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      • Deion Jamison
      • Amy Carter
      • Sarah Gams
      • Chanda Jefferson
      • Jeff Maxey
      • Erin Fox
      • Jennifer Wise
      • Suzanne Koty
      • Jennifer Ainsworth
      • Darleen Sutton
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    • Rural Recruitment Initiative
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      • Karen Pack
      • Michael Fleming, Ed
      • Jennifer Garrett, PhD
      • Jenna Hallman, PhD
      • Suzanne Koty, PhD
      • Rona Neely
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      • Rachel Toole
      • Marcella Wine-Snyder, Ed.D.
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SC Teacher Leadership News

South Carolina Teacher Leadership

12/18/2018

 
BY SUZANNE KOTY
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​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
 

2018-19 South Carolina Teacher Forum

​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.
 
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A Look Inside the South Carolina Teacher Forum

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District Teacher Forums in Action

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​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


​Book Club Schedule
Jan. 14th Goodreads
       Introduction, Part 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
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Reading Corner
 
This year we are not only inviting you to check out what we are reading, but we want you to read with us.
 
Join us for a virtual book study of Brené Brown’s

Dare to Lead.
Brave Work.
Tough Conversations.
Whole Hearts.
​                                                                                            Sign up to participate in the CERRA Book Club 
here to receive the link for the book club discussions. 
 
Join us for discussion threads and twitter chats.  
Get your book over the winter break, and begin reading. 

​The first discussion thread will be open on January 14th. 

​

Important Messages from Your CERRA team…

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​Students who are accepted into the Teaching Fellows Program attend one of twelve college/universities across the state. Additionally, Teaching Fellows participate in advanced enrichment programs and receive professional development beyond the education program.
This is where you can help!
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/.
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There may be an opportunity for teacher leaders who are alternatively certified to participate in a panel discussion. If you went through alternative certification, please click below and submit your name.
https://cerra.wufoo.com/forms/sn9h1m10l8p3kc/

CERRA will be holding a virtual book club for teacher leaders. If you or teacher leaders you work with are interested in participating, use the link below to sign up. Forums are welcome to participate, and each member can use the link to register.
https://cerra.wufoo.com/forms/sk1nrxk0zkl873/

If you have a District Teacher Forum with a website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, or other link, please provide information at the link below.
https://cerra.wufoo.com/forms/svl76be0uo2a7o/
​

CERRA recently updated our District Teacher Forum page on our website with information to help those of you needing to start a Forum. Visit
https://www.cerra.org/district-teacher-forums.html
​
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Teacher stress is on the rise.
​This stress can cause a wide range or mental and physical issues. Over the past six years, Todd Scholl, CERRA's Coordinator of Communications & Program Development, has been sharing information on mindfulness as a means of addressing stress with schools across the state. If you are interested in learning more, you can visit his website at
www.mindfulsouthcarolina.com
or e-mail him at
todd@cerra.org.

Education News

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.
​
September
October
November

Upcoming Trainings and Support Sessions

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


From Our Reading

Ten behaviors and cultural issues that are obstacles of building organizations
                                                                                                                  --Brené Brown
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South Carolina Teacher Leadership

5/17/2018

 
BY SUZANNE KOTY
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​We are delighted to bring you the fourth 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.

Meet the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year

​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.
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The Charles Dickerson Community Service Award

​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.  
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2018 South Carolina Teacher of the Year Events
​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.
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​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.
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News

The 2018 District Teachers of the Year will have the opportunity to participate in a cohort of
National Candidates next year.  Details and dates will be shared next week.  If you are interested in participating and have not already signed up, please email suzanne@cerra.org by June 30, 2018.

CERRA Book Club

​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.
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CERRA can provide support for your District Forum.
Contact Suzanne Koty at 
Suzanne@cerra.orgfor more information.
Options:  Organizational support, presentations, strategic planning, and more
​
CERRA’s Teacher Leadership Team
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Jeffrey Maxey Named 2019 SC Teacher of the Year

5/8/2018

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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.
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South Carolina Teacher Leadership

3/14/2018

 
BY SUZANNE KOTY
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We are pleased to bring you the third edition 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.

