The Nation's Best High Schools

U.S. News & World Report publishes its report of the Best High Schools broken down into three tiers (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). For 2008, in the Gold Tier (top 100), Arizona placed 13th (Basis School in Tucson), 22nd (University High School in Tucson) and 59th (Northland Preparatory Academy). Perhaps surprisingly two of the three gold schools are charter schools (Basis and Northland). Of the 504 high schools in the Silver tier, 5 are in Arizona and from 1,321 Bronze schools, 6 are in Arizona. Put together this equates to 14 Arizona schools from among 1,925 of the best high schools around the nation.

Silver:
Catalina Foothills HS (Tucson)
Desert Vista HS (Phoenix/Tempe)
Mountain View HS (Mesa)
Sunnyslope HS (Phoenix/Glendale)
Thunderbird HS (Phoenix/Glendale)

Bronze:
Colorado City HS (Colorado City)
Mayer HS (Mayer)
Ray HS (Kearny)
Sonoran Science Academy (Tucson)
St Johns HS (St Johns)
Vision Charter School (Tucson)

Signs of Life 2 (The Budget Crisis in YUHSD)

In reference to my post yesterday (Signs of Life), where I mention the reluctance of districts to look at staffing their schools, allow me to draw your attention to an article in the Yuma Sun (6/10). The article cites Yuma Union HS Super commenting on what Yuma Union High School District is facing. Yuma Union HSD serves approximately 10,700 students in the southwest border corner of the state. Superintendent Bodine states that "the governor and the Legislature made recommendations but I'd wish they'd move to more permanent solutions." Continuing, Bodine relates that "we don't have a budget yet and we are frustrated. We haven't seen all the details so we don't know the impact to the district yet the governor's budget proposal is the kindest to kindergarten to 12th grade education."

This highlights the environment districts are attempting to work with over the short summer months and as they prepare for SY09-10. Unsure of their financial situation effects how HR managers and building principals are left "up in the air" for staffing teachers. Districts are hesitant and wary to hire teachers on contract and possibly be unable to pay them. Districts seem to be awaiting final operational budget figures before proceeding with staffing. This may be a while. Don't be surprised if there remains a lull in the posting of vacancies until July and then see the flood gates open. My best advice is to use this time to be as adequately prepared as possible for when the vacancy postings rise. There will mostly likely be a mad dash at that time to hire, indoc train, etc prior to the opening days of school in early August. Use this time to make sure you have your certifications in order. Have you satisfied the SEI requirements for all teachers? Do you have deficiencies in the right hand column of your certification (i.e. AZ Con)? Have you thought about expanding your certification via varied approved areas (subjects)? If you are an elementary certification, or secondary certification with one 7-12 approved area, have you considered adding a middle grade content area? Middle grade (7-8) math and science are high needs around the state, followed by language arts (via AEPA #10, 39, 38 respectively). Having multiple areas makes you more marketable and versatile in searching for positions. Have you considered adding an endorsement? Feel free to contact Ashford to review your certification and to make recommendations on some options you might want to consider.

Signs of Life

An article in Sunday's Arizona Republic may indicate there is initial relief to the current downtrend in teacher hiring. Some 7,000 AZ teachers were RIF'd within the last couple months. The article highlighted that Gilbert USD brought back 130 of 267 teachers, Peoria USD 188 of 300, Dysart USD 104 of 209, Scottsdale USD 129.5 of 221 and Deer Valley USD 71 of 105. However, the future picture over the next couple months seems as vague as it has been over the last several weeks. How deep the budget "cut" will be to education is uncertain. The proposed plans vary if their reaches into Education budget. For a comparison of the budget proposals click here. Additionally, according to US Dept of Education, Arizona is not among the 27 states that have received $22billion (of 53.6billion) in State Stabilization Funding from the Recovery Act (Stimulus). Under the Stabilization Fund, Arizona has been apportioned $1,016,955,000. Governor Brewer released a statement May 22nd, that the state has submitted application for State Stabilization Funds and that $832 million will be toward education (not all to K-12) which the Arizona Office of Economic Recovery outlines will come as $250million for FY09 K-12 Ed and $224 for FY10 K-12 Ed. Furthermore, Arizona has $194,108,000 under Recovery Act Title I Grants to LEA's (districts) as well as $178,476,000 under IDEA Part B Grants to States. How these funds will find their way to AZ districts seems to be lacking in transparency.

And, just on Monday, VP Joe Biden released the Roadmap to Recovery to President Obama outlining the funding of 135,000 education jobs (see page 9). Though somewhat vague on the Arizona numbers, the state is in the "second tier" along with MI, MO, NJ, PA, OH and WA for between 5,001 and 10,000 jobs (not all will be teachers). Only one state, TX, is in "first tier" with 10,ooo+ eduction jobs funded.

