Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/278956
SPRING 2014 | wyoea.org SPRING 2014 | WEAnews 12 2013 National Board Certified Teachers Named In 2013, 72 additional teachers in Wyoming achieved National Board Certification. Over the past three years, Wyoming has had the second-fastest growth in the nation in its number of accomplished teachers, and now has a total of 497 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs). "These WEA members strive to be the best teacher leaders in education in Wyoming, and they demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the classroom," said WEA President Kathy Vetter. "I am very proud of their dedication to the profession and the students of Wyoming." Research shows that students taught by Board- certified teachers consistently attain higher gains in student achievement compared to peers who are not taught by Board-certified teachers, making learning gains equivalent to an extra one to two months in school. The mission of the National Board is to advance student learning and achievement by establishing the definitive standards and systems for certifying accomplished educators, providing programs and advocating policies that support excellence in teaching and leading, and engaging National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and leaders in that process. The National Board seeks to elevate the status, voice, and role of accomplished teachers in shaping a true profession. Of the 72 new Board-certified teachers, these 30 are WEA Members – Angela Kemp Cori Ann Lloyd Connie Mann Patricia Meier Peggy Miller Tricia Muller Carl Myers Brook Peterson Kelly Phelan Luke Robertson Suzan Skaar Sally Slater LeAnn Uhling Molly Voris Stephanie Wodahl Katherine Bella Jennifer Bjornson Jenniger Brummel Sarah Call Marlys Ciscar Stephanie Colling Donna Faris Rachel Giesmann Suzanne Goostree Gayla Hammer Debra Hart Brigitte Hasse Staci John Paula Johnson Kristi Jones Hello from your Education Support Professional (ESP) Representative to the WEA Board of Directors!! I want to thank all of you for being members of our great Association and to let you know that if you have any issues you would like me to bring up at the state level concerning ESP, I would be more than happy to talk with you. My email address is carolepalmerpara@ gmail.com, and since I now have a phone that can get my email, I look at it all the time! I would also like to hear from you if you have any ideas for workshops or trainings that you would participate in. ESP can benefit from WEA membership but we need to hear from you about what you need from us. And don't forget to check out all the great member benefits from NEA! There's some great stuff out there, including home and auto insurance, credit cards, Click and Save, and a multitude of other things. I'm hoping to see a few of you at the upcoming Delegate Assembly in Cheyenne. We are going to have a lunch meeting both Friday and Saturday for ESP delegates or others interested in ESP issues, so we'll have plenty of time to discuss things there. Please feel free to send questions or ideas along with your local delegates if you won't be attending yourself. Education Support Professionals Update by WEA ESP Representative Carole Palmer by President of the UW chapter of SWEA Sara Richter As the new president of the UW chapter of SWEA, I am honing in on raising our membership numbers. In order to obtain enough funding to raise awareness of SWEA throughout Laramie and the surrounding communities as well as throughout the student body at the University to raise our membership, we applied for the SOAR Grant. We received the grant for the spring semester and have used the grant for meeting purposes and for the following activities. On March 3, 2014, some of the members of the UW chapter of SWEA went to the elementary schools in Laramie and read Dr. Seuss books to commemorate his birthday and celebrate Read Across America. On March 4, we helped at the Lab School in the College of Education with their celebration for Dr. Seuss's birthday. At the Lab School, we read, made hats, and ate green eggs and ham with the students. All of the members who participated had a great time in the schools and were very excited to celebrate with the students. Our upcoming events for the semester include Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society and Jackalope Jump for the Wyoming Special Olympics. The UW Student chapter will also be helping with Discovery Days for the first time at the University. We are hoping potential education students will stop by our booth and join us next fall for our meetings. Interim Dean Day has also asked our chapter and other organizations within the College of Education to help organize a get-together for all incoming freshmen next fall. Dean Day would like us to help organize a dinner with a Q and A for all of the College of Education's incoming freshmen. This will also be a great opportunity to recruit new members for SWEA and our chapter. So far, this semester has flown by but we are trying to get as much accomplished as possible. Under new leadership, I feel we have made great strides and hope as a group to accomplish much more in the coming semesters. Spring 2014 working.indd 12 3/14/14 4:31 PM