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The District Teachers of the Year met in Columbia for a one day workshop to collaborate around leadership, goal setting, and developing a voice.  The teachers participated in a number of activities in which they reflected on choices they have made, situations they have found themselves in, and opportunities they have before them.  South Carolina Future Minds and Kathy Maness shared information with them about the upcoming Teacher of the Year banquet and legislative day.  At the end of the day, they were surprised by Bojangles with at least 40 books each to use in their classroom library or school’s media center.
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Throughout the week of March 5th-9th, State Superintendent Molly Spearman traveled the state surprising five teachers who have been selected as the 2019 South Carolina Honor Roll Teachers.  These five teachers are finalists for State Teacher of the Year.  The State Department will now conduct interviews and videotape classroom lessons as part of the process for the selection of the next South Carolina Teacher of the Year.  Each of these educators will be celebrated at the South Carolina Teacher of the Year banquet in May when one of them will assume the title of South Carolina Teacher of the Year.  The Honor Roll Teachers will work with the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year to advocate and promote teacher leadership throughout the year. 
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One of these five finalists will serve as the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year. 
The remaining four finalists will serve as 2019 South Carolina Honor Roll Teachers. 
The announcement will be made on May 2nd.  

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District Teacher Forums across the state are participating in a variety of activities to advocate for the profession and develop Teacher Leaders. If you are looking for ideas for your Forum, check out what is happening in other districts…
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Reminder:  In 2018-19, South Carolina will begin using a new evaluation tool for all classroom-based teachers.  The South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0 rubric will become part of the Expanded ADEPT Support and Evaluation System.   District teams have already begun training on the new instrument, and teachers will be learning about it during the 2017-18 academic year. 
 
Those interested in pursuing National Board Certification can register as early as April 1, 2018.  Revisions to the process have made it possible for candidates to complete the process over the course of several years instead of having to do it all in one year.  South Carolina is proud to have 8,928 NBCTs.  Be sure to follow updates in the coming weeks regarding the Proviso that governs the salary supplement for NBCTs. 
 
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CERRA can provide support for your District Forum.
Contact Suzanne Koty at Suzanne@cerra.org for more information.
Options:  Organizational support, presentations, strategic planning, and more
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Finalists for 2019 SC Teacher of the Year Named

3/13/2018

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BY TODD SCHOLL

The top five finalists for 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year were named last week. They are:

  • Robert Harris - Hand Middle School - Richland 1
  • Zachariah Lowe - Mayewood Middle School - Sumter
  • Jeffrey Maxey - Starr Elementary School - Anderson 3
  • Nick Snyder - Cane Bay High School - Berkeley
  • Susan Snyder - Northwestern High School - York 3 (Rock Hill)

The 2019 SC Teacher of the Year will be named at the SC Teacher of the Year Celebration on May 2 in Columbia. The SC Teacher of the Year serves a one-year residency at CERRA. Read more about the SC Teacher of the Year Program.
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South Carolina Teacher Leadership

1/25/2018

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Volume 2 | Issue 2

         
January 2018

                  BY SUZANNE KOTY
​We are pleased to share with you the second issue of the year. The South Carolina Teacher Leadership newsletter is a resource for District Teachers of the Year, SC Honor Roll teachers, and teacher leaders throughout the state. 

2017-18 South Carolina Teacher Forum

The South Carolina Teacher Forum will meet again on March 2nd.  The 2018 District Teachers of the Year will come together to collaborate around teacher leadership and receive details about the 2018 Teacher of the Year banquet.
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*Attention, District Forum Chairs*
Do you have an active Forum?  If so, make sure CERRA has your Forum featured on its website.  Send Todd the link for your website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed.
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The inaugural year of CERRA’s book club is off to a great start.  Teacher leaders from all across the state joined the book club to read and discuss this year’s selection, The WAY of the SEAL: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed by Mark Divine.  The participants have had a rich discussion about Divine’s first Principle.  They will be participating in a series of virtual meetings throughout the year.  
Calendar of Events:
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District Teacher Forums in Action
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CERRA can provide support for your District Teacher Forum.

Contact Suzanne Koty for more information.

