MISSOURI EDUCATION NEWS
December 2006
Copyright © 2006 Queue, Inc.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Annual Report Charts MissouriÕs Participation in School Breakfast
Program
New Teacher of the Year
and Finalists
Two St. Louis Educators
Win $25,000 Milken Award
Elsberry Middle
School Instructor Honored as Preserve AmericaÕs History Teacher of the Year
Kennett School
Nurse Earns National Honor
High Schools Are Developing Required Classes in Personal Finance
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Deborah Mayer, a
former Bloomington, Mo., elementary school teacher now residing in Portland,
Ore., will receive the 2006 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
Defense of Academic Freedom Award at the 86th Annual NCSS conference at the
Renaissance Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C. Mayer will be honored with an award of $1,500, and public
recognition during the conference, which is the largest gathering of social
studies educators in the nation.
The NCSS Defense of
Academic Freedom Award recognizes and honors those who have distinguished
themselves in defending the principles of academic freedom in specific
controversies, in fostering academic freedom through advocacy, and in defending
or advocating the freedom to teach and learn. While preference is given to
social studies educators, persons in other fields are also considered. Nominee
membership in NCSS is not required.
Mayer, was selected
for the award because she has shown enormous courage and integrity in fighting
for the right of teachers to discuss various opinions in relation to current
events. She lost her home and career because she dared to mention peace as an
alternative to war in response to a question by one of her students. She has
been harassed and her character and integrity attacked relentlessly by those
who wanted only their political view to be discussed in class.
"The attacks on
Ms. Mayer put at risk every teacher's ability to discuss ideas or events that
are controversial to even one student or parent," stated Jeri Hammond, a
social studies teacher at Boone Middle School in Haines City, Fla., in her
letter nominating Mayer for the award. Hammond further stated, "We cannot
educate if we cannot allow students to discuss issues freely and openly under
the guidance of an open-minded teacher who presents a variety of viewpoints for
consideration. In particular, the attempt to censor political ideas and discussion
puts at risk the very foundation of our system of government."
In 2002, Mayer was
hired as a teacher at Clear Creek Elementary School in Bloomington, Mo. She
taught in an alternative learning setting for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. In
January 2003, Mayer was teaching from an approved curriculum resource, Time for
Kids, which she used on a weekly basis with her class. One of the articles in
that issue reported on the peace marchers in Washington, D.C., protesting going
to war in Iraq. When asked by a student if she would ever participate in a
peace march, she explained that peace marches were happing all over the county,
including in Bloomington. She noted that as she drove past the protesters, she
would honk her horn for peace, as requested by some of the signs held by
protesters, because she believed that peaceful solutions should be sought
before going to war. She then related this to the mediators that the school
used on the playground to help children solve problems instead of fighting.
A student reported to
her parents that Mayer was against the war in Iraq. The parent requested a
conference with the principal and Mayer to discuss the curriculum. As a result
the principal issued a directive stating, "We absolutely do not, as a
school, promote any particular view on foreign policy related to the situation
in Iraq." In addition, the school decided to cancel a long-standing
tradition of "Peace Month" at the school. This was a month-long
series of activities beginning on Martin Luther King Day that promoted the
peaceful solution to problems through mediation.
In early February the
parent again complained to the principal that Mayer "was lecturing the
class to protest the war." Although there had been no further in-class
evaluations of Mayer, and no other students or parents had complained, a formal
letter of concern signed by the principal and assistant principal was given to
Mayer. At the end of the school year she was told that her contract would not
be renewed.
Mayer accepted a
teaching position in another school and was terminated when the complaints
against her came to light. She has not been able to get a teaching job since.
In October 2004,
Mayer's attorney filed a suit against Monroe County Community School
Corporation for violation of her First Amendment right of free speech. In March
2006, Judge Sarah Evans Barker declared that teachers have no right of free
speech in class. This ruling dismissed Mayer's case and denied her right to a
jury trial. On April 7, Mayer filed an appeal in the Seventh Circuit Court of
Appeals.
"To think that
my making an unassuming comment about peace could lead to the definitive ruling
that establishes that teachers have no right of free speech in class is almost
more than I can bear. The thought weighs so heavily on my mind and in my heart
that I can hardly sleep. I can't let this ruling stand without a fight,"
said Mayer.
