The teachers learned more about what a forum is and what its purpose is. They also set goals for their own forums by beginning to construct vision boards. Two breakout sessions were offered. Each participant was able to request their sessions in advance. Options included Engaging Forum Members, Starting a Forum, Leading a Forum, Stories from Forums, Virtual Teacher Forums. 

Everyone at CERRA extends their appreciation to Chanda Jefferson for her leadership this year and to the 2020 South Carolina Honor Roll Teachers who have been there to support the District Teachers of the Year in each step of their journey. Thank you to Sue Weems, Shelley Smith, Tamara Cox, and Stephanie Haecherl for your willingness to serve and lead.

CERRA congratulates Chanda Jefferson, the 2020 SC Teacher of the Year, on being named an Albert Einstein Educator Fellow. Fifteen K-12 STEM teachers from across the United States will spend 11 months serving in a Federal agency, or U.S. Congressional offices in Washington, D.C., engaged in the national STEM education arena. The Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 STEM educators to apply their extensive classroom knowledge and experiences to their host offices to inform Federal STEM education efforts. ​

Before leaving, Chanda Jefferson asked each person to write down a word of hope and reassurance. They put the word inside a box that they tied closed. She asked them to take that word out when they needed something to motivate them. 

Bojangles' Ken Reynolds surprised each District Teacher of the Year with a Bo box of books that were chosen specifically for their grade level and content area. Each book includes a dedication so that the students will always know that the book is there because of their dedication and accomplishment in the teaching profession. 

CERRA is hosting a book study for teacher leaders. Join us for a shared discussion of Simon Sinek's book, The Infinite Game. Sinek shares a framework for individuals to build and sustain strong, innovative organizations.

Four online discussions will be held between January 23rd and April 16th.  You can post your response at any time on the designated days and then participate in ongoing discussions about the topic. 

Registration will be open until January 21, 2020.  Come join us as we explore
                             this newly released book.  

BY TODD SCHOLL

2020 SC Teacher of the Year, Chanda Jefferson, participated in the NHGRI 2019 Short Course in Genomics this summer. The course is designed to update educators on genome science, the ongoing efforts to elucidate the genomic bases of health and disease, and the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic advances. Applying to participate in the Short Course in Genomics is extremely competitive. Only 30 faculty members were accepted from across the country for this year’s course.


Dr. Eric Green, Director of the National Human Genome Research (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health, stated, "We are thankful to Ms. Jefferson for her recommendations on how to meet the current genomic literacy challenges, and how to better integrate genomics curriculum into classrooms. NHGRI intends to continue this new relationship with Ms. Jefferson to assist in the further development and utilization of educational resources. We applaud the efforts of both Ms. Jefferson and Fairfield Central High School to develop increased expertise in this key area. Working in partnership, I am hopeful that we can support and retain students with an interest in STEM careers and help achieve their dreams of being part of the scientific workforce of tomorrow."

Ms. Jefferson is currently serving a one-year residency at CERRA.

BY TODD SCHOLL

Molly Spearman, the South Carolina Superintendent of Education, announced the five finalists for 2020 South Carolina Teacher of the Year this week. They are: Tamara Cox from Anderson One, Stephanie Haecherl from Charleston, Chanda Jefferson from Fairfield, Shelley Smith from Greenville, and Sue Weems from Richland Two.

The five Honor Roll Teachers were selected from dozens of District Teachers of the Year and will each receive $10,000. Interviews in front of a panel of judges will take place to help determine who will be named 2020 SC Teacher of the Year. That announcement will take place on Wednesday, May 8 at the South Carolina Teacher of the Year Gala.

The winner will receive a total of $25,000 and a BMW to drive around the state as they serve a one-year residency at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA). In this role, they will serve as an ambassador for the teaching profession and lead the state's Teacher Forum.

The 2020 winner follows the 2019 SC Teacher of the Year, Jeff Maxey, from Anderson Three.

Click here for more information on South Carolina's Teacher of the Year Program.

BY SUZANNE KOTY

​We are delighted to bring you the second issue of the 2018-19 South Carolina Teacher Leadership newsletter.  Our goal is to provide a collaborative resource that highlights state and district level teacher leadership activities, outlines issues related to South Carolina education, and sparks ideas among Teacher Forums.

A leader is “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential”
 
--BrenéBrown

Book Club Schedule
Jan. 14th Goodreads
        Introduction, Ch. 1
Feb. 4th  Goodreads
        Part 1, Sections 2 & 3
Feb. 25th  Twitter chat
        Part 1, Sections 4 & 5
Mar. 14th  Goodreads
        Part 2
Apr. 2nd  Twitter chat
        Part 3
Apr. 29th  Goodreads
​        Part 4

​Aiken Teacher Forum recently held their third annual Brunch with the Board at the Wilcox Inn.  They were able to build relationships and enjoy a delicious brunch at the same time. The baskets were all donated items by Teacher Forum and raffled off at the event. 