Options: organizational support, presentations, strategic planning, etc.
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​Reading Corner

"I Failed Many Times Along the Path
​     to Teacher Leadership”

by Melissa Collins
 
Melissa shares how she had to overcome many obstacles including her own growth opportunities in order to realize her goals to become a teacher leader who leads from within the walls of her classroom.  Ultimately she chose not to pursue her original goal of administration because she realized that students are her fuel.
 
Find the article here.
​
“Turn Your Classroom Into a Team”
by Megan Olivia Hall
 
 
“Teachers are classroom leaders responsible for engineering a calm, safe learning environment.  Whether class norms are teacher-driven or student-generated, it is the teacher’s responsibility to articulate, model, and reinforce the standards for acceptable behavior in the classroom.”
 
Read about social and emotional learning here.
​
Of course, there’s also our Book Club’s selection.

The WAY of the SEAL: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed
​By Mark Divine

Here are some of our favorite quotes:

“Society’s drummer boy beat his drum, and I, like many of you, marched along oblivious to the much subtler drumbeat inside of me.”

“You will never seek leadership roles as an end in and of themselves.  Ultimately, we need to develop what the Japanese call kokoro, which means to merge our heart and mind in action.”

“There is no such thing as perfection, only perfect effort.”

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Teach Like Me!

11/15/2017

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South Carolina Teacher Leadership

11/13/2017

 
Volume 2  | ​ Issue 1                     
          November 2017           

        BY SUZANNE KOTY
We are excited to bring you the first issue of the year of this publication.  The South Carolina Teacher Leadership newsletter is a resource for District Teachers of the Year, SC Honor Roll teachers, and teacher leaders throughout the state.

2017-18 South Carolina Teacher Forum

​The 2017-18 District Teachers of the Year convened for the South Carolina Teacher Forum in Myrtle Beach earlier this month.  The theme for this year was Keep Running.  After an inspirational performance by Carolina Forest’s Show Choir, Sydney Chaffee, the 2017 National Teacher of the Year, delivered the opening keynote and urged teacher leaders to take risks and allow themselves to grow by embracing those things that push them outside of their comfort zones.  Thursday was a busy day filled with a keynote by CERRA’s own Dr. Jenna Hallman, an overview of how to fill out the application for State Teacher of the Year, breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, and an unconference.  The final day included a keynote by Erin Fox, 2018 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.  Erin shared her own story of how she found balance both professionally and personally and urged the District Teachers of the Year to keep running through all of the challenges they face. Superintendent Molly Spearman thanked the teachers for what they do, and the 2018 SC Honor Roll teachers shared some insight into how leadership connects to recruitment and retention.  Each District Teacher of the Year was pinned as a member of the South Carolina Teacher Forum.  
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A leader “is a professional who first masters the power of his or her own thoughts, emotions, instincts, and unique abilities and in so doing gains the trust and respects of others, becoming a natural leader.”  
                                                                                               --Mark Divine

A Look Inside the South Carolina Teacher Forum

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The CERRA Team's Parting Thoughts

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District Teacher Forums in Action

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​Sumter's Teacher Forum used the Six Word Activity to create individual statements about leadership. The forum’s leadership committee then used each statement to identify what was important to members as a new vision statement was crafted for the year’s work ahead.
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Reading Corner

This year we are not only inviting you to check out what we are reading,
but we want you to read with us.

 
Join us for a virtual book study of Mark Divine’s
The WAY of the SEAL:
Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed

 
Sign up to participate in the CERRA Book Club
here to receive the link for the book club discussions.
 
Join us for discussion threads, twitter chats, and more.  Get your book over the winter break, and begin reading. While you may read at your own pace, there will be a suggested timeline. The first discussion thread will be open on January 10th. 

“Genuine leadership must stem from the heart of an individual, regardless of (and sometimes in spite of) the organizational role or power systems in which he or she is enshrined.” 
                                                                                                            --Mark Divine
​

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Education News

The New Teacher Center, in partnership with Dr. Richard Ingersoll, published the results of the Learning and Leading Survey which shows a connection between school leadership and teacher leadership with student achievement.
 
There is great news for South Carolina educators!  490 NBCTs successfully renewed their National Board certification.  Renewal candidates were notified last month of their latest achievement.

