February 19 - USC Upstate Teaching Fellows

I need to start this blog with some important information about Teaching Fellows. I have to be honest and say that when I started in this position my knowledge of the Fellows program was pretty slim. I'd heard of them and even worked with two former Fellows. Both of these individuals were outstanding from the day they started in education. They seemed to fly through induction and ADEPT without the struggles of their traditionally prepped counterparts. Both exhibit the skills necessary to survive and excel as an educator. I assumed they were just "cut out" to be teachers. I was wrong. They were ready to teach because they had been Teaching Fellows. At their respective colleges Teaching Fellows are held to a higher standard, participate in more events and teaching organizations, are elected to positions of authority, and receive constant information about what teaching is really like. In short, they were better prepared. I tell you all this because this program is in jeopardy. I would encourage you to seek out the former and current Fellows in your area and ask them what the program meant to them. Then call your legislator (House and Senate) and voice your opinions about the power of Teaching Fellows. You can also email me or Brett Vaughn (vaughnb@cerra.org) for more information.

Today I had the opportunity to talk with the Teaching Fellows at USC- Upstate about the "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Educators". I'll admit I sort of felt like I was preaching to the choir. They understand the power of building relationships with parents, students, and families. They get that they need to believe the best about their students and themselves and hold everyone in the classroom to high standards. They know that they must be advocates for their profession. Still, it never hurts to hear it one more time. I shared a lot of stories throughout this presentation and related everything back to my classroom. I hope that this time was beneficial to the students and that they took away at least one snippet of information they can use.

February 17 - St. John's Teacher Cadets

I've passed St. John's High School many times on my way to visit other schools and to participate in other events. In some ways it is the first glimpse of civilization after a long drive down a traditional low-country road. I love to drive under the canopy of trees covered in the moss and think about life in slower time. St John's sort of sneaks up on you and thrusts you right back into modern day South Carolina complete with a McDonald's and a long traffic light! For the first time this year I had the chance to not drive by, but actually stop and visit at St. John's High School.

The purpose of my visit was to meet with the teacher cadets. Ms. Pinkney currently has four cadets, two of whom are males. They are an outstanding group of students who represent their school well. Rhonda Farmer (Region 5's Teacher in Residence) and I joined a gentleman from the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation to share information about the teaching profession. It was interesting to hear all four students talk about their career paths. Each one had a plan, big dreams, and the goal of doing something other than teaching. As I've said before, my job is not to talk someone out of becoming a doctor or an engineer. Goodness knows we are going to need more doctors and engineers in the future. I do feel obligated to share the benefits of teaching and the rewards of being in education however. With all of this in mind I took a slightly different approach in my discussion with these students. I shared, what I hope is an inspirational story, about why I teach including the fact that I know that one of my students will cure cancer and solve the energy crisis. I further explained that as an educator I am in high demand. The skills we have as teachers and administrators make us look very attractive to someone in the business world. We are prepared to enter almost any profession, most with little job training. It's not the same if you want to switch from something else to education. Finally, I shared some ideas from the Task Force for 21st Century Teaching and Learning. I focused on the improvements we hope to make in working conditions and compensation. In the end, two of the students were open to the idea of teaching again. I think they will be convinced once they finish their field experiences.

February 16 - Saluda Instructional Fair

During Winter Workshop we discussed the power of the Teacher Forums and everything they can do to help the districts. Today was a perfect example of this. Deborah Minick, the 2008 District Teacher of the Year and Forum Chairperson, invited me to attend Saluda's first ever Instructional Fair. Saluda is a relatively small district with a great Teacher Forum. Superintendent Mathis gave the Forum full control to plan and run the Instructional Fair. They utilized the teacher leaders in their district as well as a few outside contacts (myself, Genie McDill (Region 2 Teacher in Residence), and Kathy Maness from the Palmetto State Teachers Association among others) and created a conference like atmosphere. The teachers were allowed to choose the sessions they were most interested in. As a result this professional development was diversified, authentic, and interesting. The teachers seemed upbeat and excited about the day's events. I wonder how many districts can say that about their professional development days?

