The Extra Yard, Vol. 3, Issue 6

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FEBRUARY 2020 | VOL. 3, ISSUE 6

CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION Teachers + Extra Yard for Teachers + CFP Title Game = Lots of Fun

BY JAIME ARON

T

he saying in Cajun country is laissez les bon temps rouler.

It translates to “let the good times roll,” which might as well be the motto for all New Orleans visitors.

It also could be the name of the highlight video for the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship weekend experience in New Orleans for local teachers and for the state Teachers of the Year.

Through the CFP Foundation, and its primary platform Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT), the weekend was as much a showcase for educators as it was for college football.

In its mission statement, EYFT vows to elevate the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers through the implementation of programs

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in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development. Each was on display in the Big Easy.

Resources? The events kicked off with the unveiling of a media room makeover at MIGHTY MAKEOVER: KIPP Central City School in KIPP Central City New Orleans received a media center makeover, Academy, a school courtesy of the CFP Foundation, the New Orleans about a mile from College Football Championship Host Committee, the Superdome. The School Specialty, and Veative. total investment in New Orleans classrooms through Recruitment? That and its DonorsChoose.org was $340,000, professional sibling “retention” are supporting 795 projects, 747 the core of the $2.5 million, multiteachers, 426 schools and over year investment into local schools 93,000 students. by the CFP Foundation.

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Recognition and professional development? The Extra Yard for Teachers Summit was a beautiful blend of both.

Experience, presented by Dr Pepper, their names again scrolled on video boards during the game and every teacher in attendance stood and soaked in the cheers.

Pride radiated among This whole weekend all the honorees, including showcased the positive and National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, magic that is the unique Missouri Teacher of the culture of our area.”

Year Shelly Parks (and LOUISIANA TEACHER OF THE YEAR her 7-month-old son, SPENCER KIPER Judah, who soaked it all The ultimate recognition, though, in from a carrier on her chest) and came before LSU’s thrilling victory the hometown favorite, Louisiana over Clemson, when state Teachers Teacher of the Year Spencer Kiper. of the Year were celebrated on the “This whole weekend showcased field before kickoff. All part of the the positive and magic that is the Teacher of the Year Championship unique culture of our area,” Kiper

said. “It was fantastic the way that the College Football Playoff Foundation tapped into that.”

Among the many events Kiper and his cohort enjoyed: festivities at Playoff Fan Central, concerts at AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!, a celebration of food and drink from local kitchens at the Eckrich Taste of the Championship presented by

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK REWIND: A look back at the memorable sights and sounds of the events surrounding the 2020 CFP National Championship in New Orleans!

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Thrillist, pregame hype at Allstate Championship Tailgate Plaza and the various delights always found in and around the French Quarter.

The event most worthy of detailing is the EYFT Summit because it was a manifestation of the “inspiring and empowering” part of the CFP Foundation’s mission statement.

The event was a cross between a concert, a pep rally and a TED Talk. There was a competition between two high school bands that ended with each school receiving a $3,000 donation. Plus there were giveaways galore, from classroom makeovers to gift cards from Donors Choose to national championship game tickets.

It opened with a national slam poetry champion performing his winning act and a thank-you to teachers from Rachel Lindsay, CFP Foundation ambassador who is of “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” fame. A similar appreciation came from Louisiana native Lauren Daigle two days before she sang the national anthem at the CFP National Championship.

Follow @CFPExtraYard as we celebrate the love of teaching all week long during #LoveTeaching2020 Week.

You can change the course of someone’s life, you can change their history.”

LAUREN DAIGLE

“You can change the course of someone’s life, you can change their history,” Daigle said. “It is amazing. So I have the utmost respect for all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Other speakers included New Orleans Public Schools

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Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Dr. Bernard Harris, a former astronaut turned CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative, 2017 National Teacher of the Year Sydney Chaffey and Robinson, the current National Teacher of the Year.

Robinson talked about the need for male African American students to see more male African American teachers. He encouraged other educators to break down any and all barriers for their students.

“We need you to be revolutionary,” he said. “We need you to be courageous. We need you to fight for all people, unite all people.”

When he left the stage, a video played for someone who couldn’t

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SUMMIT SPEAKERS: Eddie B (left) entertained and the crowd also heard from current and former Teachers of the Year. make it but wanted to address this audience.

“I simply want to say thank you,” former First Lady Michelle Obama said. “Thank you for everything you

do to support your students and your schools. Thank you for the long days and nights, for the early morning meetings with the parents, for the lunches you skipped to help

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out a student. You all are changing lives each and every day.”

Obama is the spark behind Reach Higher, an organization working to help students extend their education beyond high school.

Reach Higher brought a group of high school counselors to be part of the national championship weekend for the first time.

The event culminated with a raucous performance by teacherturned-comedian Eddie B. Some of his best lines were too colorful to be quoted here. Judging by the laughs and cheers from his fellow teachers, good times were certainly rolling.

Also from the national championship weekend … + Crank up the volume for the Battle of the Bands featuring students from Ben Franklin Elementary Mathematics & Science School and from the Mary D. Coghill Elementary School + Read what LSU, Clemson players said about influential teachers in their lives + Read about the teacher who got in shape for the Extra Yard 5K — and beat his goal

THANK YOU, NFL FOUNDATION EXTRA YARD FOR TEACHERS WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE NFL FOUNDATION, WHO STEPPED UP AROUND THE 2020 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF TO SUPPORT TEACHERS.

