job as a teacher is watching the lightbulb The Teaching and Learning moments,” said Erica Strauss, a International Survey was fifth-grade teacher at Uplift Peak coordinated by the Organization Primary School in Dallas. “As a for Economic Cooperation teacher, we are able to watch and Development. More than the scholar’s realization of their

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understanding and then support other scholars finding the same understanding.”

Pablo Gonzales, a Kindergarten and Bilingual Pre-K teacher at the Eladio R. Martinez Learning Center in Dallas, said he loves watching students learn to master skills.

“I will never forget when I witnessed my students reading

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independently for the first time,” Gonzales said. “It is incredibly rewarding to see your students be successful in the classroom. I have the privilege to be part of the process of a child beginning to master a skill that they will take with them for the rest of their life.”

Valuing the Teaching Profession

One interesting takeaway showed that just 36 percent of U.S. teachers think society values the teaching profession.

“Teachers love their jobs all across the globe, but our teachers, not unlike many teachers elsewhere, feel as though we don’t value the profession,” said Peggy Carr, the associate commissioner for assessment at the National Center for Education Statistics, which conducted the U.S. portion of the survey. “There’s a message there, I think, that we need to think about.”

LIGHTBULB MOMENTS: Teachers fully appreciate the times in which their students clearly learn, grow and thrive. The rewards of the profession are truly found in making a difference.

responsibility to mold the next generation,” said Courtney King, an eighth-grade English teacher at Thomas C. Marsh Preparatory Academy in Dallas. “As a result, I feel deeply appreciated by Society certainly values the my students’ teaching profession in the sense parents and my school community. that educators have a great However, society as responsibility to mold the next a whole often fails to recognize the generation.” complexity of the COURTNEY KING teaching profession When asked to elaborate on and esteem it in the high regard it this response, most teachers said deserves.” they feel that society values the “Families recognize the profession from a macro level, but importance of education and that doesn’t necessarily appreciate, teachers are the gateway to their or even know about, many of the children’s success,” Strauss said. details or complicated aspects of “They notice that teachers share the job. the responsibility to keep their “Society certainly values the children safe, as well as instill that teaching profession in the sense belief in the children who echo this that educators have a great respect.”

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Salaries vs. Satisfaction

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. teachers surveyed said improving teacher salaries was of high importance. Reducing class sizes was the secondhighest budget priority, with more than 57 percent of teachers in agreement.

“People do not become teachers for the salary, but I believe that when a teacher has a means to support themselves and their work in the classroom, there is an increased chance that the teacher could be more satisfied with their work,” Gonzalez said.

Strauss said that teachers are not appreciated monetarily, which can lead to teachers leaving the profession.

“Because of this, our students are not receiving the best education by the best people in the education system,” she said.

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The Need for Professional Development

According to the survey results, most U.S. teachers feel well-prepared to teach subject-area content.

More than half of the U.S. lower secondary teachers surveyed have a master’s degree, compared to about 41 percent of non-U.S. teachers, suggesting the demand and need for professional development for educators in the United States.

“It may be that American teachers feel they are sufficiently prepared to do their jobs, or it could be that they think the professional development opportunities they are offered are not particularly useful,” said James Lynn Woodworth, the commissioner of National Center for Education Statistics.

Nearly half of the U.S. teachers who participated in the survey noted work schedule conflicts as a major barrier keeping them from participating in professional development programs. Another reason was a lack of incentives for participation.

According to the survey, the top three areas of need for professional development are information and communication technology skills for teaching, teaching students with special needs, and approaches to individualized learning.

“Access to high-quality professional development has been paramount to my development as a teacher,” said Gonzalez.

“I have experienced professional development enhance my impact as a teacher by exposing me to new strategies and tools that I can use to better engage and teach my students, making an enormous impact in the experience that students have in my classroom,” said King.

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here is a current and future teacher shortage in many different teaching fields and in many communities across the country.

The CFP Foundation knows that students associated with college athletic programs offer a pool of individuals who reflect the desired characteristics and skills to be prime targets for recruitment into the field of teaching. The current population of student-athletes reflects the diversity we hope to eventually see reflected in the educator workforce. By providing athletic and academic departments a platform to assist with the marketing and recruitment of studentathletes and other students into the teaching profession, the Go Teach project can make an immediate impact across the country.