I was thrilled to be a part of this inaugural fair. I presented the keynote and talked about my first year in education. I also had the opportunity to do a National Board awareness session for about seven teachers who I hope will seriously consider applying for the loan next year. I know National Board has been in the news a lot lately and that the compensation is an area of concern for many legislators. I told this group that I plan to apply for renewal whether the money is there or not. National Board was by far the best professional development of my career. It was harder than getting a Masters, but worth every bit of sweat that I put into it. I ended my time in Saluda with a session on Arts Integration. The audience was made up of classroom teachers from all levels, special area teachers from all levels, and Superintendent Mathis. We had a great time together. I started by sharing some basic information about what Arts Integration is and what the research says about it's effectiveness. We discussed the different types of arts integration and and how to best plan a lesson. Finally, we participated in some pieces of model lessons. I brought my palm pipes and stretchy bands and discussed how I use these in my classroom to teach science, math, music, and dance standards. I invited anyone who was interested to visit my home school, Calhoun Academy of the Arts, if they wanted to observe a true Arts Integration lesson.

It still blows my mind that in a time when we know that diversified learning is best for our students, we utilize a one-size fits all approach to professional development for teachers. Nothing irritates me more than sitting in a session that doesn't meet my needs. Teachers are professionals and we know what were strong in and the areas in which we need to improve. I am so glad that Saluda realized this and empowered the Teacher Forum to create an effective staff development offering. Way to go Saluda and the Teacher Forum!!!

We ended the visit with a trip outside to look at my car. You would think by now I would remember that Rhonda always wants to do this. I should have stopped at a car wash on the way in! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to St. John's and am looking forward to returning in the spring for their parent night.

February 13 – Winter Workshop Day 3

Today was the very last day of the Winter Workshop. I woke up early to run through my speech one last time and immediately started crying. I managed to pull it together long enough to get ready and walk out of the hotel room. On my way to the elevator I caught a glimpse of the sunrise through the window at the end of the hallway. I decided to take a moment to watch the sky turn pink and orange as I tried to understand my emotions. Part of me is upset that my time in this position is quickly coming to an end and I will admit that bothers me. I’m also sad that an event that meant so much to me last year and that I have been looking forward to all year is about over. The emotion that really started taking over (and causing tears) as I watched the final moments of the sunrise was pride. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work with an incredible group of District Teachers of the Year. I’ve watched them grow into their roles and have seen them forever change the lives of the people they come in contact with. Just like the butterflies we compared them to all year, they found their wings. I feel like the mother hen and am struggling with letting go.

Yesterday was all work and seriousness. Today is a better mix – fun, laughter, celebrations, and hard work. The morning began with a group photo. In case you didn’t realize it, I am rather tall. I’ve spent my whole life in the back row during pictures. I thought for once I was going to be on the floor. Nope, Mychal kept sending me back one row at a time until I was once again in the very back row! We posed and smiled as Mychal clicked away on his camera. I can’t wait to see the final copy of the picture.

The State Teacher of the Year Panel was next on the agenda. Mary Ann Blaskowitz (1982), Debra Templin (1996), Jason Fulmer (2004), Buffy Murphy (2006) and Ann Marie Taylor (2008) found their seats on the stage and prepared for the set of questions they knew were coming. Brett asked them to discuss their favorite classroom stories and most humbling moments. We laughed and cheered as they shared with us. Then, it was time for the dreaded question. Brett looked them straight in the eye and asked them to describe, in detail, their most embarrassing moment as State Teacher of the Year. I won’t give away their secrets but if you ever see them ask Debra to tell you about her trip to the Oval Office, Jason to share his experience with Mr. Las Vegas, Buffy to describe her “trip” down the stairs, and Ann Marie to talk about stomach troubles at Space Camp. I promise you will die laughing!

Dr. Jim Rex, our State Superintendent of Education, appeared towards the end of the panel presentation. He had agreed to forego his normal song and dance and take questions from the audience. This was a last minute change and we truly appreciated his bravery. The teachers in the audience were on the money with their questions. They asked about Teaching Fellows scholarships, school choice, funding, and National Board. I felt Dr. Rex was honest and up front with his answers. At times he told us what we didn’t want to hear. He shared ideas about teacher compensation including his thoughts on the TAP model. I hope this time with Dr. Rex helped ease some of the apprehension we are feeling and will reassure the teachers that he is approachable and willing to listen.

