Six Texas Teachers Successfully Complete Professional Development Mentorship

National Math and Science endorses educators as "Effective Teachers" for fulfilling rigorous requirements

DALLAS, Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This summer, six middle and high school teachers in Texas earned the title of "LTF Effective Teacher," a distinction awarded to educators who complete requirements of the Effective Teacher Network.

Funded by a grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Effective Teacher Network is a mentorship component of National Math and Science's teacher training division Laying the Foundation (LTF). KIPP Houston and Austin, Ysleta, El Paso, and Pasadena Independent School District teachers who have attended all three years of LTF's professional development program in math, science, or English are eligible to participate in the Effective Teacher Network.

Effective Teacher Network participants work closely with an LTF mentor and a small group of experienced teachers to construct professional teaching portfolios. These portfolios allow teachers to demonstrate implementation of LTF in their own classrooms and include elements such as lessons, assessments, and student samples. As successful classroom teachers, Effective Teacher Network participants can use their portfolios to model best practices and creative instructional techniques for other teachers.

The portfolio completion also provides an opportunity for self-reflection, according to Endi Vargas, high school English teacher from Ysleta Independent School District and 2012 LTF Effective Teacher. "The process really gets you back in tune with yourself and why you're doing things," said Vargas. "It reinforces your curriculum, it reinforces your strategies, and it reinforces why you're teaching."

The following teachers satisfactorily completed their Effective Teacher Network portfolios by June 30, 2012, and received a $1,000 stipend and certificate, along with the "LTF Effective Teacher" endorsement:

• Amanda Burgin, English (Ysleta ISD)
• Leroy Sanchez, English (Ysleta ISD)
• Endi Vargas, English (Ysleta ISD)
• Dianne Berreth, Science (Pasadena ISD)
• Sherry Nilles, Math (Pasadena ISD)
• Maureen Nweke, Science (Pasadena ISD)

For more information about Laying the Foundation, visit www.ltftraining.org. 

About National Math and Science: National Math and Science is an agent of change launched in 2007 by leaders in business, education, and science to improve student achievement in math and science across the American public school system. National Math and Science brings best practices to the education sector by replicating programs on a national scale that have more than 10 years of positive results. These proven programs include the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP), which equips high school students to succeed in AP math, science, and English courses; the UTeach program to train math and science majors in universities to become teachers; and Laying the Foundation, which provides comprehensive teacher training for middle school and high school students to succeed in Pre-AP and AP math, science, and English courses.

Contact: Kaci Schack, National Math and Science Marketing Coordinator
(214) 525-3009, [email protected]

SOURCE National Math and Science