September 2009 Newsletter
Hello and Welcome to the New Teacher Center Site
We’re updating our site to a new WordPress blog. This blog has a cover section (blog entries) with pages that are linked on the right. The new site allows your fearless leader (me) to update the site from all sorts of exotic locations. Comments are turned off for the pages, but if you have any comments or suggestions, please comment on any of these blog entries. Our newsletters will now be a series of blog entries.
Last spring, we were little unsure if there would even be a Teacher Center program, but we were saved. Our grant is at the same level as 2008-09, so there will be plenty of opportunities available for your professional development ideas.
–
Some Great Events Shaping Up for This Year
Once again this year, we working on some very good events. Our events are linked to the right on our Calendar of Events page.
We have two nationally known speakers and authors booked so far, Allen Mendler and Chick Moorman. Both men are experts in the field of student behavior. Dr. Mendler is a co-author of the critically acclaimed Discipline with Dignity. His seminar will be on that very topic. Chick Moorman’s seminar will be titled Motivating the Unmotivated. Mr. Moorman will also be giving a presentation to parents at JCC-Olean on November 5. We’re happy to have these excellent speakers in our area, and we’re hopeful to have a good turnout. Please click on our Calendar of Events page for more info.
Once again, the good folks at BOCES will be a cosponsor for these events. This means that your district can use its sub coser.
Remember that many of our events have come from suggestions from teachers, so if you have an idea for something, let me know. If you have any questions about our tried and true mini grants, study groups, or conference grants, please contact me here – catcdirector@yahoo.com.
–
New Teacher as Leader Grants Available
New for this year, we’ve created a new grant called the Teacher as Leader program. This grant is an attempt to get more workshops in our wide geographic area. Here’s how it works:
The purpose of this new grant will be to allow teachers in our two-county membership area to lead workshops after school, weekdays, or staff development days. They will develop the workshop, get it approved locally (and ultimately by the Teacher Center), and get reimbursed for their work from the Teacher Center. Because of the Teacher Center’s collaboration with BOCES, districts that use the BOCES coser 529-Effective Schools will be reimbursed for teacher stipends for time that is beyond teacher contracts.
Workshops can be on any professional development topic deemed appropriate by the district level team. The Teacher Center will help to promote the workshop. This can encourage attendance from neighboring districts. It could also help to stimulate others to run similar workshops in their districts. For the grant application, check our Grant Apps page.
Specifics of the grant program:
- Teacher develops an idea for a locally based workshop and submits the idea to their local PD team or other appropriate district level people or teams.
- Policy Board members or representatives of the member are to introduce the program at faculty meeting(s) so that all teachers are aware of the program.
- District gathers the workshop ideas and submits them to the Teacher Center for final approval.
- The Teacher Center will review each grant proposal submitted by the district. Deadline for 2009-10 applications is October 15, 2009.
- The total initial grant award for each district is $2,500. If a district does not apply for $2500 in total Teacher as Leader grants by the deadline date, all applications over a district’s limit will be evaluated and allowed at the discretion of the Teacher Center.
- Teacher instructors will be paid $35 per workshop hour by the Teacher Center. Up to 2 hours of prep time at $35 per hour will be allowed for the first occurrence of the workshop. Other prep time pay will at the discretion of the district team.
- At least 90% of each grant will be used for trainer stipends with a 10% maximum allotment for materials.
- Note: The teacher Center will not pay workshop attendees; that is a local matter. Districts that use the BOCES coser 529-Effective Schools are eligible to be reimbursed for teacher stipends for time that is beyond teacher contracts. This arrangement will be specific to your district’s policy for training hours above and beyond contract hours.
If you have any questions, please talk to your Policy Board member or email me directly. If you’re not sure of who is the Policy Board member for your district, click on the Members and Policy Board page.
I hope you like the new format and thanks for taking a look!
Tim Houseknecht, Teacher Center Director and Fearless Leader
–