Every year CERRA holds a teacher leader ceremony at Winter Workshop. Each District Teacher of the Year is pinned and named an official teacher leader. As their name is called they walk across the front of the room and are hugged and celebrated by the CERRA staff, past State Teachers of the Year, and State Department guests. The next stop is at the “photo screen” where they are photographed with the current State Teacher of the Year. Finally, they end up at the CERRA Regional map where they add their district puzzle piece to the state. I know this sounds confusing but it actually flows quite nicely. It is always a very touching ceremony and this year was no different. I enjoyed taking pictures with everyone even though my cheeks started aching after the tenth picture. I ended up making fish faces in between to help stretch my cheeks!

This year I discovered the true meaning of political advocacy. It hasn’t always been fun or easy, trust me. I’ve had some great meetings with legislators and some downright awful conversations as well. The important thing is … I’ve done it. Even though I have never been overly politically active, I made the effort. I want the South Carolina Teacher Forum members to understand the power of their voice as well. To that end, we decided to have the group develop and vote on the very first State Teacher Forum position statement. We took the comments that were generated throughout the workshop and combined them into a cohesive paragraph which we presented to the group. The discussion heated up quickly but in the end we were able to establish a powerful statement about what we believe should be the future of education in South Carolina. The final copy will be sent to the District Teachers of the Year for official approval and will then be released to the general public. Keep checking the blog for that update!

My favorite part of the entire morning was also one of the hardest for me. I once again compared this year to the metamorphosis of a butterfly and asked the teachers to reflect on the changes they initiated, the changes they saw in themselves, the changes that were coming in education, and the changes they are still fighting for. During this period of reflection we played the song Find Your Wings by Mark Harris. I would encourage you to listen to this inspirational song at http://www.onlylyrics.com/hits.php?grid=11&id=31091 Every line in the song speaks directly to my heart as I think about these award winning teachers. The chorus states:
“I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings.”
My job as State Teacher of the Year includes the responsibility of helping an already phenomenal group of teachers grow so that they can do more than they ever imagined. I also have the unique opportunity to train someone to take my place. This can be a somewhat tricky situation as you might imagine. Early on I decided that I was going to make sure that I helped prepare that individual to do this job far better than I have. Is there any wonder why I feel so attached to these people and why when the line “It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off, But I'll cheer as you fly” came across the speakers I lost it? The tears are still falling even as I write this blog. Of course, the next activity didn’t help dry up my tears either. I asked the entire group to join me on the porch where we once again compared the teachers to the butterflies. I explained that it really was time for them to fly and we released the last bunch of butterflies. We watched them fly off down the beach as the words from the song still echoed in our minds.

We re-entered the building and found the Aynor Middle School Choir, dressed in floor length gowns and tuxes standing on the risers. This 115 member choir is directed by Leanne Altman. The group quickly launched into a series of inspirational songs designed to keep the tears flowing. They were incredible and added just the right touch to this part of the workshop!

My final job was to give the closing address. I chose “Teach Today for Success Tomorrow” as my speech because it tied nicely with the 21st century theme. The problem was I was so emotional by this time I could hardly bring the words to mind. Jason Fulmer suggested I talk from my heart, and I did, with tears streaming down my cheeks. I hope I made sense as I talked about the future of education for students and for teachers.

I have a bad habit of really focusing on the things that didn’t go right with any event I plan. There were certainly pieces of the Winter Workshop that I would like to have the opportunity to fix, but I sincerely hope they were lost to everyone but me. My goal was to prime this group to be advocates for education. I wanted to touch their hearts and empower them to fight and take back our profession. I couldn’t have done any of this without the help from the entire CERRA staff, the marvelous presenters, and the musical acts. I truly appreciate everyone who helped with this project!

February 12 – Winter Workshop Day 2

Today was Day two of the Winter Workshop and our focus shifted from celebrating the District Teachers of the Year to further educating them about issues and initiatives within our state. In each of the Regional Forums we introduced the participants to advocacy, equitable funding, and 21st Century Education. I explained that this was really just a tease and that we would continue these important discussions at Winter Workshop. Today was the day I fulfilled on that promise.