The more qualified candidates who enroll in teacher preparation programs, the more great teachers will be in the classroom.

The Go Teach Project aims to give athletic and academic departments a platform and the tools needed to assist with the recruitment of qualified student-athletes into the teaching profession. Any college can get the Go Teach Project started on their campus by following an easy eight-step process.

GO TEACH LONGHORNS: Texas is one of the first universities to embrace and offer the Go Teach program, designed for student-athletes with an interest to become teachers.

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QUALITY CARE

CFP Foundation’s Support of AutoZone Liberty Bowl Helps St. Jude Patients and Their Siblings BY JAIME ARON

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ince 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis has been saving and improving the lives of children stricken by cancer and other potentially fatal diseases.

Three years later, Memphis began hosting the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, with the game taking on an important philanthropic role in the community. It’s only natural that the game and the hospital became teammates from the start.

Flash forward about 50 years and the birth of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation. Through its flagship program, Extra Yard for Teachers, the organization is devoted to lifting educators, especially in the hometowns of bowl games. This emphasis on supporting education hit right at home in Memphis and at St. Jude.

The Extra Yard for Teachers program has played a key role

life-threatening challenges,” said Steve Ehrhart, the game’s Executive Director. “The School Program allows the children to maintain their schooling and helps defray the disruption their lives are already facing. The St. Jude teachers are continuing the kids’ education, keeping them on track and also by following These families at St. Jude up with their schools back home.” are in such tough situations The program has dealing with life-threatening two aims: continuing challenges.” educational activities and working to help STEVE EHRHART prepare students to in supporting a unique part of return to the classes they were the hospital: the St. Jude School forced to leave behind. This Program, through which patients includes resources for teachers and their siblings continue their who may need assistance with K-12 education while in Memphis. accommodating students when “These families at St. Jude are in they return from treatment. such tough situations dealing with Students who enroll in the

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program receive at least three hours of lessons per week. They’re encouraged to use books and assignments from their classrooms back home, and educators from the School Program coordinate with teachers from the patients’ and families’ hometowns.

The program employs six teachers, including two coordinators for English as a Second Language and a school liaison. The facilities include classrooms, offices for each teacher, a computer learning lab and a parent/family waiting area.

“It is an honor to partner with the Autozone Liberty Bowl to support the dedicated teachers at St. Jude Hospital,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “Through this grant, we are able to ensure that patients receiving care and treatment

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can also have access to effective teachers.”

Families come to St. Jude from all over the country because of the quality of care and for the price; all expenses are paid by St. Jude, including lodging.

While patients must be uprooted from home, siblings often come, too — either out of necessity or to maintain the family unit. The result is a number of school-age

November, game officials handed over a check for $250,136.03.

“The AutoZone Liberty Bowl has been a terrific partner of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for many decades,” said Richard C. Shadyac, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “This very generous contribution will be utilized to support the educational needs of the St. Jude faculty, staff and students who are so dedicated to the children The AutoZone Liberty Bowl at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.” has been a terrific partner of The deep resonance St. Jude Children’s Research of this partnership is Hospital for many decades.” befitting the history of the Liberty Bowl, RICHARD C. SHADYAC, JR. carrying on the ideals of youngsters who are not able to go its founder, A.F. “Bud” Dudley. to class. Seeing a need, the hospital After playing football at Notre addressed it with their own School Dame, where he was student body Program. The price to families, of president of the Class of 1943, course, is zero. This is where the Dudley enlisted in the Air Force.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl and the He earned the Distinguished Flying CFP Foundation come in, providing Cross among other honors for his significant six-figure donations bravery in flying 54 missions over annually. At a ceremony last Europe in World War II. After his term

of service, he returned to his native Philadelphia and became athletic director at Villanova.

Looking over the landscape of college football, Dudley realized bowl games were clustered in the South and West. He wanted one on the East Coast, so he created his own. He also wanted to honor his fellow soldiers and the freedom they fought to provide. Considering he was living in Philadelphia, the name “Liberty Bowl” made sense.

After several games played in cold weather, Dudley took the Liberty Bowl show on the road. The 1964 edition of the game became the bowl’s first indoors, played at the Atlantic City Convention Hall.

The following year, Dudley brought the game to Memphis, where it has remained ever since.