From my point of view, districts and schools are remaining reserved on posting and filling teaching positions as details for individual districts get worked out. In other words, they are waiting until "the money is in the bank" to proceed with staffing. Districts/schools are currently acting on what they know. There is still much they don't know when it comes to their operating budget for the coming school year. As this picture becomes clearer there will quickly be a rise in posting/advertising and hiring. There will be somewhat of a gap in the numbers of those RIF'd and those recalled. Many RIF'd teachers will not wait to hopefully be recalled and will seek teaching positions elsewhere. Thus this will end up creating vacancies. The best advise we can give is to periodically look at www.arizonaeducationjobs.com and also at individual district HR web pages for vacancy postings. You can find a listing of district web pages here and here. In addition, watch the "Hot Jobs" section of our web page at www.azttt.gov.

Post 9/11 GI Bill "Info Session"

An informational workshop on the Post 9/11 GI Bill is scheduled with Congressman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ 5th) and the Department of Veterans Affairs at Mesa Community College on June 6th from 1400-1600. To view flyer, click here.

Secretary of Education on TTT

Following some comments and questions of Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI), before the House Education and Labor Committee on 5/20, particularly on proposed HR1313, Education Secretary Arne Duncan responded, "I'm a huge fan of Troops to Teachers. I think it's a phenomenal pool of talent. As you said, many men from the minority community - great leaders by definition who are just phenomenal role models."

To view transcript of Secretary Duncan's opening testimony remarks to the Committee, click here.

To view the complete hearing, click here.

Wayland Baptist "Fast Tract" Certification

Wayland Baptist University is rolling out a "fast tract" secondary education post-baccalaureate teacher preparation program. Highlights of this certification (AZ) program include:

• cost - Only $220 per graduate level credit.
• convenience - Courses meet at Luke AFB when needed (most coursework online).
• time - Complete the program in less than one year (begin Summer '09, complete Spring '10) with 5 three credit courses and a 14 week student teaching/practicum (8 credits). WBU terms are 11 weeks in length and recommend two course load per term.
• Meets the requirement for the provisional Structured English Immersion Endorsement.
• Direct transferability towards completing the M.Ed requirements.

For an overview of the program, click here.

For more information, or to apply for the program, contact Dr. Sue Bradley - bradleys@wbu.edu, or Bruce Schamburek - schamburekb@wbu.edu - 602-279-1011. Feel free to also contact Ashford or John at the TTT office to discuss if this program will work for your pathway.

Top 25 Cities For Teachers

A recent survey conducted by The Apple (an online community for teachers) and Monster.com illustrates the top 25 cities for teachers. A variety of factors were considered such as growth rates, salaries, unemployment rates, cost of living and commute times. You can review the survey/list here. Although Phoenix did not make "the list", here are your top 25 cities for teachers:

1. Austin
2. San Antonio
3. Salt Lake City
4. Oklahoma City
5. Raleigh
6. Seattle
7. Rochester
8. Portland
9. Denver
10. Honolulu
11. Nashville
12. Virginia Beach
13. Kansas City (MO)
14. Pittsburgh
15. Charlotte
16. Boston
17. Buffalo
18. Columbus
19. Indianapolis
20. St Louis
21. Hartford
22. Louisville
23. Cincinnati
24. Philadelphia
25. San Diego

University of Phoenix Partnership

The Troops to Teachers Arizona Office recently formed a partnership with the University of Phoenix Military Division. Through this partnership, Arizona TTT program participants are eligible for a 25% tuition discount which currently equates to a discounted cost of $386.25 per credit (lower division undergraduate courses are a 'flat' rate of $250 per credit). University of Phoenix is a state board approved teacher preparation program provider and well known as an industry leader in teacher education. Post-bac master degree programs are offered in each of the three basic certification paths: elementary education (K-8), secondary education (7-12), and special education (K-12). In addition, candidates seeking teaching in the middle grade (5-9) can pursue the University's Masters of Arts in Education with a Middle Level Specialization. This program culminates in not only a secondary certification but also the middle grade endorsement (grades 5-9).
For candidates still pursuing bachelor's degrees, University of Phoenix offers may undergraduate degree plans.
Approximate teacher preparation program costs (tuition) are
elementary - $15,836.25
secondary - $13,518.75
special education - $17,767.50

The university also offers condensed 3 week online courses offered at $498 a course. Click here to see listing of course offerings and start dates.

August AEPA Test Date Added

NES/Pearson, the testing provider for the AEPA exams has announced a Supplemental test date not originally in the 08-09 test schedule. A new test for August 22 is scheduled only for subject knowledge tests. Professional knowledge (#91, #92) will not be available for testing on this new date. With the state "phasing out" the Emergency Certification, candidates will have the Teacher Intern pathway as their only option if not full certified. There are five basic requirements for the Teacher Intern pathway: have a bachelor's degree (in any field), a DPS IVP fingerprint clearance card, a passing score on the subject knowledge AEPA for which you are seeking a teaching position and be enrolled in a state board approved teacher preparation program. The next step after meeting these requirements is to compete for available teacher vacancies. The Teacher Intern pathway allows you to teach for two years while completing the education coursework required for certification. After the two year period, all education coursework and additional AEPA testing, qualified Interns will then transition to the regular AZ provisional teacher certification. As we always recommend, it is in your best interest to take the AEPA subject tests as soon as possible, especially given that the test is normally only administered 6 times a year. Passing the subject test is the first step in the right direction toward possibly entering the Teacher Intern pathway. For information on the new August 22nd administration date for subject knowledge tests, see http://www.aepa.nesinc.com/AZ_ann082209admin.asp