Our first speaker was Bud Ferillo, the producer of Corridor of Shame and the creator of the goodbyeminimallyadequate petition (check out the website at http://www.goodbyeminimallyadequate.com/ ). Bud has the unique ability to talk about the court case from the viewpoint of a witness and participant. He also shared information about the current media response. We have certainly received some extra attention due to President Obama’s references to the schools in his Town Hall meeting. Bud knew that I had asked each of the District Teachers of the Year to collect signatures and bring them to the Winter Workshop. He had no idea how many signatures we had turned in. He stood at the front of the room as six kindergarteners from Forestbrook Elementary pulled red wagons stacked with petitions to him. The song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” rang out. I’ve never known Bud to be speechless, but that is exactly what happened. In all, we presented 20, 473 signatures! Courtney Randle, from Richland 2, contributed close to 6,000 and won the prize for the most signatures collected. I was as proud as I looked out over the audience and saw them giving Bud (and themselves) a standing ovation. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we come together with a united voice.

Our second speaker was Benton Wise who is a senior at West Florence High School. Benton became interested in making a difference with the “Corridor of Shame” schools after he completed the Riley Institute’s “Emerging Public Leaders” program. Benton has single handedly collected large numbers of signatures and inspired people all over the state to join in the fight for high quality education. Benton talked about his experiences with the petition drive and called himself “just a student advocate”. I later scolded him for this remark. No-one is “just” anything if they put their heart and soul into what they do. Benton also shared information about an awareness event he is organizing. It will be held on March 5th at West Florence High School and will include a showing of Corridor of Shame as well as speeches from Bud Ferillo and myself. I would encourage anyone who is interested to attend and support this incredible young man who is also committed to returning to South Carolina to teach.

After a quick break we returned for our second General Session. Last summer Dr. Rex convened a task force to study 21st Century Teaching and Learning. I was privileged to serve with this group and to make some recommendations about working conditions for teachers, how to best recast the teaching profession, restructuring the salary schedule, and utilizing community support. Dr. Allison Jacques and Barbara Turner from the State Department of Education agreed to share our findings with the participants. The PowerPoint they used in their presentation can be viewed at their website: http://www.scteachers.org/. It appears on the main page under the following heading: The Task Force on 21st Century Teaching and Learning was formed as a part of Dr. Rex’s comprehensive school reform plan to elevate the teaching profession.
My favorite part of this presentation was when Allison and Barbara turned the tables and asked the participants to make further suggestions which would be included in the document. Each table was asked to focus on one of the four subtopics. They charted their responses and new ideas and then shared with the entire group. We are currently in the process of compiling the data and submitting it to the state department for addition to the document.

After a healthy and filling lunch at Marlins we all headed back to the conference center for our afternoon sessions. We immediately broke into regional groups and followed the Teachers in Residence (TIR) to a smaller breakout room. During Regional Forums the TIRs talked about the benefit of district teacher forums. We knew that some districts have very successful and active forums while others are struggling to get started. It was impossible to really allot the time necessary for a full explanation of forums at Regionals, so I again promised more information at Winter Workshop. The TIRs took the lead on this and planned region specific information about how to start, run, and sustain a forum. The participants who are currently leading forums were given the opportunity to share their best practices. Everyone was encouraged to take names and email addresses of these individuals so that they could be used as a resource. The entire group also worked to brainstorm new or spin-off ideas. I come from a non-forum district and remember how confused I felt about starting one last year. As a result, I didn’t do anything with it (shame on me). This year I have witnessed first hand the power of the forums and believe that every district could benefit from the teacher leadership opportunities a forum creates. It is my hope that everyone involved in these sessions now feels empowered and ready to go back and do what needs to be done. As always, the CERRA staff is ready and willing to assist in any way possible.

