Here are two items from the The Newsletter of the Center for Teaching Excellence published at Eastern New Mexico University:
Two New Mexico Teachers were named among the 2005 Milken Award winners. They are Carlos Ortega from Washington Middle School in Albquerque and Jessamyn Young from Robert F. Kennedy Charter School in Albuquerque.
Language arts teacher Jessamyn Young helps at-risk students find their voices--literally. Each week, she hosts an open-mike poetry night, during which teenage poets from across the district unleash their verbal creativity on subjects close to their hearts before a live audience. Her program has led to a dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of student writing. This ability to inspire her students lies at the core of Young's instructional approach, as she helps them believe in their capacity to overcome barriers to learning and reveal their talents. Working with students who have little interest in school, she transforms them into excited, motivated learners willing and eager to participate. Carlos Ortega is an instructional coach in the area of dual language instruction.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has announced that 33 New Mexico teachers earned their profession's top honor this year by achieving National Board Certification. Teachers earning certification in language arts included Maria Casanova of Albuquerque (English Language Arts/Early Adolescence); Lauradeen Morganti of Albuquerque (English Language Arts/Early Adolescence); and Diana Kerley of Farmington (English Language Arts/Early Adolescence).
