The State Collaborative on Reforming Education Tuesday announced that 22 teachers, including Paul Dean at Ooltewah High School and Adam Moss at Arnold Memorial Elementary School, have been selected for the inaugural Tennessee Educator Fellowship, a program that will provide them an opportunity to learn and communicate about student-focused education policy issues.
“SCORE has always emphasized the importance of including diverse voices in discussions of how best to ensure Tennessee students are fully prepared for success after high school,” SCORE President and CEO Jamie Woodson said. “The first class of Tennessee Educator Fellows includes incredibly talented teachers with a combined 188 years of experience in the classroom. We are honored to have the chance to work with them.”
The Tennessee Educator Fellows were selected from more than 350 applicants. The class includes teachers of nine different subjects who work in urban, suburban, and rural schools and traditional and charter schools in East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Four of the Tennessee Educator Fellows teach elementary school students, 10 teach middle school students, and nine teach high school students. The teachers are affiliated with many different professional groups, including the Tennessee Education Association, Professional Educators of Tennessee, Teach Plus and Teach for America.
"The work of Tennessee teachers has been fundamental to helping Tennessee become the fastest-improving state for student achievement,” Educator Fellows Coordinator Cicely Woodard said. “This program will give them insight into the policies that have the greatest impact on them and their students and many opportunities to share a student-focused perspective and represent thousands of classroom teachers across the state.”
The teachers in the Tennessee Educator Fellowship will continue to work in their classrooms while in the one-year program, which will provide the opportunity to learn about, reflect upon, inform and communicate about policies, practices and systems that impact educator effectiveness and student achievement.
The fellows will participate in professional learning focused on education policy issues and then will work to help inform their peers, policymakers and their communities about issues affecting students and teachers. Most important, the Tennessee Educator Fellows will provide a clear, consistent and student-focused voice as Tennessee works to ensure all students graduate from high school prepared for postsecondary education and career, said officials.
The 2014-15 Tennessee Educator Fellows are:
Jon Alfuth, 10th-grade geometry teacher at the Soulsville Charter School in Shelby County Schools.
Jarred Amato, eighth-grade English teacher at Jere Baxter Middle School in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Jonathan Bolding, grades 5-8 gifted education teacher at Robertson Academy in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Lisa Choate, grades 9-12 math teacher at Cannon County High School in Cannon County Schools.
Paul Dean, grades 9-12 JROTC teacher at Ooltewah High School in Hamilton County Schools.
Kristian Dennison, seventh-grade math teacher at Wright Middle School in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Cathy Ginel, seventh-grade science teacher at Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge City Schools.
Jason Hilbelink, seventh-grade math and science teacher at W.H. Oliver Middle School in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Valerie Love, grades 9-12 math teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport City Schools.
Tamera Malone, grades 4-6 special education teacher at Aspire Public Schools in the Achievement School District.
Amy Kate McMurry, second-grade teacher at Kenrose Elementary School in Williamson County Schools.
Jeffrey Mister, eighth-grade math teacher at Airways Middle School in Shelby County Schools.
Brian Moffitt, grades 7-8 social studies teacher at Black Oak Elementary School in Obion County Schools.
Adam Moss, fifth-grade math teacher at Arnold Memorial Elementary School in Cleveland City Schools.
Ryan Murphey, grades 9-12 English teacher at Maplewood Comprehensive High School in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Valeta Norris, grades 9-12 English teacher at Central High School in Knox County Schools.
Michelle Perrigin, 12th-grade English teacher at Arlington High School in Arlington Community Schools.
Peter Tang, seventh-grade math teacher at Kate Bond Middle School in Shelby County Schools.
Derek Voiles, seventh-grade English teacher at Lincoln Heights Middle School in Hamblen County Schools.
Kayleigh Wettstein, third-grade teacher at J.E. Moss Elementary School in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Kathryn Wisinger, grades 6-12 English language learners teacher at DeKalb County Middle School and DeKalb County High School in DeKalb County Schools.
Lori Ann Wright, grades 9-12 theatre arts teacher at Unicoi County High School in Unicoi County Schools.