​The teacher forum in York School District One raised $3,440 to provided three $1,000 scholarships (and 1 $500 scholarship) to teacher cadets in the district.  The primary goal of the Teacher Cadet Program is to encourage academically talented, high-achieving, high school students with exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills to consider teaching as a career. An important secondary goal of the Program is to develop future community leaders who will become civic advocates for public education.

​The SC Public Charter School District held its first Teacher Forum meeting this month.  The Forum members identified their purpose, established working goals, and set dates for future meetings.  Teachers in this district are spread out across the state, but they committed to collaboration and professional development because it benefits them as teachers and teacher leaders, their organization, and the students.

The Campus Directors at the Teaching Fellows Institutions are always looking for outstanding educators who are willing to share their expertise and passion with these future teacher leaders. The Teaching Fellows meetings/professional development sessions are set up to include formal presentations in front of a larger group as well as informal discussions with small groups. If you are willing to present or have a conversation with the Teaching Fellows, please visit
 https://cerra.wufoo.com/forms/sdcyxw70lt7mi3/.

Teach to Lead works to support teachers as valued experts in instruction and schooling to lead the kinds of changes their students and colleagues need to be successful. Summits provide teachers with time to collaborate, as well as skills and professional consultation, to incubate innovative ideas that can make a positive impact for students in their schools, communities, districts and states. Powered by Teach to Lead Summits expand the accessibility of Teach to Lead by enabling organizations to build on the Teach to Lead model while providing the flexibility to meet local needs. Richland 2 will be hosting their first ever Powered by Teach to Lead Summit on June 18-19, 2019, and they need your help to deliver a premier experience for teacher teams as they work to develop ideas for improving educational outcomes for all students.
 
For this Summit Richland 2 anticipates inviting approximately 25 teams of up to 5 members. Invited teams will have submitted ideas for school improvement which are peer reviewed by other educators. Participating teams will be comprised of certified educators in Richland 2. Ideas developed at the Summit will address a range of school improvement strategies, but must leverage teacher leadership as a strategy. Ideas focus on change at any level - the school, district, or state - and can be functioning at any stage of development - an emerging idea; something currently being developed; or a successful strategy that is ripe for improvement or expansion.
 
To serve as a Critical Friend at the Richland 2 Summit, the individual must agree to:

        *   Participate in an orientation webinar prior to the summit and a brief conference
           call or meeting with their assigned team to begin getting to know the project.
        *  Attend the entire Summit: Tuesday, June 18, 2019- approximately 8:00 a.m. to
           5:30 p.m.  Wednesday, June 19, 2019- 8:00.a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
        *  Stay in touch with their team post-Summit to offer ongoing, encouragement,
           advice, and support.
         * Cover own travel and hotel costs, if required.
 
If you are interested in serving as a Critical Friend for the Richland 2 Teach to Lead Summit or know someone else you think would be great in this role, please complete this quick form so that the Powered by Teach to Lead Summit coordinators can learn a bit more about you or your nominee and make a successful team match.
 
Questions? Please email Patrick Kelly at pkelly@richland2.org. Thank you!

​The State Department of Education is celebrating this February as National Career and Technical Education Month. 
 
The legislature has proposed new education bills and has invited public input as they work towards reaching a consensus on education reform.

​SC Mentor Training
Mentor Training: May 21-22, 2019, June 12-13, 2019
Mentor Trainer Certification Training: June 25-26, 2019

BY SUZANNE KOTY

​We are delighted to bring you the first issue of the South Carolina Teacher Leadership newsletter.  Our goal is to provide a collaborative resource that highlights state and district level teacher leadership activities, outlines issues related to South Carolina education, and sparks ideas among Teacher Forums.

“The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it's about the courage to show up when you can't predict or control the outcome.”
                                                                          --BrenéBrown
 

​The 2018-19 District Teachers of the Year convened for the South Carolina Teacher Forum in Myrtle Beach in November.  The theme for this year was Connecting.  After an inspirational performance by Carolina Forest’s Show Choir, Jeff Maxey, the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the year, shared his experience about how making connections has led to vast improvements both here and in his work in Africa.  Thursday was a busy day.  Jane Turner and Craig King shared their insight about professionalism and teacher voice, and Dr. Jenna Hallman urged the teachers to begin thinking about their own growth as teacher leaders.  The teachers then attended breakout sessions where they learned more about leadership building and teamwork through Breakout EDU, grace and working with others, and speaking with reporters.  The afternoon afforded teachers the opportunity to attend roundtable discussions on a variety of topics and to participate in an unconference.  The final day included a keynote by Mandy Manning, the 2018 National Teacher of the Year.  The participants also heard from Katie Crews and State Superintendent Molly Spearman.  Each District Teacher of the Year was pinned as a Teacher Leader and a member of the South Carolina Teacher Forum.
 

​Several District Teacher Forums held Meet the Candidate events prior to the election. They gave their members and the community opportunities to ask questions of candidates for local office and find out more about their choices in the election.

CERRA can provide support for your District Forum.
Contact Suzanne Koty at Suzanne@cerra.org
for more information.
Options: Organizational support, presentations, strategic planning

The South Carolina Department of Education and the Education Oversight Committee have released the 2018 school and district report cards as part of the state’s merged state and federal accountability system. You can view the report cards here.
 
