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May 27, 2020
NCTR and Partner News

Reminder: Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Competition is Open
The U.S. Department of Education has released the FY 2020 TQP Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) in the Federal Register.  The deadline for applying to this grant competition is July 2, 2020.  Required grant forms and TQP program checklists are available here.

A recommended (but not required) Intent to Apply should be submitted to TQPartnership@ed.gov with SUBJECT: Intent to Apply FY 20 by June 3, 2020. 

Partners in the News
Boston Teacher Residency's Marcie Osinsky spoke to Chalkbeat about the challenges of shifting the residency program to virtual training systems for summer and supporting mentors to adapt their coaching.  

“For the residents, it’s a little bit challenging to integrate the in-the-moment coaching, because they’re trying to think about all the technology,” said Marcie Osinsky, who oversees the program’s summer training. The question for coaches, she said, is: “How do we help them have the capacity to be flexible enough with the tools, and know the tools well enough so that they have brain space for thinking about students’ ideas as they’re teaching?”

NCTR Working Groups
NCTR Network Partners kicked off a new Working Group series last week.  Partners focused on building residency cohort identity and adjusting to virtual coursework and clinical experiences this summer.
Program Spotlight: Featuring this Year's Residents and Mentors

CREATE Teacher Residency is a three-year teacher residency program that supports educators as they transition into the field by developing their critical-consciousness, compassion-based mindfulness, and instructional skills.  The residency is a collaborative effort between Georgia State University and Atlanta Public Schools and their mission is to build and nurture a thriving community of educators committed to practices of teaching that prioritize racial justice and interrupt inequities.
Mentor of the Year Nominee

Haniyyah Numan models how to build and maintain strong, compassion-based relationships with students and colleagues.  She is committed to “sacred time” for lesson planning and debriefing with her resident and encourages others to ask carefully-crafted questions—inquiry is at the heart of her PBL curriculum.  As a 7th grade English language arts teacher, she makes her practice transparent, to such an extent that her resident is excelling in a “turnaround” school in the community of lowest median income in Georgia.  Finally, she is a master teacher/mentor while also a learner, driving reflective conversations about identity and systems of oppression within her mentor cohort and for her resident. 
Resident of the Year Nominee

Teacher resident Sonia Rosales brings commitment and focused energy to every meeting.  She arrives early, leaves late, brings snacks and volunteers to lead when needed, such as by facilitating protocols, even if she hasn’t done so before.  She seeks opportunities for personal and professional growth and takes every opportunity available to build skills as a compassionate, equity-driven educator.  Sonia is committed to a transparent examination of her identity as a LatinX woman and how this impacts her teaching in a school serving 100% Black students.  She is also a highly skilled instructor working in a 100% free and reduced lunch school, impacting student learning every day! 
Resources and Connections 
  
A Teacher Resources page compiled by Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s STEM Education Center includes links to curriculum websites with interactive science (including computer science/coding) activities, plus an archive of past (and opportunities to register for future) weekly virtual STEM meet-ups open to all educators, Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:00pm EDT.
   

Spreading “Poetry Love” in the Classroom is Part 3 in EdWeek Teacher's blog series penned by Larry Ferlazzo, sourcing ELA teachers around the U.S. who make poetry come alive with their students.  Review these educators’ practical exercises and instructional strategies for teaching poetry.
In The News
Not Everyone Hates Remote Learning. For These Students, It’s a Blessing.
New York Times

While many struggle with the technical adaptations of virtual schooling, other students are thriving thanks to more personalized instruction from teachers, hands-on assistance from parents, plus the elimination of distractions in schools.  Another upside: “Some students have found it easier to participate in remote classes without the social pressures of a physical classroom.  Introverts who are the last to volunteer an answer in class, even when they know it, are now making themselves heard.”
Secretary DeVos Approves First Wave of Perkins Career and Technical Education State Plans
U.S. Dept. of Education

Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire are the first six states to have their career and technical education (CTE) plans approved under the new, bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).  The basics of each state’s plan are outlined in this press release, but more details and visuals can be found via Perkins Collaborative Resource Network.
 
Flexibility for Incoming Teachers

The MinnPost reports that Minnesota’s Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) has continued accepting applications for teacher licensure, but has also extended the time in which teacher candidates can acquire professional development credits, and is offering one-year conditional licenses for some educators.

In mid-May, Texas Education Agency issued instructions for pre-service teachers to apply for a Probationary Certificate to teach full-time beginning in the 2020-2021 school year despite COVID-19’s disruption of student teaching and certification exams. 
           
Please note that the articles and events in the NCTR E-Blast do not reflect the opinions of our organization, but rather represent information that we believe will be relevant to you and your programs.

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