The charity tie-in runs so deep that a close look at the bowl game’s logo reveals the hospital’s name “St. Jude” across the bell’s yoke or handle.

Teams playing in the game always visit the hospital on their bowl trip and student-athletes spend time befriending patients and their families. News stories are broadcast to the student-athletes’ home markets, serving as important messaging for the hospital and its generous mission that no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.

In particular, Ehrhart recalled a spike in donations from New York in 1996, when Donovan McNabb and Syracuse played in the Liberty Bowl versus Houston.

“The bowl game is practically a four-hour nationwide opportunity to emphasize the wonderful mission of the hospital,” said Ehrhart. “We are so happy to offer this platform.”

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TOP TEACHERS

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n conjunction with the College Football Playoff Foundation, New Orleans Public Schools and other educational partners joined together in late May to celebrate the 11 finalists and seven winners of New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Award (NOETA).

The NOETA program was created in 2015 by New Schools for New Orleans. In the fall of 2018, New Orleans Public Schools took over the planning and execution of the program to honor more outstanding public-school teachers throughout all of the schools in New Orleans. The award was created to recognize these wonderful educators’ contributions

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rarely make headlines, but their impact endures long after their students leave their classrooms.

All of the finalists and award winners were selected based on: + their ability to drive student achievement, + their commitment to developing their skills as educators, + how they build relationships with their students, and + the impact they have had on their school community.

New Schools for New Orleans had 18 finalists and ultimately seven award winners. Additionally, all of

them have committed to return to their classrooms next year!

The finalists and winners for 2018-19 ranged in experience from three to 25 years, taught all core subjects and served all populations of students from Kindergarten to 12th grade. They included teachers who served special populations such as English Language Learners, students reading far below grade level, and students with special needs. Each winner was presented with a check for $2,000, a proclamation from the city, and a plaque of appreciation.

Congratulations to the 2018 New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Awards Winners!

PHOTO COURTESY OR ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

New Orleans Public Schools and CFP Foundation Honored Top Teachers with the New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Award

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2018 New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Award Winners Chiante Cunningham Harriet Tubman Charter School Katharine Goforth Cohen College Prep Stephen Goodly, Sr. Warren Easton Charter High School Kenneth Johnson Arthur Ashe Charter School Adam Kohler KIPP Booker T.Washington Ingrid Rachal Mary McLeod Bethune Camille Zaunbrecher George Washington Carver High School

Finalists Ashley Abbott Akili Academy of New Orleans Jeff Carver New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School Annie Davids Phillis Wheatley Community School Katherine Griesberger KIPP Believe College Prep (Dunbar) Eboni Jaggers Renew Cultural Arts Academy Robert McGriff Lake Area New Technology Early College High School Julia Miller Audubon Charter School Jestin Moorehead Morris Jeff Community School Elaine Pritchett Cypress Academy Nia Smith Eleanor McMain Secondary

AUGUST 2019 HONOREE

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Lou Bernieri

hen Lou Bernieri first took a teaching job at Phillips Academy Andover, in Andover, Massachusetts, he was in for an incredible culture shock. Hailing from Bensonhurst, a working-class section of Brooklyn, he had been a scholarship student at Poly Prep, in Brooklyn, and then played football at Harvard, where he had also received a scholarship. His working-class upbringing seemed a far cry from the hallowed halls of Andover.

“I didn’t even think I’d make it to year three,” he said.

But he has thrived at Andover for 42 years and counting. In addition to teaching English to precocious Andover students, the school also allowed him to develop and to nurture the Andover Bread Loaf program. The effort works with students There’s this quote by and teachers from Frederick Douglass: ‘It underserved communities is easier to build strong and uses writing and acting as tools to children than to repair engage, empowering broken men.’ That is them for leadership roles really what I feel is so at home and throughout special about Lou. I feel the country.

Bernieri’s former like he’s helping to raise student, Colleen Cronin, strong children.” nominated him to be COLLEEN CRONIN honored because of his encouragement to embrace her idiosyncrasies and allowing her to thrive intellectually during her difficult adjustment to life at Andover.

Cronin says, “There’s this quote by Frederick Douglass: ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.’ That is really what I feel is so special about Lou. I feel like he’s helping to raise strong children.”

Visit honored.org to read Lou Bernieri’s full story.

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