For our final sessions we split the large group into four smaller, random groups. They traveled together between work sessions, each focusing on a different topic. The topics were still tied to advocacy and state initiatives. I’ve given a brief overview of each session below.
  Buying South Carolina – Ross Shealy presented the information about the legislators who have accepted funds from Howard Rich and his counterparts. These individuals will be forced to support vouchers and tax credits if and when the vote comes up in the House and Senate. If you want to check up on your local representative go to http://scbarbecue.blogspot.com/. Be warned you may be disappointed with the individual who is currently representing you in Columbia.
  NCTAF Inside-Out Centers for Learning – Talk about 21st century education! Dr. Gayle Sawyer, CERRA’s Executive Director, shared information about these centers and the process they used for identifying the prospective schools. You can access more information about this initiative at the following websites:
http://www.nctaf.org/documents/IOCLMediaRelease10-9-08.pdf
http://www.nctaf.org/
http://www.kwfdn.org/press_room/press_releases/press_release.asp?prID=162
  Freedom Writers/ Diversity Shuffle – Marcella Wine-Snyder and Tracie Sweet guided the participants through an emotionally charged discovery session based on the movie, The Freedom Writers. After watching a short video clip everyone was asked to approach a line on the floor. Marcella called out different traits and experiences and everyone was asked to step closer to the line if they could relate. There are periods of silent reflection as everyone thinks about who has stepped forward, who has not, and the emotions they are experiencing. This is powerful stuff! Here’s the link to the You Tube trailer -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lejN7Ulh10s for the movie. You can also access information about the Diversity Shuffle at http://www.amsa.org/div/shuffle.cfm.
  Riley Institute – Courtenay Williams shared information the Riley Institute’s most extensive study of public education. The information gathered over a period of 18 months shows the strengths and weaknesses in our educational system and identifies how South Carolinians believe it should be improved. The study can be accessed at http://cepl.furman.edu/?page=2&PHPSESSID=f68cb48a320ab6254b128fd09e638f21.

As you can probably imagine the conversations following the day’s events were heated, tear-filled, and necessary. I know that we presented an overwhelming amount of information in a relatively short period of time. I thought about apologizing for causing headaches but decided against it. Everything that was presented today was necessary information. Teachers are so often sheltered from what is happening outside their classrooms. It is imperative that we stay “in the know” and begin advocating at a higher level for our students, our schools, and our profession.

February 11 - Winter Workshop Day 1

When I woke up this morning I immediately headed over to the Springmaid conference center. I’ll admit I was worried and had spent most of the night wondering how we were ever going to get all the last minute details finished before the District Teachers of the Year started arriving at 4:00. The rest of the CERRA staff and many of the CERRA Advisory Board (CAB) members were scheduled to arrive in shifts throughout the day. I knew what I needed them to do – I just needed them to get to Myrtle Beach. I voiced my concerns to Jason Fulmer and Tracie Sweet and they both assured me it would happen. I should have had more faith in them. It was amazing! People began arriving and immediately started helping. No-one complained because their job was boring, tiresome, or monotonous. I never saw a single person standing around. As soon as they finished one job, they asked for another, or just found a place where they were needed. At 3:00 we dismissed everyone to their rooms to shower and change. I took a minute after everyone left and surveyed the conference areas. Everything on my list was complete and we were ready for the workshop to begin.

At 4:00 we opened the registration table and immediately started greeting our guests. I was so excited to see the 2009 class of District Teachers of the Year. It had been several months (back to Regional Forums) since I had seen many of these individuals. We exchanged hugs and quick stories about our year. Most people completed the registration process and then headed back to their rooms to rest before the opening session.

The two people in attendance that know me the best are Tracie Sweet and Jason Fulmer. Earlier in the day, it was Tracie who suggested we leave lunch early and walked with me as I pulled myself together. This time it was Jason, who saw what was happening and intervened. We took a moment to step into a breakout room, call a dear friend from the CERRA staff who could not be with us, and say a quick prayer. I decided to write about these experiences because I have shared my feelings throughout this blog and I want whoever takes my place next year to know that it is normal to have moments of “emotional weakness”. I also want everyone to understand what an amazing group of people the CERRA staff is. Marcella, Rhonda, Jo Ann, Brett, Tria, Libby, Gayle, Mychal, anyone of them would have done this for anyone on the staff and that’s important. My only wish is that every person can one day be a part of a team like this.

The Winter Workshop officially started at 6:00 with the sounds of the Aynor Blue Pan Jam Band under the leadership of Connie Christy. The sound of pan drums filled the air as our guests of honor entered the room. There was a feeling of celebration and that’s exactly what we wanted for the first night. We honored each of the District Teachers of the Year by introducing them to their peers and flashing a picture and a quote from their principal. Remember the phone calls Tracie was making on the way down? It came together – Thanks Mychal and Tracie! Dinner was served buffet style in the conference room as the students from Aynor continued to entertain us. At one point I looked around the room, saw the smiles and heard the conversations, and knew it was going to be a good workshop!

