|
Two north
county teachers were among 75 teachers nationwide to take part in the
Teachers Network Policy Institute (TNPI) Summer Institute in Snowbird,
Utah this summer.
Quinn Plante of Santa Maria, a program facilitator for the Institute,
and Linda Wiezorek of Lompoc, a TNPI MetLife fellow, joined the weeklong
program designed to ensure that teachers’ voices be included in
developing federal, state, and local education policy initiatives.
The goal of the fellows’ work is to connect policy to classroom
practice in order to improve student achievement.
The weeks’ activities included: creation of partnerships with policymakers,
community building, leadership skill building, expanding teachers’
spheres of influence in education policy, and conducting action research
in the classroom.
In a conversation with Gov. Jim Geringer of Wyoming, Plante and Wiezorek
had the chance to discuss strategies for influencing policy at the state
and national levels.
This year TNPI Fellows completed action research studies of their own
classrooms and schools to bring research about teachers into the formulation
of education policy.
Wiezorek’s research focuses on promotion, retention, and intervention
for students in her school district. Plante’s role at the Institute
was to help with program facilitation.
TNPI MetLife fellows for 2000-2001 in Santa Barbara county include:
Tory Babcock, Santa Ynez High School; Ann Dille, Clarence Ruth School
in Lompoc; Debi Gan, Ellwood School in Goleta; Colleen Million, Ellwood
School in Goleta; Chris Mullin, Santa Ynez High School; Erin Powers,
Santa Barbara Junior High School; Ellen Schwartz, Vandenberg Middle
School in Lompoc; Linda Wiezorek, Lompoc Unified School District, and
Jerry Swanitz, Santa Ynez High School.
Further information is available from Carol Gregor, Santa Barbara County
Education Office, 964-4711, ext. 5281.
|
News
Release