Upcoming Trainings and Support Sessions

National Board

CERRA
Awareness Webinars: 12/15/17, 1/10/18, 3/21/18, and 4/11/18
Renewal Webinars: 12/8/17, 1/17/18, 3/22/18, and 4/12/18
Professional Learning Facilitator Trainings: 11/21/18, 1/4/18, 2/6/18, 3/8/18, and 4/9/18
 
SCEA (Register at their website.)
Support Session – Components 1 and 2: 2/10/18
Support Session – Components 3 and 4: 3/10/18
Jump Start Sessions: July 16-19, 2018
 
PSTA (Register at their website.)
Renewal Support Session: 1/30/18 @ 4:30

 
SC Mentor Training
Mentor Trainer Certification: December 5-6, 2017, February 27-28, 2018, and June 13-14, 2018
Mentor Training: January 30-31, 2018

What does it mean to undertake the Way of the SEAL?

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Collective Leadership Initiative

5/31/2017

1 Comment

 
The SC Department of Education has been given the tremendous opportunity to design and implement a Collective Leadership Initiative that we will begin piloting in fall 2017. As we develop this model, we are also exploring the need for a more personalized learning approach to professional development around specific areas of leadership through the development and completion of micro-credentials for SC educators.
 
Given the importance of this work and your role as a stakeholder in the education of SC’s children and support of their educators, we invite you to an important meeting for a day of learning and sharing with key leaders from a number of school districts and organizations.
 
The meeting will be held at the Columbia Conference Center, 169 Laurelhurst Avenue on June 16th from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Lunch will be provided and renewal credit will be offered.
 
The meeting will provide you the opportunity to learn more about the Collective Leadership pilot as well as the national landscape of professional development and the movement to a personalized approach for educators via micro-credentials.
 
We ask that you register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/statewide-leadership-micro-credential-awareness-convening-general-tickets-35011796225 by June 9th. NOTE: SEATING IS LIMITED SO PLEASE REGISTER ASAP TO ENSURE YOUR SPACE. We will follow up with additional details prior to the meeting.
 
We are excited to convene this important meeting and look forward to seeing you there!

This post created on behalf of Libby Ortmann, South Carolina Department of Education, Office of School Leadership.
Register Here
1 Comment

South Carolina Teacher Leadership

5/25/2017

0 Comments

 
Volume 1 | Issue 4
                          May 2017
              By Suzanne Koty

We are pleased to bring you the fourth edition of the South Carolina Teacher Leadership newsletter.  Our goal is to offer a collaborative resource that highlights both state and district level teacher leadership activities, outlines issues related to South Carolina education, and sparks ideas for the District Teacher Forums.
2018 South Carolina Teacher of the Year
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​Erin Fox from Cherokee School District One was named the 2018 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.  Erin is an English teacher at Gaffney High School who uses her background in drama, dance, and music in order to create dynamic lessons for her students. She also coaches cross country.  Erin shared that she hopes to be an advocate for teachers and students
  1. as we work to fight childhood and adolescent obesity and student apathy.  She wrote, "Both are problems for South Carolina students, and I believe that by infusing our classrooms and schools with more kinesthetic/tactile lessons and activities and by re-energizing our teachers and administrators with movement and action, we can engage our students on the highest level."  She believes that activating the body activates the brain and that when students are truly engaged in the classroom, attendance will increase and student apathy will decrease.  Elevated student attendance and engagement will lead students to perform with greater academic, athletic, and artistic prowess!  Erin will spend the next year representing South Carolina teachers and will serve a one-year teacher-in-residence with CERRA.

Charles H. Dickerson Community Service Award Recipient
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Caroline Weathers from Dorchester School District Four was awarded the Charles H. Dickerson for Community Service Award. Caroline teachers 7th grade science.  She was recognized for making significant contributions to her community.  She will receive a monetary award of $500 and a second monetary award of $500 to donate to a charity of her choice. She was honored both at the Teacher of the Year banquet and the Bojangles breakfast the following day.   

Caroline has chosen to send her donation to the Fresh Future Farms in North Charleston, a nonprofit inner-city farm learning center focused on increasing nutritional equity and providing economic opportunities for the community.  This grassroots organization is led by Germaine Jenkins whose goal it is to develop better food systems for residents of South Carolina. 


