The Voices of
Teach Plus Arkansas
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Learning Walks PodcastTeach Plus Arkansas Alumnus Christhian Saavedra talks about the Teach Plus Arkansas Teacher Policy Fellowship and his working group’s action research in EP 8: Addressing Mental Health in Schools. Listen Here ->
Policy Fellows Amanda Ladish, Emily Garrison, Alum Romana Mathews & Senior Fellows Perla Andrade & Cara Maxwell are featured in this article. In it, these Teach Plus Arkansas educators share their optimism and concerns about the 2022-2023 school year.
Policy Fellow Katy Moore delivered a keynote address to aspiring educators. Click on the link to read more. Read Here
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Senior Fellows Kendria Jones & Perla Andrade weigh in on the complexity of incorporating social-emotional learning in academics. Read Here ->
Tammy Gately was accepted into the High-Reliability Teacher Certification Cohort IV. As a member of this cohort, she will conduct action research with other teachers across the state that focuses on increasing student achievement through an aligned curriculum, formative assessment practices, and proven instructional strategies.
Senior Fellow Juanita Harris was named the 2022 AEA Teacher of the Year. Being selected for this recognition qualifies her for the NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence in the Spring of 2023.
Senior Fellow Holly Howard delivers compelling testimony at Bentonville's school board meeting.
Alumna Romana Mathews becomes a published author.
Cocoa’s and Hazel’s Vitiligo Superpowers--Cocoa, a curious, vibrant, and kind little girl, asks her Grandma Nita the meaning of her name. Grandma Nita’s response prompts curious Cocoa to ask about the white spots on her arm. What her grandma reveals in the mirror would later unlock her vitiligo superpowers. While attending a Juneteenth Celebration in the park, Cocoa makes a new friend named Hazel. Hazel is hiding her vitiligo behind her mask. Cocoa takes Hazel to a mirror just as Grandma Nita had done for her. At that moment, both girls unlock their
vitiligo superpowers of beauty, kindness, and confidence!
Alumnus Leron McAdoo releases book--Mctivating Black Boys & Girls: How To Raise And Teach African American Children To Be Productive Adults
Mctivating Black Boys & Girls: How To Raise And Teach African American Children To Be Productive Adults--This book is for parents and educators of African American children who want to see these youth succeed. These timely and relevant life lessons and academic recommendations are investments into the future. If you truly believe children are the future, this book will show you a way to prepare them while they are here in the present.
Since Kick-off, the Teach Plus Arkansas Policy Fellows have spent the last few months learning about storytelling for impact, evidence-based research, and advocacy campaigns. In addition to the Teach Plus monthly modules, Arkansas experts such as Genai Dickey (Arkansas Early Childhood Association), Edie Stewart (Director of Educator Preparation at the Arkansas Department of Education), Dr. Sarah McKenzie along with Josh McGee (of UA’s Office for Education Policy) and Victoria Watson (ForwARd Arkansas) have graciously donated their time to provide the Fellows with insights about early childhood legislative agendas for 2023 General Assembly, Arkansas’ Residency Model, EPP State Review, Arkansas’ funding matrix and changes in teacher attrition, and the State of Arkansas Education/2023 education policy landscape.
Edie Stewart - Arkansas Department of Education
Sarah McKenzie & Josh McGee - University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy
Geania Dickey - Arkansas Early Childhood Association
Victoria Watson - ForwARd Arkansas
Phylicia Hollis Butler facilitated a workshop at the Arkansas Music Educators Association Fall Conference about access to technology in the elementary music classroom.
Pictured: [2022-23 Senior Fellows (l to r) Perla Andrade & Kendria Jones] Top right: [Crystal Green-Brasswell] Bottom right: [Leron McAdoo]
Perla Andrade & Kendria Jones presented findings and recommendations from the Strategically Addressing Student Mental Health in Our Schools at the Teacher’s Holiday event in Little Rock. Teach Plus Arkansas Policy Fellow Mentor, Arkansas Leadership Development Coach, Marzano Author Crystal Green-Brasswell, and Teach Plus Arkansas Alumni Leron McAdoo also delivered presentations about self-care and
perseverance.
Executive Director Stacey McAdoo delivered the keynote address at the Mid-South Educational Research Association’s annual conference about how the investigation and research done today improves education tomorrow — especially for the underserved, most vulnerable and marginalized students. She also facilitated a concurrent session that focused on the policy fellowship and the action research of the teacher leaders.
Interested in joining TED Masterclass (TED-Ed’s official online public speaking course) January 1st - April 1st for FREE? We have a few slots left and would love to give them away. The deadline to get signed up is November 30th. For more information, email: arkansas@teachplus.org.
Teach Plus Arkansas is linking up with Reimagine Arkansas to listen to and amplify the voices of our network around our six equity focus areas. Our goal is to turn up the volume on these issues by rooting them in the lived experiences of Arkansas teachers. Reimagine Arkansas is not politically motivated but instead focused on helping surface, connect, and amplify local voices from across the political and cultural spectrum that are not reflected in the news and social media. Conversations will last about an hour and will happen over zoom. No recordings or data from the conversations will be sold. If you are interested in participating in these conversations or would like more information, contact Stacey McAdoo at smcadoo@teachplus.org.
Along Teacher Leader Fellowship: Applications Now Open
Teach Plus is excited to partner with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and Gradient Learning to bring educators Along, a free tool designed to enable strong connections between students and their teachers through shared reflections. This fall, we’re launching the Along Teacher Leader Fellowship and will select a diverse group dedicated to strengthening teacher-student connections in their classrooms and schools. As an Along Teacher Leader Fellow with Teach Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with and pilot Along in your own classroom and explore what works best for your schools, students, and families. Learn more and apply here.
Join Our Network or Nominate Teachers to join by visiting our website at teachplus.org/AR or click below:
In case you missed our previous issues you can find them here!
For more information or to stay in the loop, visit our website, follow us on social media, or contact the Executive Director directly at smcadoo@teachplus.org.
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