 
The South Carolina Department of Education has a list of available grants on their websites. You can see open grants here.
 
 
The Fort Mill School District (York 4), Lexington School District Two, and the South Carolina Public Charter School District have been recognized by the College Board as AP Honor Roll Districts!  
 
 
View Superintendent Molly Spearman’s monthly updates.
​

​SC Mentor Training
Mentor Training: May 21-22, 2019, June 12-13, 2019
Mentor Trainer Certification Training: June 25-26, 2019

Ten behaviors and cultural issues that are obstacles of building organizations
                                                                                                                  --Brené Brown
​

​Jeffrey Maxey, a special education resource teacher at Starr Elementary School in Anderson School District Three has been named the 2019 State Teacher of the Year.  The State Superintendent of Education, Molly Spearman, made the announcement at the annual Teacher of the Year gala held on May 2, 2018.
 
Maxey serves in several roles in addition to his teaching responsibilities: Department Head, Mentor, Master Teacher, District Teacher Trainer, and District Evaluator.  He spent eight years teaching educators in North Africa before coming to South Carolina.
 
For the next year, Maxey will complete a one-year residency at CERRA as he serves as an education ambassador.  In that role, he will work with Teacher Cadets and Teaching Fellows, lead the State Teacher Forum, attend various speaking engagements, and serve as a representative of the state’s over 50,000 educators.

​Lexington School District Two’s Teacher of the Year, Daniel Bailey, received this prestigious award at the gala.  Bailey, a teacher at Airport High School, has said that he wants his students to discover the value in helping others.  He plans to donate the check that accompanies the award to Airport’s Camp Kemo annual fundraiser.  

​The District Teachers of the Year were celebrated in a black tie optional gala hosted by South Carolina Future Minds.  Guests gathered for a reception while they awaited the grand entrance of the District Teachers of the Year.  Each honored teacher entered to a trumpet serenade.  During the event, guests posed for photos with the BMW and networked with colleagues, lawmakers, family, and friends.  During the dinner, a co-author of Just A Chicken, Preston Thorne, entertained the crowd with stories of his experience in education.  Daniel Bailey of Lexington District Two was named the recipient of the Charles Dickerson award which recognizes community service efforts, and Jeffrey Maxey was named the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

​The next day began with a breakfast at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, which was hosted and catered by Bojangles.  Jeffrey Maxey and Whitney Glenn, who could not attend as she was expecting the birth of her second child, were surprised with 5 night Caribbean cruises.  Daniel Bailey was again honored for his award. The teachers then visited the State House.  They were recognized by the House of Representatives and the Senate. After taking a group photo on the steps of the State House, the teachers made their way back to the cathedral to attend a working lunch.  The lunch began with a presentation of rings by Thomas and Dusty Rhodes of Jostens to acknowledge the finalists’ accomplishments. The 2018 Honor Roll teachers then facilitated a discussion in which the District Teachers of the Year identified key education issues that need to be addressed at the state or local levels.

​CERRA’s book study came to a close with a video-conference to discuss the group’s key take-aways of the book.  See a summary of the main talking points below.

BY TODD SCHOLL

On Wednesday, May 2, 2018, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced that the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year is Jeff Maxey, a Special Education resource teacher at Starr Elementary School in Anderson School District Three.

"Jeff exhibits the qualities and characteristics that we want to see in every current and future South Carolina educator. He is so deserving of this tremendous honor and I know he will do a fantastic job advocating and representing our over 50,000 teachers this next year," said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman.

In addition to teaching Special Education, Maxey serves as the Special Education Department Head, District Teacher Trainer, District Evaluator, Master Teacher, and Mentor. Maxey originally pursued a career as a minister. While serving in that role, he pastored a funeral for a young student. Afterwards, he received an invitation to visit the classrooms of the student’s senior class to help them understand their loss. It was during this experience that he became inspired to become a teacher. Jeffrey’s grandparents instilled a love of games and puzzles that required logic, such as Backgammon and Chess. “I am reminded of those puzzles and the logic of those games as I desire to impact the lives of students with special needs. Like creative puzzles or multifaceted games, each student has many intricate designs within. My goal is to help them discover what is inside, then let it out.” This desire put him on a path to teach inner-city middle school students, then to North Africa for eight years to teach educators as the National Director of Education and Training for a non-government organization, and finally to South Carolina.

As part of the state Teacher of the Year awards program, Maxey receives $25,000 and a brand new BMW for one year. 

Considered one of the country's strongest, the South Carolina Teacher of the Year program celebrates excellence and strengthens the teaching force by honoring and recognizing exceptional teachers on a district, state, and national level. These awards not only assist in retention efforts but serve as a powerful recruitment tool.

The South Carolina Teacher of the Year completes a one-year residency at CERRA while serving the state as an education ambassador. In this role he will provide mentoring, attend speaking engagements, work with Teacher Cadets and Teaching Fellows, lead the State Teacher Forum, and serve as the state spokesperson for over 50,000 educators. 

​Learn more about The Teacher of the Year program.