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Delaware Education News
December 2008
Copyright © 2008 Queue,
Inc.
IN
THIS ISSUE:
Mark Teesdale Named Delaware Teacher of the Year
for 2009
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Rounding out the top five:
1. Illinois
2. Delaware
3. Georgia
4. Michigan
5. Pennsylvania
And the bottom five:
45. Nevada
46. Montana
47. Maine
48. New
Hampshire
49. Vermont
50. Hawaii
Lake Forest Central Elementary school teacher will now vie for
national recognition
Mark Teesdale, a General Music and Chorus teacher in grades 4 and
5 at Lake Forest Central Elementary School in Felton has been chosen as
DelawareÕs Teacher of the Year for 2009. His selection as DelawareÕs top
educator makes Teesdale the forty-fifth Teacher of the Year since DelawareÕs
recognition program began in 1965.
DelawareÕs newest Teacher of the Year has twenty-five years of
teaching experience including 18 years in New Jersey and seven years in
Delaware.
In an earlier endorsement letter to the Teacher of the Year
Selection Committee, Lake Forest School District superintendent Dan Curry,
Ed.D., recommended his support for Mark. ÒMr. Teesdale is the ÔPied
PiperÕ of Lake Forest. The children love him, love music and love to
perform. He believes strongly that, in this age of pressures for higher
academic performance, many children will not reach their fullest potential
without significant fine arts experiences. He fully understands that
reading music is a skill that transfers to and strengthens reading
skills. He understands that performing strengthens a childÕs vocabulary
and oral communications.Ó
In 1983, Mark received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music
Education from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. In January 2006,
he graduated from Wilmington University with a Master of Education degree while
maintaining a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average.
Following his graduation from West Chester, Mark began teaching
general music and choir in grades 1-8 at Saint Joan of Arc School in Marlton,
New Jersey. From 1985 to 1990, he taught general music and chorus in
grades K-6 at Fort Dix Elementary School in New Jersey. From 1990 to
2001, Mark taught general music and chorus in grades 4-6 at the Marcus Newcomb
School in Pemberton, New Jersey. In 2001, Mark came to Lake Forest
Central Elementary School where he remains today.
Since arriving at Lake Forest, Mark has been extremely active with
staff development, leadership activities and professional memberships. He
has been a member of the Positive Behavior Support Leadership Team for the past
five years, been involved in a curriculum integration project and has educated
new Lake Forest teachers on a technology-based reading program. He is a
member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, the Delaware Music Educators
Association and the National Association for Music Education.
The newly-selected Teacher of the Year has also received many
accolades and awards over his long career. Mark received a $10,000 prize
from the Oscar Meier Schoolhouse Rocks program and also received Lake ForestÕs
ÒGoing the Extra MileÓ award as well as Lake Forest Central Elementary School
Teacher of the Year for 2008-2009.
When asked about his philosophy on teaching, Teesdale stated,
ÒTeachers are given the most awesome responsibility in the world. We are
entrusted with shaping the minds of children. As a music teacher, I do my
best to take that idea one step further and aim to touch their souls. A
background in music and an understanding of music will help students develop
into adults that will lead fuller lives. I strive to install in all
students an awareness of musicÕs important role in the enrichment of the human
spirit.Ó Added Teesdale, ÒThe rewards in teaching are numerous. I
am given rewards everyday. The students are happy and proud of what they
have accomplished. This is my reward.Ó
The process of selecting DelawareÕs Teacher of the Year is very
demanding and is designed to find that teacher who is most representative of
the entire teaching profession. Through in-class observations, portfolio
reviews and consideration of finalists by a representative panel, the process
finds that one person who will become this yearÕs Teacher of the Year for
Delaware.
Teesdale now inherits an enormous task from outgoing Teacher of the
Year Courtney Fox by representing all teachers in Delaware. He will
address community groups, business leaders, legislators, and educational
organizations in an effort to inform the public about the status of Delaware
schools. Mark will also become DelawareÕs entrant in the National Teacher
of the Year Program, presented by the ING Foundation and a project of the
Council of Chief State School Officers.
By action of the General Assembly, Teesdale will receive a $5000
grant to use for the educational benefit of his students, as well two personal
grants totaling an additional $5000. The remaining 18 school district
candidates will each receive a personal grant of $2000.
