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Nominate top math, science teachers for Presidential Awards
Michigan’s “best of the best” mathematics and science secondary teachers will be recognized from nominees for the 2007 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Help recognize these top teachers by nominating them for the nation’s highest honor for math and science educators. Applications are due by May 1. Visit www.paemst.org for nomination guidelines and application information.
Since the program’s inception in 1983, more than 3,700 teachers have been honored. This premier group of highly qualified teachers has demonstrated deep content knowledge of their subjects and the ability to motivate students to achieve.
Each year, the White House honors outstanding teachers from all 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions. In even-numbered years, elementary teachers—kindergarten through sixth grade—are recognized. In oddnumbered years, secondary teachers—seventh through 12th grade—are honored.
Recipients of the Presidential Awards receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, which administers the program on behalf of the White House; a paid trip for two to Washington, D.C., to attend a week-long series of recognition events and professional development opportunities; and a citation signed by the president.
Black History Tour Group performs at White House
Jackson High School’s nationally acclaimed Black History Tour Group performed at the White House on Feb. 12 for President Bush, Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, members of Congress and other dignitaries.
“It was a wonderful experience for the kids,” said Shirley Pitts, who founded the choral group in 1994 to promote diversity and racial harmony. Pitts retired as an English teacher from Jackson High in 1999 but continues to direct the group.
“The guests who saw us perform told us how much they enjoyed our singing and how proud they were of the students,” said Pitts, whose group has now performed at the White House three times.
Dignitaries at the White House included Dr. Dorothy Hite, a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and black astronaut Joan Higginbotham.
The Tour Group’s programs involve songs, skits, poetry, dramatic readings and cultural history. For more information, go to www.blackhistorytourgroup.org.
Have you started planning your Arbor Day celebration?
Arbor Day is just around the corner, Friday, April 27,
and it’s time to start planning.
The Michigan Arbor Day Alliance (MADA) offers free Arbor Day educational materials and assistance to help you host an Arbor Day celebration in your community or school.
If you have already started planning your celebration, contact Jennifer Rostar with your event details, and she will place the information on the Arbor Day Events Directory on MADA’s Web site at www.miarbordayalliance.org.
Information needed: Date, time, location, short event description (five to 10 words) and contact person with phone number.
To be placed on the Events Directory or for further information, contact Jennifer Rostar, State Arbor Day coordinator, at 517/337-4999 or miarborday@yahoo.com.
Student essay contest raises awareness about disabilities
Sixth- through eighth-grade students can use their writing skills to tell the personal stories of people living with a disability by participating in the United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan’s statewide essay contest.
Students will explore how people with disabilities are more alike than different from others. They are encouraged to write about their own disability or a family member’s or friend’s disability.
“People with disabilities can live a life without limits,” says Linda Potter, UCP Michigan executive director. “The essay contest is designed to raise awareness and create an outlet for those with disabilities to tell their story.”
Winning essays will be printed in UCP’s newsletter, Pathways. Winners also will receive a stuffed “Ability Bear” and a gift certificate for pizza. The winners’ schools will receive the books “Ceanna has CP” and “The Gun Lake Adventure Series” mysteries.
Essays should be 500 words or fewer and contain the student’s name, age, school and address. The deadline is April 27. Mail essays to UCP Michigan at 3401 E. Saginaw St., Suite 216, Lansing, MI 48912 or fax to 517/203-1203.
MEA-Retired delegates to elect officers, to hear national president Barbara Matteson
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| MEA-Retired delegates at 2006 annual meeting. |
Mary Christian of Flint and Harvey Miller of Tustin will vie to become the next president of MEA-Retired.
Delegates to the MEA-Retired’s annual meeting on April 17 at the Holiday Inn South in Lansing will be electing a president, vice president and secretary-treasurer of their organization.
Judy Foster of DeWitt is running unopposed for vice president, while Dan Rudd of Highland and Mary Yedinak of Holland are vying to become secretary-treasurer.
Nominations for all three officer positions also will be accepted from the floor at the annual meeting.
Delegates will be hearing keynote speaker Barbara Matteson, the president of NEA-Retired, of Tucson, Ariz.
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| Barbara Matteson, NEA-Retired president |
Elected NEA-Retired president in 2005, Matteson taught grades 1-6 for 32 years and spent four years as an art resource teacher.
During her teaching career she was an association activist, especially in the legislative arena. Under her leadership, a ballot proposition that provides constitutional protection for the state retirement fund was passed overwhelmingly in Arizona. She also was instrumental in obtaining the right for Arizona retired members to have their dues deducted from their retirement checks.
A self-described “political junkie,” Matteson firmly believes that every educational decision is a political decision and feels strongly that our members need to participate in the political process.
Matteson was appointed as a delegate to the 2005 White House Council on Aging and spoke out for NEA-Retired issues.
As president of NEA-Retired, she works with NEA and like groups to protect Social Security, to repeal the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision, to fix Medicare Part D, to protect defined benefit pensions and to protect public education and public education employees, active and retired.