The main event of the night was Michael Geisen’s keynote address. Mike had actually spent most of the day with us as we prepped for the big event. He listened to our conversations about our theme, Completing the Metamorphosis, and actually changed his speech to include references to butterflies and their life cycle! We couldn’t have hand-selected a better National Teacher of the Year! His program discussed the importance of 21st century education, brain based research, and a love for teaching. He kept us laughing while also forcing us to deeply contemplate issues such as testing and curriculum. In short, it was awesome! We ended the evening with music, dancing, and the start of the silent auction. By the time most people left the room it was close to 10:00 and the work for tomorrow’s sessions could begin. I was hoping to be in the bed long before 1:30 (the time my head hit the pillow last night) but that didn’t happen. Debra Templin, our resident florist and past State Teacher of the Year, arrived with baskets of flowers. Brett, Jason, and I received a lesson in flower arranging while Mychal and Tracie completed other tasks. At 12:30 the tables were decorated and it was time to move on to other jobs.

When I did finally make it my room to get some sleep I was happy, excited about Thursday’s events, and exhausted. I can’t imagine a better feeling!

Saluda Teacher Forum

That's me in the middle (fourth from left) with members of the Saluda Teacher Forum. Blog post will be added soon.

February 10 - Winter Workshop Preparation

What an exhausting and exciting day! I started my day with a quick stop at my home school, Calhoun Academy of the Arts, to borrow some decorations for Winter Workshop. Due to the current budget crisis we were operating on a minimal decorating budget. That really didn't worry me because I know for a fact that my principal, Ann Self, never throws anything away! She and I crawled through storage areas and hit the goldmine. She pulled out boxes and boxes of greenery, flower pots, and the coolest butterflies. After literally filling every square inch of my van I headed to the other side of town to pick up Tracie Sweet and head to Myrtle Beach. What Tracie didn't know was that the five hour ride to Springmaid Beach was going to be filled with phone calls to district offices and school principals. At this point I was still frantically trying to pull together the final pieces of a celebratory PowerPoint for the District Teachers of the Year that would be arriving on Wednesday. Tracie was a good sport and made phone call after phone call.

We arrived in Myrtle Beach right on schedule. Brett Vaughn, Libby Anderson, Tria Grant, and Jason Fulmer met us at the conference center and we hurriedly unpacked all the cars. Preparations began immediately. I felt a little bit like a drill Sergent issuing orders about what needed to happen. Everyone was a great sport and before I knew it the tables were decorated, the entrance way was completed, and Tracie had her homemade scrapbook butterfly pictures flying on the windows. It was amazing! At 5:15 I left final instructions with the group and headed to the airport with Jason to pick up Michael Geisen, the 2008 National Teacher of the Year. Mike was scheduled to be our keynote speaker for opening night but was flying in a day early.

We returned from the airport with Mike in tow and made arrangements to meet for supper a short while later. Libby, Tracie, Mike, Jason, and I all piled into Jason's Camry and headed to our favorite Myrtle Beach restaurant, The Sea Captain's House. On the way we shared our favorite Springmaid stories, were astonished to find out that Mike didn't know what hush puppies were, and discussed some current educational issues. My favorite discovery of the evening was the fact that Mike Geisen is a true goof-ball. At one point he was hanging out the car window (kids don't try this at home) and begging for help. All that drama because we talked about South Carolina cockroaches and a few stray hairs on a set of hotel bed sheets! The Sea Captain's House has the best she-crab soup around. We basically forced Mike to order some, which he devoured. He also seemed pretty happy with the hush puppies, although he thought they were like donut holes. We straightened him out! By the end of the meal my cheeks were aching from laughing and I could only imagine what the rest of the evening was going to be like.

Tracie has a keen fondness for Sonic ice and started making requests for a Sonic stop as soon as we got in the car. The problem is, Sonic was a long way away. That gave us lots of time to share more stories, tease Tracie, and hear all about Mike's adventures traveling the United States and the world. We ran through the drive through and gave Mike his first taste of Sonic ice. He was not impressed. He did want us to "borrow" one of the skate signs, which for the record, we did not do.

