OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF
FEBRUARY 7, 2018 | VOL. 1, ISSUE 6
THE CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The CFP Foundation put teachers in the spotlight during the weekend of the national championship game BY JAIME ARON
T
he windows of the specially “skinned” bus went up and down, taunting the fans taking aim at them. Alabama backers stood on one side, Georgia enthusiasts on the other, all trying to throw a football into the bus windows. The competition was fierce, but the reward was mutual: a donation to support teachers. With temperatures in the low 20s, outdoors wasn’t necessarily the best place to spend the first Sunday morning of 2018. Yet more than 1,500 people — a record crowd, in fact — shrugged it off to run and walk a 5K through
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downtown Atlanta that benefitted teachers. And when the flag was stretched across the field of MercedesBenz Stadium prior to kicking off the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, guess who was on the field? Teachers, of course. Specifically, 2017 National Teacher of the Year Sydney Chaffee and her fellow State Teachers of the Year. The 2017 State Teachers of the Year made countless memories in Atlanta through the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation’s Teacher of the Year Championship
Experience, presented by Dr Pepper. The CFP Foundation partners with the National Teacher of the Year Program, run by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), to bring an elite group that includes the State Teacher of the Year from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the territories to the host city of the national championship game for championship weekend. This was a crowning weekend for the CFP Foundation and its Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT)
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platform as it utilized college football’s largest stage to shine a light on this nation’s educators. Here’s an event-by-event recap of those exciting days.
JANUARY 6, 2018 One of this year’s new ventures was the VIP space reserved exclusively for teachers — any teacher, not just the honorees — and their family members. All day Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), the EYFT Lounge offered more than 50 activities for attendees. Options included everything from continuing education (advice on lesson plans and virtual field trip demonstrations) to relaxation (chair massages and mindfulness exercises). Some teachers got the best of both worlds,
RELAX & REFRESH: The EYFT Lounge allowed teachers to have fun while interacting with colleagues.
learning chair yoga exercises to take back to their classrooms. The EYFT Lounge drew more than 1,500 visitors and a stream of special guests: “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay, Pro Football Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel and even the National Championship Trophy. In addition to new knowledge and new memories, visitors also received refreshments from Chick-fil-A, Dr Pepper and Dos Equis. Eight people left with $500 DonorsChoose.org gift cards from drawings held throughout the day. IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Teachers visited with The CFP Foundation’s special guests, like “Bachelorette” Rachel Extra Yard Classroom Lindsay (center). Makeover Project was
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also incorporated into the EYFT Lounge through two classroom makeover drawings valued at $25,000 to be performed by School Specialty, Inc. later this spring.
OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF
JANUARY 6, 2018
TEACHER QUOTES
For two hours on Saturday afternoon, over 800 teachers were treated to a series of gripping, wide-ranging presentations. American Idol winner Phillip Phillips sang. Local breakdancing sensation Burn Unit spun, flipped and jumped. TED Talk star Andres Ruzo discussed explorations for National Geographic. The Ron Clark Academy Essentials Step Team told a story through a stepping performance. Dr. Meria Carstarphen, superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, inspired local and visiting teachers. Each 2017 State Teacher of the Year stood to be recognized, with Chaffee taking to the stage to be among the speakers. “It was insightful, very respectful and redeeming to have actual teachers talking to us about what we do every day,” said Candice Butler of Spring Park Elementary.
BRINGING ENERGY: Teachers were treated to uplifting messages from speakers and an array of performers.
JAMES HARRIS, 2017 ALASKA STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR
“One of the lasting and most profound gifts of the Teacher of the Year Championship Experience is the opportunity to show students that teachers, the teaching profession, and life-long learning are worthy of the spotlight at our most celebrated national events. By sharing this experience with me, my students have new reasons to view their teachers and their own learning journeys as heroic.”
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JANUARY 6-8, 2018
TEACHER QUOTES
CFP’s Playoff Fan Central is the place to be during championship weekend for everyone who follows college football - games, sponsors, youth football clinics, pep rallies, autograph signings and more. In all, almost 50,000 fans attended the event, making it a perfect place for the CFP Foundation to draw some of the attention to education. In partnership with ESPN, the EYFT school bus made its second annual appearance at Playoff Fan Central, enticing fans to throw footballs into the bus through the rising and falling windows. The most unique part? Each football that was successfully thrown into the bus equaled $1 towards Atlanta Public Schools (APS). In all, over $10,000 was raised for APS teachers and students. In addition, TV screens at the activation featured the 2017 State
GET ON THE BUS: The Extra Yard for Teachers bus provided entertainment for fans and resources for Atlanta Public Schools — and served as a great photo op for the State Teachers of the Year. Teachers of the Year, and ESPN talent Marcus Spears, Jordan Rodgers, Dari Nowkah, Peter Burns, and Gene Chizik signed autographs for eager fans.
It was a perfect mix of football and education — drawing more than 21,500 people to the school bus activation.
KATE M c CANN, 2017 VERMONT STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR
“In Vermont, there is a lot less fanfare around the naming of the Teacher of the Year. There are no invitations to serve on state committees, no big check, no car to drive, not many speaking engagements, no celebration or gala at the Governor’s Mansion, no TV interviews, and no throwing out the first pitch at a professional sports game. So for me, this felt like “the moment”, the point in time where the magnitude of our accomplishments was realized. All weekend it felt as though it was one big celebration in our honor. And when we walked out onto the field, even for the practice the day before, it felt just unbelievable. The focus was on us, for what we do for students, parents, and our community, and for what we do for our profession.“
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OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF
JANUARY 7, 2018 Even through the chilling 20-degree temperatures, participants went the extra yard for teachers by showing enthusiasm at the 8 a.m. start of the Extra Yard 5K. When Lindsay (“Bachelorette”) blew the starters horn, a record crowd of 1,565 participants took off on a 3.1-mile trek. The emcee continuously reinforced the message that proceeds from the event support teachers, and if runners happened to be a teacher, their registration came at a discount. All 56 State Teacher of the Year honorees were there, and the emcee recognized each who ran or walked across the finish line. Male Overall Winner, Rob Mullett (14:40), and Female Overall Winner, Bridget Lyons (17:232), both were awarded two tickets to the national championship game.