New AEPA Math Workshop

A new workshop is being offered through Arizona State University's College of Teacher Education and Leadership. The new workshop is specifically designed for those seeking to "brush up" on preparing for the AEPA Math (#10) upcoming testing dates of June 6th and July 11th. ASU West campus will hold the two day workshop May 16th and 30th (0800-1300) and the Downtown campus will hold the two day workshop June 20th and 27th (0800-1300). For more information and to register, go to http://ctel.asu.edu/community/learning_forever/.

You can find the only "official" study guides from the testing company available for download at http://www.aepa.nesinc.com/AZ_viewSG_opener.asp.
However, other test preparation materials are available for purchase at
http://www.xamonline.com/browse/Arizona
http://www.mo-media.com/aepa/
http://www.flashcardsecrets.com/aepa/

As a reminder, we always recommend you take the subject knowledge test for the academic area you wish to teach as soon as possible. Keep in mind the test results post 30 days after the test administration date. So, of the two upcoming test dates (6/6, 7/11), the July test results won't post until 8/10, after most AZ schools will already be back in session. Having a passing score on the subject knowledge test is one of the first steps to pursuing the alternative path certification - the teacher intern - which allows you to teach in the content area while completing the education coursework and other AEPA test (professional knowledge) over a two year period. For more information or inquiries on whether this pathway might work for you, contact the AZ TTT Academic and Certification Advisor, Ashford Harrigan, at aharrigan@azdvs.gov or 602-234-8421.

Help Pass The Troops To Teachers Improvement Act of 2009

Troops to Teachers Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Troops to Teachers program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (which provides eligible Veterans with teacher certification stipends in exchange for three years of service in a high-need local educational agency (LEA) or public charter school) to make any LEA that is receiving school improvement funds eligible to participate in such program.

LEARN ABOUT HR 1313 HERE:
http:///thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1313.IH:

We have created the following email, which I would encourage each of you to copy into an email to your Congressional representative. House members are closely tuned to the requests from the constituents in their particular district, so the more requests that each district receives the better! Given the security procedures in effect for mail these days in Washington, the best way for us to contact our representatives is by email or fax, rather than writing them a letter and sending it to D.C. You can send your representative an email directly from their website, or you can fax them a letter. However you do it, please do it soon!

Sample Email: Copy into the body of an email, instead of attaching to an email, since many virus programs will prevent attachments from being opened.

Dear Congressman(woman) _______,

I am requesting your support and co-sponsorship of the Troops to Teachers Improvement Act of 2009 (H.R.1313).

Troops to Teachers (TTT) has been very successful in assisting Veterans to become teachers, with over 12,000 hired across the nation. Arizona currently ranks 8th nationwide in the number of teachers hired through the Troops to Teachers program. When eligible participants receive funds from TTT to pay for their certification programs, they incur an obligation to teach for 3 years in a qualifying district, currently defined as a district in which 20% of the students fall below the poverty level. In many states, this severely limits the number of districts in which our participants can be employed. In many states less than 50% of the districts meet the criteria for TTT participants. The TTT Improvement Act will greatly expand the employment opportunities for these new teachers, and allow them to fulfill their teaching commitment in more than 90% of the districts in most areas of the country. Making this change would not cost the government any additional funds, but would provide more districts in Arizona in which TTT participants could teach and fulfill their obligation. Your co-sponsorship of this legislation would be most welcome.Troops to Teachers participants have proven themselves as outstanding teachers, and this legislation will help more of them to achieve their goal of serving again - this time in the classrooms of America!

Thank you for your consideration of my request.

Best regards,
(Your Name)

Representatives:
AZ 1st District - Ann Kirkpatrick
AZ 2nd District - Trent Franks
AZ 3rd District - John Shadegg
AZ 4th District - Ed Pastor
AZ 5th District - Harry Mitchell
AZ 6th District - Jeff Flake
AZ 7th District - Raul Grijalva
AZ 8th District - Gabrielle Giffords
Who is your Representative? - Find out here: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

State Budget, Stimulus and RIFs

From my persepctive, allow me to reiterate what I tell folks concerned over the much publicized teacher RIFs across the state. I anticipate things will turn around somewhere around late May, when the state budget gets squared away and when districts begin to see Recovery Act (stimulus) funds. Some $200 million is estimated to funnel into Arizona districts. For detailed estimations by district, go to http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy09recovery/arizona.pdf.

State Representative Debbie Lesko (disrict 4), summs it up as "It appears that many of the fired teachers will be re-hired after the schools receive their final budget numbers." (Surprise Independent, 4/22/09)