Boulder High history teacher Nick Salazar is one of a dozen teachers from around the state participating this year in the Colorado Policy Fellowship through Teach Plus, a national teacher leadership nonprofit.
Two other Boulder Valley teachers — Mary Rose Donahue at Boulder High and Karen Amidon at Peak to Peak Charter School — also are serving as senior policy fellows.
Salazar, who is in his 11th year teaching, said he applied because he liked the idea of working with other teacher leaders from both rural and urban parts of the state to advocate for what students need.
“We can talk together about the state of education in Colorado,” he said. “Regardless of where you’re at, kids are kids and they struggle. The systems that we have in place, there are a lot of areas where we can improve outcomes.”
This year’s group plans to focus on issues that include school quality, chronic absenteeism and reading and writing achievement for English language learners. Teacher preparation and the recruitment and retention of teachers of color also are ongoing policy issues.
Salazar said he wants to explore what it means to have a quality education and a quality teacher, including looking at how teachers are trained, what credentials they have and if changes are needed.
“It’s very important for policy makers to hear the voices from the classroom,” he said. “So often, voices outside the school building drown out the people who are in the building. I want to be a voice at the table.”
Donahue, who teaches language arts at Boulder High, started as a fellow and is in her second year as a senior fellow. She applied for the program after her second year teaching.
“I was really interested in finding ways to make sure voices of teachers were central to policy,” she said. “Being involved in policy helps me thrive as a teacher. To be heard, to be seen as an expert in the field, has been really affirming and really given a greater depth of purpose to what I do.”
As a fellow, she worked on researching expanding “grow your own” teacher programs. The next year, as a senior fellow, she worked with the teacher fellows on state legislation that allows student teachers to be paid through an apprenticeship program.
This year, she’s working with the fellows who are focusing on improving reading and writing achievement for English language learners, including looking at bilingual instruction and options for students to take tests in their native language.
Amidon, who is in her third year as a senior fellow and teaches high school English, plans to focus on building the organization’s teacher network. The network is comprised of teachers who want to be involved policy work, but don’t want the full commitment of joining the fellows program.
“It’s so critical, whether its legislators drafting laws or the state Board of Education coming up with the rules and regulations, that those policies are informed by and shaped by teachers who are still in the classroom,” she said. “Teach Plus is a unique space where the policy expertise of teachers is valued and elevated.”