2017 South Carolina Teacher of the Year Event
All of the 2017 District Teachers of the Year gathered in Columbia on May 3rd to celebrate teachers in South Carolina.  The teachers entered a reception to the sound of a trumpet announcing their arrival.  There they were able to network with family, friends, educators, and policy makers.  Each District Teacher of the Year was recognized on stage by Judi Gatson.  The guests enjoyed a dinner with a keynote from a graduate of South Carolina Schools, Dr. Robert "Bobby" Satcher, Jr., who was the first orthopedic surgeon in space and participated in two spacewalks. Megan Nicholson, a singer/songwriter from Central High School performed an original song entitled "No More!  No More!" for the audience.  After 2017 South Carolina Teacher of the Year Jennifer Wise gave her parting words, State Superintendent Molly Spearman announced Erin Fox as the next State Teacher of the Year.  Superintendent Spearman treated the teachers and their guests to milk and cookies after the banquet.  The next day, Bojangles provided breakfast for the District Teachers of the Year before they embarked on a journey to the South Carolina State House to be take part in a press conference with Governor McMaster to declare May Teacher Appreciation Month.  The teachers were also recognized in both the House and the Senate chambers.  
Photo Credits:  Todd Scholl
District Teacher Forums in Action
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The Tri-County Teacher Forum which includes Edgefield, Saluda, and Lexington 3 school districts held its 1st annual Chat N Chew with legislators and Superintendent Spearman.
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The Cherokee District 1 Teacher Forum held a round table discussion that included veteran District Teachers of the Year and 30 Teacher Cadets.  They presented one cadet with their first annual scholarship.
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The Sumter Teacher Forum held a professional development workshop for the newly named Campus Teachers of the Year and celebrated the 28 teachers at the annual Celebration of Excellence.

Micro-Credential Pilot

The 2017 District Teachers of the Year along with other Teacher Leaders in our state were given the opportunity to participate in a pilot of a Micro-Credential program.  Participants were able to select two micro-credential competencies to submit to the Center for Teaching Quality later in the summer.

"[I]f you want to rise to towering heights in your life, you must make sure that you build your life on a sure, solid foundation.  The foundations upon which you build your life determine how high you can rise.  You must make sure to lay the proper foundation."                                    --Manny Scott
Spotlight on the 2017 and 2018 South Carolina Teachers of the Year
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Jennifer Wise was selected as a 2017-2018 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow.  Twelve STEM educators were selected to serve the 11-month fellowship in Washington, DC, within the offices of three sponsoring agencies and five Congressional Offices.  We congratulate Jennifer on this accomplishment and wish her well on this next step in her journey.

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We recently asked South Carolina's 2018 Teacher of the Year Erin Fox about teachers who had influenced her.  Her parents were both teachers, and they taught her that education is paramount to an individual's success.  They pushed her to never settle for mediocrity.  Her 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Sharon Elliott, helped her realize that her voice deserved to be heard.  Mrs. BettySue Cowan introduced her to the world of musical theatre.  Ms. Joanne Davis was her voice of reason; she showed her that anything was possible. Erin understands that teachers have the opportunity to show students the potential they possess.  She believes that teachers should bring energy and joy to the classroom because positivity and happiness are contagious.  

2017 District Teacher of the Year receives scholarship

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Jodie Peele Branham, the 2017 Latta School District Teacher of the Year received the Kevin Grover Distinguished Teacher Leader Award which provided her a $5,000 scholarship towards a Master of Arts in Teacher Leadership degree from Mount Holyoke College.  She just found out that she was accepted into the program and looks forward to learning more about developing as a teacher leader.  The scholarship was founded in memory of the 2010 Maine Teacher of the Year to honor his dedication to his students, profession, and public education.  He believed that teaching is the "best job in the world."  Congratulations to Jodie who will work towards building an improved education system for every child.


Education News

National Education News
The American Institutes for Research in collaboration with several other organizations recently published the 2017 Good to Great Report.  CERRA's own Jenna Hallman participated in one of the working groups.  The findings from the teacher-driven research study support the work that CERRA is doing in mentoring, National Board Certification, and teacher leadership.

