ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Teach Plus, a national non-profit that empowers teachers to lead improvements in policy and practice, has selected 15 highly-effective teacher leaders as Fellows of the inaugural New Mexico Teaching Policy Fellowship. During the eight-month program, Fellows will look to magnify the impact they have in their classrooms through personal interactions with education leaders and opportunities to advocate for policies around key state-level issues, such as the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
“We are looking forward to bringing the perspectives of some of New Mexico’s best teachers to bear on education policy in the state. Their work is certain to be another step forward for students and the teaching profession in New Mexico,” said Chris Eide, Teach Plus’ National Director of State Policy and Advocacy.
The new Fellows come from across the state and teach in a variety of urban and rural districts. Of the 15 educators, seven teach in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Santa Fe. Eight teachers teach in locations as far away as Bloomfield and Hobbs, and two each in Las Cruces, Roswell, and Gallup. Many of the incoming teachers are leaders in their schools and communities and have been recognized for outstanding instruction by their respective schools and districts. Among the Fellows are teachers of the year, members of the Secretary’s Teacher Advisory, and an educator who sits on her City Council.
“I am thrilled to be a member of the Teach Plus Policy Fellowship. This is an exciting opportunity to ensure that teachers’ voices are represented at the highest levels of policymaking in New Mexico. I am honored to be able to participate in the process to keep improving education for teachers and students,” said Amanda Bader, a Teach Plus Fellow and teacher at Rio Rancho High School.
The demand for the Fellowship in New Mexico was highly competitive, with 112 applicants for 15 spots in the final cohort.
In addition to New Mexico, Teach Plus runs highly-selective Policy Fellowships for teachers in seven states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Fellows participate in an intensive course of study and learn to develop their voice in policy and advocacy. They engage directly with key education stakeholders and policymakers, and work to shape and advocate for policies that meet the needs of their students and the teaching profession.
The 2016 New Mexico Teaching Policy Fellows are:
Amanda Bader – Rio Rancho
Mary Beltran – Santa Fe
Catherine Brijalba – Hobbs
Lauren Ceronie – Gallup
Denise Corrales – Las Cruces
Bryan Dickinson – Albuquerque
Rachel Henderson – Albuquerque
Joel Hutchinson – Las Cruces
John Gutierrez – Bloomfield
Natasha Mackey – Roswell
Mona Mendez – Rio Rancho
Hope Morales – Roswell
Lauren Morrison – Albuquerque
Alanna Purdy – Gallup
Shana Speicher – Rio Rancho
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus empowers excellent, experienced teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Teach Plus programs are designed to place highly effective teachers at the center of improvements in schools as leaders of their peers and outside schools influencing policy decisions that affect their classrooms. The programs develop excellent teachers into leaders who achieve change and mobilize others in their school, district, state, and across the nation to bring change to scale. Since its inception in August 2007, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 22,000 solutions-oriented teachers across the country. www.teachplus.org
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