During
the 2005-2006 school year, 159,467 low-income Missouri students participated in
the School Breakfast Program, according to the School Breakfast Scorecard
2006. The Scorecard is issued
annually by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to measure participation
in the School Breakfast Program.
For
every 100 low-income children that participated in the National School Lunch
Program, 49.1 also received free and reduced-price breakfasts. If Missouri
schools increased school breakfast participation by serving 60 out of 100
low-income children eating lunch, they would help 35,214 more children and gain
an additional $7,314,787 in federal funding.
In
Missouri, 86.8 percent of schools that offer school lunch also offer school
breakfast, ranking Missouri 28.out of the 50 states and the District of
Columbia. The School Breakfast Program began as pilot programs in 1966 as a way
to make sure children were able to start the school day ready to learn.
Numerous studies have found that breakfast in the morning improves childrenÕs
school achievement and health.
ÒReaching a lot more children with breakfast in
schools is probably the cheapest and fastest way to improve childrenÕs learning
and health, improve attendance and, of course, reduce hunger,Ó said Jim Weill,
president of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). ÒItÕs essential that
more schools serve breakfast, adopt steps like breakfast in the classroom and
reach out to more children.Ó
Nationally,
the program has grown to include 7.7 million low-income children. To get even
more children and schools participating, FRAC recommends that all schools
participate in the school breakfast program, even offering universal breakfast,
which provides breakfast at no charge to all students who want it. Schools can
encourage higher participation among children by providing breakfast in the
classroom, Ògrab and goÓ breakfast or offering breakfast after first period.
These successful strategies have been used by states to boost participation in
the program.
The full report, School Breakfast Scorecard 2006, is available at
http://www.frac.org/pdf/2006_SBP.pdf
Darryl Johnson, MissouriÕs Teacher of the Year is worried that
schools and communities are not doing enough to recruit top-flight candidates
into the teaching profession. He will begin emphasizing that message as the
stateÕs representative of more than 66,000 classroom teachers in public
schools.
Mr. Johnson is a communication arts teacher at Smithville High
School.
Darryl Johnson works
hard in the classroom to excite and motivate his students. He believes that if
he does his best at teaching, his students will do their best at learning. This
mutual expectation permeates his classroom and is at the heart of his teaching
philosophy.
He is revered in
Smithville as a high-energy teacher who uses enthusiasm and humor to engage his
students and help them achieve. Most importantly, he strives to earn their
respect.
The feeling is
mutual.
Student McKynlee
Westman described Mr. Johnson as "something special." "Every
student left his room at the end of the year with a better knowledge of
respect, creativity and what they could achieve," she said in a letter of
recommendation for the award.
A nine-member
selection committee appointed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education interviewed six state-level finalists Aug. 31 to select the new
Teacher of the Year. Mr. Johnson automatically becomes MissouriÕs candidate for
the 2007 National Teacher of the Year award.
Mr. Johnson is
beginning his 15th year in the profession. He has been in his current position
at Smithville High School since 1995 and is presently chair of the English
department. His effectiveness as a teacher is based upon establishing and
maintaining mutual expectations, using humor to spark and retain interest, and
developing creative assessments.
"The truth about
achievement really comes down to teachers and students having mutually high expectations of one another," he said in
the written nomination form for the award. "Students respect teachers who
hold strong convictions but are also empathetic; ones who use humor often
without being insensitive or inappropriate; ones who are prepared but flexible.
Students want someone who knows their name, acknowledges their presence and
establishes a safe environment for them.
"Simply put,
good teaching involves humor because itÕs effective in establishing and
maintaining rapport and improving retention. Humor is one of the few things
that connect teachers and students. Unpredictable zingers from both teachers
and students add liveliness and color to discussion."
"An Ambassador for
Both Teaching and Learning"
Mr. Johnson serves on
the professional development committee for his district and school. He also
serves on the Northwest Missouri State University Advisory Council in Secondary
English Methods. His writings have been published in regional and national
publications, including the "English Journal," a national publication
for high school English teachers. Six of his lessons have been featured as best
practices by Missouri SuccessLink (http://www.successlink.org/), three of which won a $100 stipend. He has been a
keynote speaker for various education groups and for three commencement ceremonies.
Before joining the
Smithville School District in 1995, he taught at Plattsburg High School in the
Clinton County R-III School District (1993-95) and at Northeast Nodaway County
R-V High School, Ravenwood (1992-93). He also was an adjunct instructor at
Maple Woods Community College from 2002-04.