South Carolina Education News
South Carolina is launching a high school aerospace curriculum in the fall of the 2017-18 school year.  Six high schools across the state will offer the aerospace engineering classes.  

Three high school students were named as U.S. Presidential Scholars.  Congratulations are extended to Jessica Marlow (Dorman High School), Jonathan Michala (Eastside High School), and Karen Zhao (Riverside High School).

The legislators have ratified a bill to provide a state recognized graduation credential for students with disabilities.  Beginning in the coming year, ninth graders will be the first group eligible to earn a state recognized employment credential.  This project was spearheaded by participants in the South Carolina Education Policy Fellows program, Traci Hogan and Chuck Saylors.

CERRA has piloted two National Board cohorts this year, one in Greenville and one in Dorchester 2.  The cohorts focused on Components One and Three of the National Board Certification process, but several members completed all four components this year.  Next year these districts will provide cohort support for Components Two and Four.  Any districts interested in learning more will soon have access on our website.  
  National Board Certification

Registration is now open for teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification.

Renewal candidates can begin registering as early as September 1st.  See the dates below.
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"Things like worthy goals, sense of belonging, commitment to quality and feeling supported are the essential glue that binds a group to both the work and each other.  Organization communication, and flexibility act as the oil that reduces friction and keeps things running smoothly."                                                                                              -- Margaret Searle & Marilyn Swartz

Upcoming Mentor Training Dates

August 8-9
September 5-6

Upcoming Mentor Trainer Certification Dates

August 2-3
December 5-6

Upcoming National Board Support Sessions

CERRA and SCNBN Online Renewal Awareness on May 25, 2017
PSTA Renewal Awareness Session on May 20, 2017
SCEA Jump Start Seminar on July 17-20, 2017

​The Campus Directors at each of the Teaching Fellows Institutions across the state are always looking for speakers/presenters. As teacher leaders you are the perfect people to serve in this capacity. By completing the form available here, you are giving CERRA permission to share your name and contact information with the Campus Directors. The Campus Directors will contact you directly if they wish to invite you to their school. The Campus Director will also be responsible for providing all the information about the meetings, available technology etc. The form will provide you with an opportunity to identify your potential presentation and/or discussion topics as well as the institutions you are willing to travel to. Thanks you for your willingness to support the Teaching Fellows Program. 

​"Large or small, chronic or crisis, adversity happens.  How you respond is determined in part by your resilience capacity when tough times strike."                        
​                                                                                                  --Jerry L. Patterson & Paul Kelleher

Reading Corner:  Check out what we're reading.

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Jerry L. Patterson and Paul Kelleher explore how leaders, both those with titles and without, can find strength in the face of adversity.  They found the answer in an old quote: "It's not so much what you do.  It's how you think about what you do that makes all of the difference."
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Many know Manny Scott from Freedom Writers.  In this book, he provides activities for the reader to recognize and embrace his/her next step both professionally and personally.  Scott offers perspective about how to achieve success, however that word is defined by the reader.
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Have your ever wondered how you could create a greater sense of professional engagement in your school?  The authors provide four steps to take to build effective teams who work to improve student outcomes.  This book is packed with tips and strategies that can be easily put into practice.

Resilient School Leaders

Dimensions of Resilience as described by Patterson and Kelleher

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The Cycle of Resisilience

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Learn more about overcoming adversity and strengthening your resilience in Patterson and Kelleher's book.  They describe six strengths that allow leaders to positively impact the culture of an organization:
  1.         Accurate assessment of both the organization's past and current reality
  2.         Positive attitude about the future
  3.         Commitment to personal values
  4.         Personal efficacy
  5.         Energy
  6.         Courage to act

Looking for a little inspiration from one of our featured authors?  


CERRA can provide support for your District Forum.
Contact Suzanne Koty at Suzanne@cerra.org for more information.

Options:  Organizational support, presentations, strategic planning, and more
CERRA'S TEACHER LEADERSHIP TEAM
Jenna Hallman
Program Director
hallmanj@cerra.org
Suzanne Koty
Program Facilitator
suzanne@cerra.org
Jan Patterson
Program Specialist
pattersonj@cerra.org
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