Our final stop was at the local Walmart to buy some much needed items. I'm sure the Walmart in Myrtle Beach is still talking about the crazy group that came through that night. Mike immediately spotted the motorized carts and proceeded to unhook one for his driving pleasure. He followed us through the store filling his cart with various item. We won't even talk about what he picked up. You can refer to the picture for more information.

I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my whole life. My cheeks stung, my sides ached, and my heart sang. I knew that my evening's work preparing for Winter Workshop had barely begun, but I was relaxed and excited instead of stressed. I was so glad to find that the person representing teachers nationwide is real, fun, and committed. When Mike Geisen talks about his classroom, his students, and his dreams for education you can't help but listen. I am so excited that he is here with us and is willing to share his message with the District Teachers of the Year in South Carolina.

February 9 - Policy Fellows

Today we had an awesome opportunity to hear Dr. Walter Edgar discuss "The Evolution of Public Education in South Carolina". Dr. Edgar is also the author of The South Carolina Encyclopedia, which currently rests on my coffee table. I can't tell you how many times I have picked it up with the intention to read a page or two only to find myself totally engrossed in the history and unable to put the book down. Since the total page count is 1061, not including the index, I think I will be able to enjoy it for a while to come.

Dr. Edgar began his presentation talking about the current budget situation in South Carolina. Did you know that our state has been placed on a "credit alert" by the large investment agencies because of our current tax system? As educators we know the system is antiquated and unfair. The general public needs to realize that we must completely overhaul our tax system and that this change may include new taxes. I know that low taxes and no new taxes are sort of a religion in South Carolina but, we can't get quality anything (schools, infrastructure, health care etc.) without putting "our money where our mouth is". In all actuality we haven't seen the effects of the recession on our educational budgets yet. The problems and deficits we are experiencing are primarily self imposed (think Act 388). The university system has already taken a 22% cut and my home district sustained $900,000 in cuts in the first round alone. We've heard Dr. Rex discuss the fact that we cannot continue to cut and not make reforms. I hope that these discussions begin immediately and that effective measures can be implemented in the very near future. These may be unpopular opinions and I am sure I will receive some unfriendly emails as a result of this blog but...

Okay, back to Dr. Edgar's presentation. The history of South Carolina's educational system is complex, inspiring, and yet depressing. I know that we are not the only state with pock marks on our history. It's important for us to understand where we came from so that we can best determine where we need to go. I have again decided to bullet the main points and add my thoughts and opinions after the notes in blue. This format really helps me keep things straight when I am dealing with information that I learned from others' presentations.

In 1860, only about 1/2 of the white children received an education. For many of these students, education consisted of three months of schooling per year. Three months of schooling was actually a luxury. Many students spent much less time in a school than that.

In 1895, Governor Tillman instituted the Constitution that we are still functioning under today.

In 1903, Governor McSweeney stated that the "government must discharge their assistance for public education". Every governor since has brought up the fact that South Carolina lacks a true commitment to education. Hmmm ... I'm not even going there!

In 1943, when almost anyone was being accepted into the armed forces, record numbers of South Carolinians were not allowed to join because they were illiterate. 60% of SC men drafted for Vietnam were later rejected due to illiteracy and poor health ( a bi-product of poverty). South Carolina continues to be a poor state comparatively. Poverty is not just about the material items people do without. It is more about the lack of health care, nutritious food, and general well being that the children deal with on a daily basis.

In the 1950's, Governor Burns instituted a 3 cent sales tax to fund his "Burns' Schools". Many of these building can still be found across South Carolina. They are typically one story, red brick buildings with flat roofs and were primarily used as African-American schools. He also reduced the number of school districts from 1,100 to 100. It seems there are always bills in the State House about consolidating districts and I believe they may actually pass it this year.

In 1955, Governor James Byrnes stated that "We are having to do what we are doing in education because of what our fathers and grandfathers didn't do."
In 1958, we started administering Algebra tests. This new increase in "advanced math" was directly related to Sputnik. The problem was the very few people could pass the test! We saw a rise in math and science because of the increased interest in the space program. Students today fail to see space as an "uncharted frontier". It used to be that large numbers of Kindergartners wanted to astronauts. I don't see that anymore.

Compulsory education began in 1966. Thirteen school districts opted out of this reform. How on Earth did we allow districts to opt out of this? Especially as late as 1966!

