No images? Click here Teach Plus Nevada NewsletterOctober 14, 2022Hello Colleagues! I hope that the school year is off to a gentle beginning for each of you as you return to your schools and classrooms in service to our students, families and community. Thank you for your continued leadership commitment. We appreciate you and your tireless efforts and contributions to our profession. Teach Plus Nevada is excited to share that we have recently launched our 2022-2023 Teaching Policy Fellowship and continue to support teacher leadership through our SEL Change Agents who are leading and learning in collaboration with colleagues across the country. We are eager to connect with you and we invite you to join us throughout the year for our community panel series and professional learning opportunities, led by our Senior Policy Fellows, Teach Plus Nevada alumni, and teacher leader colleagues. We will prioritize persisting education issues in our urban and rural school communities. We also invite you to join us in elevating and amplifying our collective voice in advocacy by connecting with our local and state leaders and policymakers as our 2023 legislative session approaches. Teach Plus Nevada will host learning spaces that support collegiality, connection, and professional growth - look for these opportunities via our Teach Plus Nevada newsletters and Nevada Teacher Network communication. Please be encouraged to connect with us by engaging with our Nevada Teacher Network this year. We look forward to leading and learning with you. Warm Regards, Dr. Tonia Holmes-Sutton, NBCT Executive Director Teach Plus Nevada Launches its 2022-2023 TeachingPolicy FellowshipLas Vegas, Nevada — Teach Plus, a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has selected a group of demonstrably effective teachers from around Nevada for its 2022-2023 Teaching Policy Fellowship cohort. Nevada’s fourth cohort of Teaching Policy Fellows will focus on a range of issues of importance to Nevada’s teachers, students, families, and education community. These education issues include teacher recruitment, preparation, mentorship, and retention as well as school funding and restorative justice. The teacher leaders will also continue their efforts to address the social emotional well-being and mental health and wellness of students and teachers. “Teach Plus Nevada Teaching Policy Fellows have been effective in building upon the leadership work of prior cohorts by taking advantage of leadership advocacy opportunities within our district and state communities. In previous years, our Fellows have advocated for adequate school funding, increased teacher compensation and support, and diversification of our teaching workforce, as well as teacher retention. They have also crafted policy recommendations for teacher leadership and the use of federal stimulus funds; engaging district and state leaders in discussions regarding the significant impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. This new cohort of teacher leaders will have an opportunity to influence a range of policy decisions, including teacher diversity, college and career readiness, and teacher mentorship,” said Tonia Holmes-Sutton, Executive Director of Teach Plus Nevada. Karen Villatoro Gonzalez, a Teaching Policy Fellow and a teacher at the Fremont Development Middle School & Academy of Sciences, shared, “I always thought I should take a neutral position when it came to politics, but as I grew in my career and collegiality with colleagues, I learned that it is important to grow as a teacher leader and elevate my voice. Teach Plus provides the leadership opportunity to do that.” Over half of the 2023 Teaching Policy Fellows are teachers of color, reflecting the diversity of Nevada, and its students. Our Fellows represent teacher leaders in Clark County, Churchill County, Nye County, and Washoe County school districts. They have been professionally trained through a variety of educator preparation programs such as traditional undergraduate, master’s programs, and alternative preparation programs - and they express a great gratitude to serve as teachers in leadership and advocacy. Senior Policy Fellow and Clark County educator, Jen Loescher, stated, “Teach Plus [has] leveraged my constantly growing network and community, guiding me to new spaces and learning experiences where I could share my expertise.” The 2022-23 Nevada Teaching Policy Fellowship Includes:
Read more about our leadership and advocacy through our Teach Plus Nevada publications and op-eds on education issues persisting in our state. IN OUR COMMUNITYWe are excited to engage with our state community leaders as we lead and learn together. We invite you to register for TOGETHER, Building Nevada’s Future of Learning. Teach for America, edX is thrilled to partner with the Nevada Department of Education to build our state's Portrait of a Learner and support bringing it to life. What is a Portrait of a Learner? Simply, it's a community-wide vision statement of the attributes a learner must possess to succeed in learning and life, both in school and beyond, now and into a rapidly evolving future. We are uniquely positioned to inform this work as Nevada endeavors to construct the Portrait of a Learner. Join us in leadership and advocacy during this convening. In addition news and leadership opportunities, Dean Danica Hays of the UNLV, College of Education, has announced the university is building a PhD in Education Policy program and would like to gauge interest from educators about prospective interest and preferences for program components. We are invited to share our interests and preferences via survey. Teach Plus Nevada, Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program, and Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute: Empowering Teachers as Leaders & Learners will host the third annual Powered by Teach to LEAD: Nevada Edition, Saturday, November 5, 2022 from 9:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M. At this event, teams of educators and education stakeholders from across Nevada will come together to collaborate, problem solve, and create innovative action plans to impact Nevada’s educational system for future-ready success. Kindly note that this is not a call for proposals, but rather an invitation to spend a few hours working with like-minded individuals towards creating educational environments that ensure our students have access to excellent, innovative opportunities regardless of zip code, county, or demographics. Our education leader and community partner, Opportunity 180, has launched their “I Stand With Kids” campaign. “I Stand With Kids calls on community members – parents, family members, employers, students, and compassionate Nevadans at-large – to take action by pledging to participate in impactful advocacy in a way that is meaningful to them. By taking an active role with improving student outcomes, Nevadans can make a true difference that will change students’ lives and secure them – and all of us – a better future.” We encourage you to review the campaign today. The website is now live at www.standwithkidsnv.com, and pledging is open! TEACH PLUS NEVADA NETWORK MEMBERS Upcoming Webinars & Panels Join us for a virtual Q&A session on
the School Ambassador Fellowship, a professional engagement experience hosted by the U.S. Department of Education. The Fellowship launched in 2007, and is designed to improve outcomes for students by leveraging the expertise of school-based practitioners in the creation, dissemination, and evaluation of national education policy. The webinar will be October 24th, 6 pm MT. You can register for the webinar here. Indigenous Voices Across Nevada Community Panel Series What: Indigenous Community Student Panel WHEN: Tuesday, October 25, 2022 TIME: 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time ZOOM LINK: Zoom meeting details will be shared with registered guests REGISTRATION: Register here for Teach Plus Nevada panel discussions Teach Plus Nevada will host its first professional learning event for teaching and leading colleagues on Wednesday, October 26th, 2022 from 5:00 P.M.- 6:00 P.M. Teach Plus Nevada leadership will facilitate a virtual professional learning and discussion on op-ed writing. Join us and learn how to elevate and share your teacher leader voice. Contact Senior Policy Fellow Jen Loescher for more information at jloescher907@gmail.com. Teach Plus Nevada Teacher Network Are you a member of our Nevada Teacher Network? Do you know a teacher who would like to be a Teacher Network Partner? Forward this communication and ask them to apply now! Stay connected with the latest from Teach Plus Nevada |