AND THEY’RE OFF: Chilly morning temperatures didn’t discourage runners at the Extra Yard 5K.
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JANUARY 7, 2018
TEACHER QUOTES
Talk about a strong lineup: over 20 master chefs from the Atlanta area, plus one chef from every CFP New Year’s Six bowl community joined the CFP Foundation at the fourth annual Taste of the Championship. The gourmet treats they whipped up were savored by more than 1,000 attendees at the Georgia Aquarium, including more than 50 college and professional football legends. The four 2017 National Teacher of the Year finalists got a special treat. They served as taste testers for a demonstration by MasterChef Junior Season 5 Champion Jasmine Stewart, a seventh-grader from the Atlanta area. Between the food and the setting, many of the State Teachers of the Year went home raving about this event. “I’m a biology teacher
and a science nerd. This event was held at an aquarium with the largest indoor saltwater facility and FOUR
SHELLY VROEGH, 2017 IOWA STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR
whale sharks. #NerdHeaven” said Amy Hysick, 2017 New York State Teacher of the Year.
“The entire Teacher of the Year Championship Experience was a once in a lifetime trip full of amazing events that made every one of us feel appreciated and celebrated. My favorite event was the national championship game and being recognized on the field during the pre-game ceremony. Waving to the fans, standing with my hand over my heart during the National Anthem and being there to represent not only the teachers of Iowa but teachers from across the nation was absolutely incredible.”
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OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF
FEBRUARY HONOREE
JON ANDERSON
J
on Anderson is a Colorado educator at Eagle Rock School, a tuition-free alternative high school specifically designed to engage kids who haven’t had success in traditional learning environments. Anderson’s interest in teaching is focused on building relationships with individual students, an emphasis that led him to a school with an untraditional learning structure: “I was interested in ways to teach that weren’t the lecture-style that I grew up with that didn’t actually work for me as a student,” he said. While Jon was studying to become a teacher at the University of Northern Colorado, a professor recommended Eagle Rock School because the unique structure would play to his strengths. Anderson joined the Eagle Rock staff full time in 2002. “Eagle Rock allows me to focus on my students as individuals and get to know them on a deeper level; I get to hear their stories, their dreams and their goals. All of this means I get to build trust, and when we trust each other, all kinds of learning can happen.” Anderson’s investment in his students led to a significant impact on one student in particular, Vidal Carrillo. The experiential nature of Eagle Rock’s curriculum, and Jon’s teaching especially, helped Vidal take ownership of his education for the first time in his life. “If I hadn’t gone to Eagle Rock and met Jon, I probably would have dropped out of high school,” Carrillo said. “If I stayed in Los Angeles, I may or may not be in jail right now. I would be a completely different person.” Visit www.honored.org to read the powerful story of how Mr. Anderson changed one at-risk student’s life.
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JANUARY 8, 2018 Eckrich and its Smithfield Foods parent company had long planned for a fan to have the opportunity for one throw to win $1 million as part of the Eckrich Million Dollar Challenge the afternoon of the national championship game. In December, the sausage and deli meat maker upped the ante, offering another $1 million to the CFP Foundation and its Extra Yard for Teachers platform if ESPN analyst — and former college quarterback — Kirk Herbstreit nailed the target, too. If Herbstreit missed, the CFP Foundation would still receive a generous $25,000 grant. Eckrich officials stood with two checks prior to the big throw: the biggie with all the commas and another for $25,000.
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM: Herbstreit successfully hits the target 20 yards away, resulting in a gamechanging donation to the CFP Foundation. Herbstreit’s first shot missed the mark. Although the $1 million prize was off the table, Herbstreit threw a couple more times to see if he could make it. The third time was the charm. Cheers erupted and fans,
#LOVETEACHING
L
aunched by teachers for teachers, LoveTeaching is a campaign to celebrate the positives in the teaching profession. During the week of Valentine’s Day each year, teachers take to blogs and social media to connect and share all there is to love about our vocation. Use the hashtag #LoveTeaching to promote the teaching profession and thank a teacher! Visit www.weloveteaching.org for more information.
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including all 56 State Teachers of the Year, chanted “Make it count!”. Eckrich officials huddled to decide how to celebrate. The answer: a $500,000 donation.
OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF
JANUARY 8, 2018 The culmination of championship weekend was also the culmination of the college football season. Prior to the start of the 2018 CFP National Championship, the 2017 State Teachers of the Year were recognized and celebrated on-field as part of the pregame pageantry. They remained on the field as President Trump entered and Zac Brown Band sang the national anthem. Cheered by 77,430 fans who were revved up with the anticipation of kickoff, the honorees soaked in every moment of their well-deserved attention. The rest of the game proved quite exciting, too, of course. “It was incredible to be recognized in that way,” said Jennifer Wise of South Carolina. “The game was unbelievable and standing on the field for the national anthem is an experience I will forever cherish.” The next College Football Playoff National Championship will be held Jan. 7, 2019, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
GAME DAY: The CFP Foundation celebrated the 2017 State Teachers of the Year and the lasting impact left on Atlanta Public Schools during the national championship game.
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#TOYCHAMPEXPERIENCE Journey through championship weekend with the 2017 State Teachers of the Year
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