Teesdale will also receive an educational technology package
valued at approximately $17,000 from the SMARTer Kids Foundation. The
package includes a SMART Board(tm) interactive whiteboard, floor stand and
software; an NEC VT465 portable projector from NEC Solutions America; creative-
learning software from Immersive Education; and a 32-pad Classroom Performance
System from eInstruction Corporation.
The new Teacher of the Year will also receive a Dell laptop
computer; a $1,000 grant for educational/classroom use from Pearson; grants
from the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware State Chamber of
Commerce and the Delaware Professional Standards Board; a State of Delaware
Teacher of the Year license plate from the Division of Motor Vehicles; free
graduate-level courses from DelawareÕs higher education institutions; a gold
watch from the Delaware State Teachers of the Year Association and lunch in
Washington D.C. with Senator Thomas R. Carper.
All candidates, listed alphabetically by school district, school
and grade/subject taught, are as follows:
|
School
District |
Teacher |
School |
Grade/Subject |
|
Appoquinimink |
Debbie Kirk |
Louis Redding Middle |
Grades 6-8 Agriscience |
|
Brandywine |
Kathleen Gilbert |
Springer Middle School |
Grade 8 English/Language Arts |
|
Caesar Rodney |
Cherie Bergold |
W.B. Simpson Elementary |
Grades 3-5 Reading Support |
|
Cape Henlopen |
Janet Andrelczyk |
Mariner Middle School |
Grade 7 English/Language Arts |
|
Capital |
Janice Hadley |
Fairview Elementary |
Grade 3 |
|
Christina |
Gretchen Wolfe |
Brader Elementary |
Grade 1 |
|
Colonial |
Jennifer Bonham |
William Penn High School |
Grades 10-12 Mathematics |
|
Delmar |
Shay-Lynn McPhail |
|
|
|
Indian River |
Michael Lingenfelter |
Selbyville Middle School |
Grade 6 Mathematics |
|
Lake Forest |
Mark Teesdale |
Lake Forest Central |
Grades 4-5 Music & Chorus |
|
Laurel |
Robert Todd |
North Laurel Elementary |
Grade 3 Special Education |
|
Milford |
Jodi Messick |
Evelyn Morris Early Childhood Ctr |
Grade 1 |
|
NCCo Vo-Tech |
Justin Benz |
Hodgson Vo-Tech High School |
Grades 9-12 Environmental Landscape
Technology |
|
POLYTECH |
Virginia Terczak |
POLYTECH High School |
Grades 9-10 Special Education |
|
Red Clay Consolidated |
Barbara Prillaman |
Conrad Schools of Science |
Grades 6-8 ELL Social Studies, ELA |
|
Seaford |
Jennifer Leonard |
Seaford Middle School |
Grade 7 English/Language Arts |
|
Smyrna |
Deborah Kenton |
Sussex Technical High School |
Grades 9-12 Social Studies |
|
Sussex Technical |
Lauren Shanklin |
Clayton Elementary |
Grades K-4 Physical Education |
|
Woodbridge |
Karen Breeding |
Woodbridge High School |
Grades 9-12 Agriscience |
Science and Social Studies Scores
DelawareÕs Department of Education (DOE) has released the results
from the ninth administration of the eighth and eleventh grade science and
social studies portions of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP).
In eighth grade science 55.4% of the students tested scored
at Level 3 or higher, a three percentage point decrease from last yearÕs
scores. In grade eleven, 60.8% scored at Level 3 or higher, a decrease of
four percentage points from last yearÕs assessment. The science test
measures studentsÕ knowledge and understanding in four areas: Inquiry, Life
Science, Earth Science and Physical Science.
In eighth grade social studies 52.2% of
students scored at level 3 or higher, a two percentage point increase from last
yearÕs scores. In grade eleven, 44.6% of students met or exceeded the
standards, resulting in an eight percentage point decrease compared to last
yearÕs scores. The social studies test measures studentsÕ knowledge
and understanding in four areas: Civics, Economics, Geography and History.
Results can be viewed on DOEÕs website at: http://dstp.doe.k12.de.us/DSTPmart9/