Press Releases
New Report Highlights Dedication of Eight Exemplary Teachers
Teachers Are the Center of Education, Co-sponsored by College Board and PDK International, Salutes the Work and Importance of Teachers
10/14/09
NEW YORK — For their dedication to students, commitment to their profession and to excellence in education, eight teachers from eight schools across the United States are profiled in a new report to be released by the College Board on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the 2009 PDK International Summit on Quality Educator Recruitment and Retention at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Written and produced in partnership with PDK International, Teachers Are the Center of Education spotlights these eight who epitomize the profession’s most admirable qualities and explains why many people name a teacher when asked who most shaped their lives.
“It’s good for the public to get a glimpse of what’s right about public education, and we believe that starts with the most crucial force in learning: our teachers,” said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board. “In each case, these teachers underscore the national importance of elevating teaching in this country.”
During a session at the 2009 PDK International Summit, two local teachers—Lyndsey Davis, a social studies teacher at New Castle Chrysler High School, and Paula Davis, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Hebron Middle School in Boone Township—will share their reactions to the major issues highlighted in the report. Topics are expected to include teacher compensation, teacher professional development and teachers’ working conditions. The teachers will be introduced by Alan Heaps, vice president for Advocacy at the College Board.
“Stories are a definitive tool to pass knowledge from one generation to the next, and PDK is honored to be a part of a project that captures such powerful accounts of this noble profession,” said William Bushaw, executive director of PDK International.
Nominated by College Board members and staff, the teachers profiled in the report were selected to provide a diverse set of disciplines, locations, types of schools and student populations. They include:
- Cathleen Cadigan, a U.S. History and U.S. Government teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas;
- Seth Mitchell, an English Language Arts teacher at Lisbon High School in Lisbon, Maine;
- Sheryl Fontaine, a chemistry teacher at Reed High School in Sparks, Nev.;
- Bill Jeter, a visual arts teacher at Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, Minn.;
- Judy Ellsesser-Painter, an English Language Arts teacher at South Webster High School in South Webster, Ohio;
- Steven Crawford, a Spanish teacher at Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Wash.;
- Gloria Gonzalez, a fine arts and art history teacher at Jones High School in Orlando, Fla.; and
- Juliet Lee, a mathematics teacher at South Bronx Preparatory in New York City.
The report serves both to confirm what is publically acknowledged—that teachers are at the center of education — and to note the challenges teachers face in today’s schools. If we listen carefully, the words of these eight teachers will help us to lay out a “partial road map for changes in public policy,” as Arlene Ackerman, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, wrote in the report’s foreword.
“In words that we can all understand, these eight teachers from different backgrounds, teaching different subjects to different kinds of students under different circumstances, provide a human voice and real-life context for the policies we must work to implement,” wrote Ackerman.
Teachers Are the Center of Education: Profiles of Eight Teachers can be read in its entirety online at http://www.collegeboard.com/teacheradvocacy.
The College Board
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board is composed of more than 5,600 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college readiness, college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT® and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities and concerns. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.com.
PDK International
Founded in 1906, PDK International is a global association for professional educators. The organization's mission is to support education, particularly public education, as the cornerstone of democracy. For more information, visit www.pdkintl.org.
Contact
Nancy Viggiano, The College Board, 212-713-8052, communications@collegeboard.org
Ashley Kincaid, PDK International, 812-345-2249, akincaid@pdkintl.org