Mr. Johnson holds a
bachelorÕs and a masterÕs degree in English from Northwest Missouri State
University. He earned national certification through the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards in 2002.
At Smithville High
School, he has been named Teacher of the Year eight years in a row (1998-2006).
Superintendent Rob Leachman described Mr. Johnson as a "phenomenal"
teacher. "His standards are very high, but he conversely assumes a high level
of personal responsibility for assisting his students to meet those high
standards. In the Smithville School District, he is a shining star whose impact
upon the literally hundreds of students he has taught over the years has been
profound."
The finalists were:
Carol Dunn, science teacher, Summit Lakes Middle School, LeeÕs
Summit School District
Kevin Hampton, video production teacher, McCluer North High
School, Ferguson-Florissant School District
Robert Swingler, chorus teacher, Hazelwood East High School,
Hazelwood School District
Linda Wiederholt, math teacher, Plaza Middle School, Park Hill School
District, Kansas City
Lario Yerino, chemistry and physics teacher, Oak Park High
School, North Kansas City School District
State Board of
Education Vice President Russell V. Thompson and Deputy Commissioner of
Education Bert Schulte will conduct the award presentation.
Two St. Louis area
elementary teachers were surprised with big news in October. During emotional
assemblies at their schools, each learned she is a winner of a $25,000 Milken
National Educator Award (http://dese.mo.gov/commissioner/milken/index.htm).
The teachers are:
Luella Atkins, reading coach for grades K-6, Airport Elementary
School, Ferguson-Florissant School District
Susan Carter, first-grade teacher, Jackson Park Elementary
School, University City School District
The awards were
presented by Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken and
Deputy Commissioner Bert Schulte.
The Milken Educator
Award is given to classroom teachers, principals and other public school
professionals who are providing exemplary leadership in their schools and
communities and working to promote excellence in public education.
Ferguson-Florissant
Teacher
Ms. Atkins has taught
in the Ferguson-Florissant School District since 1996. As reading coach for the
schoolÕs Reading First program, she trains teachers in writing and language
arts skills and strategies, and assists in assessing students. She was a
Missouri STARR (Select Teachers As Regional Resources) Teacher for 2002-04.
"Ms. AtkinsÕ
focus is totally centered on meeting studentsÕ needs. She utilizes various
research-based instructional methodologies to incorporate diverse activities
and materials to engage and interest students. She works to develop a strong
rapport with parents and other educational providers working with
students," Principal Rosetta Patton said.
University City
Teacher
Ms. Carter has taught
first grade at Jackson Park Elementary School since 2001. She is chair of the
schoolÕs professional development committee. She also is a National Board
Certified teacher and serves as a candidate facilitator for the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards.
"Ms. Carter
provides students with a great balance of academic rigor and socially conscious
instruction. In addition to learning the skills necessary for success in
content areas, she makes it a point to give students experiences, which help
them to grow into caring members of their community," Principal Carlos
Diaz-Granados said.
Claire Hasemeier, a
social studies teacher at Ida Cannon Middle School, Elsberry R-II School
District (Lincoln County), was recently honored as MissouriÕs Preserve America
History Teacher of the Year for 2006.
Mrs. Hasemeier was
formally recognized on September 13 during a school assembly. She received a
plaque, $1,000 and historical materials for the school library. Sheila Onuska,
assistant director of the International Education Consortium, based at the St.
Louis Regional Professional Development Center, presented the awards.
Mrs. Hasemeier has
taught in the Elsberry School District for 10 years. She is involved in many
professional organizations including the National Council for History
Education, the National Council for the Social Studies and the Missouri Council
for the Social Studies. She has supervised the alignment of her school
districtÕs social studies curriculum, using MissouriÕs Show-Me Standards.
Preserve
America is a White House initiative in cooperation with the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation and in partnership with several federal agencies. The
award is administered by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, in
cooperation with the National Council for History Education, the Organization
of American Historians and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education.
Deborah S. Cook,
health services coordinator for the Kennett School District, has received the
2006 Outstanding School Nurse Award from the American School Health
Association. She was honored earlier this month during ASHAÕs national
conference in St. Louis.
Twelve years ago, Ms.
Cook was the only school nurse in the 2,000-student Kennett School District.