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or the first time ever, as a result of a partnership between the CFP Foundation and the NFL Foundation, the NFL Charity Auction featured former college football and NFL player autograph items, CFP Semifinal and National Championship game tickets, Super Bowl Game and experiences, as well as a chance for a college football fan to sponsor a surprise school funding.

A total of just more than $81,000 was raised to support the College Football Playoff Foundation and its Extra Yard for Teachers initiatives.

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FULFILLING PROMISES

New Orleans Teacher Surprised with Funding of Classroom Projects

PHOTO BY SCOTT CLARKE/ESPN IMAGES

S

urprising teachers with the news that their classroom projects have been funded is a lot of fun. In fact, they are some of the best days of the year for the CFP Foundation. Such a day came just earlier this month in New Orleans Public Schools and Jefferson Parish Schools, where some lucky teachers learned that their projects were flash-funded through DonorsChoose. org. The surprise funding fulfills the $100,000 donation made by ESPN and the CFP Foundation, announced at the 2020 CFP National Championship in New Orleans on January 13.

The funding was split between the two school districts, as projects were submitted by teachers through DonorsChoose.org, the national nonprofit with a platform that makes it possible for teachers from every corner of America to create and request funding for their classroom

NSTANT IMPACT: ESPN and the CFP Foundation celebrated five years of partnership with a $100,000 pledge to public schools in the New Orleans area.

while middle and high school projects were funded in Jefferson Parish Schools.

“Days like today are so rewarding,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky.

Funding these projects impacts “We are thrilled to be able to make these thousands of students in dreams a reality for these classrooms and gives teachers throughout New Orleans Public wonderful teachers the tools Schools and Jefferson they need to succeed. There Parish Schools. were plenty of smiles today and Funding these projects impacts we love to see them.” thousands of students BRITTON BANOWSKY in these classrooms and gives wonderful projects. Distribution for New teachers the tools they need to Orleans Public Schools centered succeed. There were plenty of smiles around elementary school projects, today and we love to see them.”

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The funding resulted from ESPN and the CFP Foundation coming together to celebrate its five-year partnership of the Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) initiative.

A special in-game presentation was held on the field during the 2020 CFP National Championship to commemorate the five-year anniversary. ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro and CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock joined teacher and student representatives from New Orleans Public Schools and Jefferson Parish Schools and presented them with a $100,000 check, designated for resources for area educators and students.

ESPN has invested more than $2 million toward EYFT over the last five years as one of the first partners to support the CFP Foundation and the

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initiative through its programming.

EYFT has supported more than 250,000 teachers nationwide and positively impacted more than six million students.

New Orleans is challenged with recruiting and retaining top teachers, and consequently 900 public school teachers leave the profession each year. To address this problem, the CFP Foundation, with the support of the College Football National Championship Host Committee and ESPN, has established a Teacher Recruitment Coalition with New Schools New Orleans and New Orleans Public Schools to recruit qualified teachers from local universities, while also supporting the University of New Orleans to develop more high-quality teachers within the city. For the 2019-20 academic year, as a result of the investments in student teaching stipends and classroom resources, more than 130 University of New Orleans students have completed their field experiences and current teacher satisfaction has increased within New Orleans Public Schools.

Additionally, the CFP Foundation, in partnership with New Schools for New Orleans, is funding professional development for nine school networks (28 individual schools), where administrators are receiving individualized coaching and resources from across the country on best practices and systems to retain their teachers.

The Extra Yard for Teachers platform, established in 2014 has been successful in supporting and uplifting teachers. The initiative has collectively invested approximately $30 million nationally in support of education.

FEBRUARY 2020 HONOREE

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Julie Dooley

t Hagemann Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri, fourth grade teacher Julie Dooley has made it her mission to empower her students to take control of their education. When the students walk in each day, they select from a variety of chairs and tables — office chairs, bar stools, Busch Stadium seats, and bouncy balls, as well as round, square, high, low, and even tables with whiteboard tops so that students can write on the surface. Dooley encourages her students to decide for themselves which combination will work best for them on that particular day. From the way that they are seated to the way they learn math, Dooley seeks in every way to inspire, empower, and engage her students.

Dooley, who is described by her principal as a leader I’m not just their among her colleagues, says of teacher. I’m her students, “I’m not just their someone they can teacher. I’m someone they can go to, someone who cares. It’s not go to, someone just about academics. When you who cares.” build a relationship with students, JULIE DOOLEY academics happen naturally. And those relationships carry through over time. When I get a text from an ex-student who wishes me a happy birthday or when students come back and visit, I know that I’ve impacted their life somehow, without it even being said, and I’m thankful I was able to do that for another human being.”

And for students like Riley Barton, Dooley’s approach makes a world of difference. In fact, Riley recently told her mother that she wants to be a teacher at Hagemann Elementary, in particular, and hopes that Mrs. Dooley will still be there so they can teach together.

Riley told her mom, “I don’t think it pays very much, but it is rewarding and would make me sleep well at night knowing I can help other kids like Mrs. Dooley has helped me.”

Visit honored.org to read Julie Dooley’s full story.

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