In South Carolina our Supreme Court can make a decision but lacks the ability to force the General Assembly to do anything about it. Yikes!

More budget info... 1/2 of the sales tax revenue actually goes to education(K-12 and higher education). Allendale actually taxes at a higher rate than Greenville but cannot fund their schools. If we all taxed at Allendale's rate we could "spread the wealth" across the state. This is why the rural school districts in South Carolina were forced to sue the state. It wasn't that they weren't trying - they lack the tax basis to be able to do it! WE MUST HAVE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE FUNDING FORMULA IN SOUTH CAROLINA IF WE EVER HOPE TO MAKE UP GROUND!

53% of our students state wide are on free and reduced lunch. This number continues to climb on a daily basis. The burden will actually fall on the classroom teacher as more and more students walk into classrooms hungry and unhealthy. We've seen firsthand the effects of poverty on our students. I saw a report today that said 1 in 4 schools are functioning at a 90% poverty rate. 90%! These are huge obstacles to overcome. The students in South Carolina are so lucky that they have teachers who are committed to their success in the front of the room. What scares me the most is that our current budget philosophy is to cut the programs that benefit these students the most. I know the teachers will continue to give them all they can, but will it be enough?
I feel like this is a gloom and doom blog and I hate that I can't put a more positive spin to it. I do want everyone to know that I believe in our schools, our teachers, and our administration. We need to weather this storm together and come out the other side a better state. In order for that to happen we must be open to change and forget the way it has always been done. We must come together and show our unconditional support to education and the future of our children.

February 2 - Anderson University Teaching Fellows and

USC Upstate TEACH organization

In the fall my time was pretty much consumed with teacher cadet classroom visits. I loved each of these experiences and was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet so many outstanding future teachers. We have a limited number of second semester cadet classes so I have been able to switch my focus to spending more time with the teaching fellows and other college education groups. Today was a good example of this plan.

I traveled a few short miles down the road to Anderson University to meet with Dr. Chuck Wooten's fellows. The proximity of AU to my home was a blessing since I didn't get home from Dallas until late yesterday afternoon. I had the opportunity to meet this amazing group when I came to their January meeting with Brett Vaughn. Time was very limited and Brett needed to share some important messages so I really didn't have time to address the students. Today was different. I shared my "Seven Habits for Highly Effective First Year Educators" presentation with the group. We talked at length about my first year of teaching and all the mistakes I made as well as the goodbyeminimallyadequate campaign. Several members of the group signed the petition and were willing to take extra copies and try to collect signatures on their own. This is a great way for the fellows to help out with a very worthwhile campaign and fulfill their community service requirements. I'm yet to meet a group of teaching fellows that don't impress me. Their passion for and commitment to education rivals that of the most committed educators I know. They complete extra work, participate in education clubs and organization, and still maintain some of the highest GPAs in their education programs. They are also much more likely to graduate than their non-fellows cohorts. I am apprehensive about the future of this phenomenal program and for that reason I am begging everyone to contact your local legislator and ask them to fund the teaching fellows program at the highest level possible.

This afternoon I headed to my Alma Mater USC-Upstate to speak to Angela Hinton's TEACH organization. This organization is made up of education majors from all fields and levels. Meetings are voluntary and open to the entire education department. Angela asked me to share a hybrid presentation focusing on my first year of teaching, mentoring, and 21st century education. My favorite part was actually answering questions from the group. I had a great discussion about school choice prompted by a question dealing with IB schools. I am a full supporter of public school choice. I do not believe in vouchers or tax credits for private school options. Private school is, and should remain, a choice for parents and students. It is not the public's responsibility to fund this choice however. In my mind it is sort of like the argument I have with my teenage son. I am required to clothe him, but I do not feel obligated to buy the most expensive brand name clothes available. The $200 shoes and $80 jeans are a choice and if he makes the decision to own these types of fashions he has also made the decision to buy them himself.

I also had the opportunity to have a conversation with a P.E. major named Reid following the meeting. What impressed me most about this student was his desire to incorporate math, science and reading into his P.E. classroom. We discussed the use of technology and true integration. He expressed a desire to return home to teach and possibly change the views of some of the more experienced teachers at this school. You gotta love initiative and commitment like that!