She wrote a competitive grant, based on the coordinated school health model,
which allowed the district to greatly expand health education activities and
services. She also has served the district as an instructor for health
occupations and EMT classes.
She completed her
associate of science in nursing at Arkansas State University and is currently
working to complete her bachelor of science in nursing degree at Southeast
Missouri State University.
Ms. Cook attributes
the success of KennettÕs health services program to her active school health
advisory committee and strong community involvement.
Ms.
Cook advises the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on issues
relating to health and health services in rural schools. She is past president
of the Missouri Association of School Nurses and currently serves as vice-chair
of the Missouri Coordinated School Health Coalition. Gov. Matt Blunt recently
appointed her to a new, statewide Suicide Prevention Task Force.
Missouri public high
schools are gearing up to teach all students an essential life skill: how to
manage their money.
A half-unit course in
personal finance is one of the new requirements approved last year by the State
Board of Education when it raised the minimum number of credits needed to
graduate from a public high school from 22 to 24 units. The new policy applies
to this yearÕs freshman class – students who will graduate in 2010.
Courses in finance,
consumer resource management or investments are not new to Missouri high
schools. They have long been offered as electives in most school districts. The
new requirement, however, applies to all students and should boost the
financial savvy of future graduates.
ÒMany high school
students are opening checking accounts, getting jobs, buying cars, filing tax
returns and getting offers for credit cards,Ó said Nancy Headrick, assistant
commissioner for career education in the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education (DESE)
"In order for
individuals to prepare for work and family life in todayÕs society, they need a
variety of skills for making informed decisions, managing resources and solving
practical problems," she said.
One of many high
school educators who encouraged the adoption of personal finance as a
graduation requirement is Joy Behrens, family and consumer sciences department
chair at North Kansas City High School, in the North Kansas City School
District. She is confident the course will help students gain the knowledge
they need to manage their finances when they get out on their own.
"A lot of kids
are not prepared to manage their income," Behrens said, noting many of
todayÕs children grow up naively thinking cash comes from an ATM and that goods
and services can be purchased with plastic cards. With better knowledge of how
to manage their personal finances, the next generation of students will be able
to contribute more to a strong economy, she believes.
To help meet the
stateÕs new course requirement, a recommended set of knowledge and skills
statements has been developed by an advisory group of educators, business
leaders and DESE staff.
The Missouri Center
for Career Education, located at the University of Central Missouri, also led
the development of a model, problem-based curriculum for high schools to use in
teaching personal finance. "The curriculum can provide students with
relevant and realistic types of problem-based learning that will help them
apply personal finance to their everyday lives," Dr. Headrick said.
The course has been
organized into four content areas: income and taxes, money management, spending
and credit, and saving and investing.
Personal finance is
already being offered in a number of public high schools across Missouri.
Nearly 80 teachers of business, social studies, and family and consumer
sciences attended a week-long workshop, sponsored by DESE this summer, to
review the competencies and model curriculum. More workshops for teachers will
be offered in coming months.
In the past, the
North Kansas City School District has offered two courses dealing with personal
finance in the business education and the family and consumer sciences
departments. The district is now planning to offer a single course that will be
required for all high school students.
Ben Loeb, a business
education instructor at Rock Bridge High School, in the Columbia School
District, attended the summer teachersÕ workshop and has already adapted his
financial management course to satisfy the personal finance requirement.
"I think the
State Board made a very wise decision to include this course as a graduation
requirement," Loeb said.
He and an instructor
at ColumbiaÕs Hickman High School spent time over the summer reviewing the
recommended competencies and developing lesson plans. He applauded the
curriculum development committee but believes the range of topics may be too
broad to cover adequately in one semester. "Given time, I am convinced
more teachers will develop and share instructional resources in support of this
course," Loeb said.
Loeb reports
enrollment in personal finance is up slightly this year, because more Rock
Bridge juniors and seniors are taking the class as an elective. While not
required for graduation, many upperclassmen already have jobs and checking
accounts and find the course highly relevant and practical. He also attributed
the growing interest to student opinion that a course soon to be required must
be worth taking now.
Dr.
Headrick notes that opportunities for an online course in personal finance,
competency testing, and dual credit at the high school and college levels may
be available in the future. An online competency test for use in conjunction
with personal finance courses will be piloted by some schools in December and
May.