Teach Plus selects 30 top teachers to advance urban public education reform in Los Angeles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 7, 2011                          

Contact:
John Lee
jlee@teachplus.org
310-280-8850

Teach Plus selects 30 top teachers to advance
urban public education reform in Los Angeles

Leadership programs in five major cities amplify
the voice of effective teachers in education reform

LOS ANGELES – As policy makers across the country continue to debate controversial education reform measures, a group of solutions-oriented teachers is stepping forward to advocate for changes proven to benefit classrooms and students.

Teach Plus, a national non-profit organization based in Boston, has selected 30 high-performing teachers (bios) from district and charter schools in Los Angeles to become Teaching Policy Fellows.  Along with teacher leaders in four other major American cities, the Fellows will participate in leadership opportunities designed to amplify the voice of effective classroom teachers.

During the 18-month program, Teaching Policy Fellows will gain a foundation in education policy, research, and best practices from around the nation that will enable them to advocate effectively for policies that will better serve students and retain excellent teachers.  Together, they will choose areas of teacher quality policy on which to focus.

Chosen from among 250 teachers in the application process, the 30 Los Angeles Fellows have an average of 7 years of classroom teaching.  They work in traditional district, magnet, pilot, turnaround and charter schools in Greater Los Angeles, and they include graduates of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools, as well as alumni of Teach For America, the LAUSD District Intern Program, and Troops to Teachers.

In addition to Los Angeles, new cohorts began the Fellowship this fall in Indianapolis and Greater Boston.  These teachers join current Fellows and alumni of Teach Plus programs in these cities, as well as Chicago, Memphis and an upcoming Teach Plus site, Washington, D.C.

“I launched Teach Plus because I believe it is possible to stem the attrition of urban teachers and keep our best teachers in front of students for longer than the average stint of three to five years,” said Teach Plus Founder and CEO Celine Coggins.  “Our goal is to offer experienced, effective teachers leadership opportunities that allow them to expand their impact while continuing to work directly with kids.”

The Teaching Policy Fellowship began in Boston in 2007 with a pilot cohort of 16 teachers from urban schools in Greater Boston.  Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellows have been recognized at national, state, and local levels for their accomplishments both in and out of the classroom. 

Teach Plus is proving that it is possible to meet teachers’ leadership aspirations without forcing them out of the classroom.

“We are ecstatic to begin our inaugural cohort of Policy Fellows with this group of incredible educators,” said John Lee, Executive Director of Teach Plus Los Angeles.  “Great teachers want opportunities to shape the policy decisions that affect their classrooms.  Our Fellows strive to fundamentally improve the culture of the teaching profession and keep excellent teachers in the classroom in order to help the students who need them most.”

Los Angeles Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellows (2011-2013):

Sandra Alamo - Larchmont Charter School

LaShawn Allen - Jack H. Skirball Middle School

Sujata Bhatt - Grand View Boulevard Elementary School

Annie Brown - STEM Academy at Helen Bernstein High School

Meteka Bullard - Baldwin Hills Elementary and Gifted Magnet School

Karina DiGirolamo - Equitas Academy Charter School

Pam Chirichigno - Buchanan Street Math/Science Magnet Elementary School

Mohammed Choudhury - Luther Burbank Middle School

Celeste Ferguson - Endeavor College Prep

Modesta Gonzalez - Multnomah Street Elementary School

Nicole Guillen - Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School

Danny Herrera - KIPP LA Prep

Kyle Hunsberger - Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Middle School

Trébor Jacquez - Santee Education Complex

Robert Jeffers - Dorsey High School

Daniel Jocz - Downtown Magnets High School

David Kelleher - Orville Wright Magnet Middle School

Daniela Kim - Animo Venice Charter High School

Alice Lai - KIPP LA Prep

Tyler Malotte - Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Middle School

Jeanette Marrone - Environmental Science and Technology High School

Loribeth Mau - Alexander Science Center School

Carmina Osuna - Media Arts and Entertainment Design High School

Alexis Piazza - Gabriella Charter School

Marisol Pineda Conde - Camino Nuevo High School

Allison Rief - Virginia Road Elementary School

Jennifer Roederer - Luther Burbank Middle School

Natalie Smith - Frank D. Lanterman High School

Angie Trae - Valor Academy Charter School

Sarah Wechsler - Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

Teach Plus is a national non-profit whose mission is to improve outcomes for urban children by ensuring that a greater proportion of students have access to effective, experienced teachers. Teach Plus runs three programs designed to place teacher leaders at the center of reform: Teaching Policy Fellows, the T+ Network, and T3: Turnaround Teacher Teams. The programs focus on demonstrably effective teachers who want to continue classroom teaching while also expanding their impact as leaders in their schools and in national, state, and district policy. Teach Plus began with 16 founding teachers from urban district and charter schools in Greater Boston. Since its inception as a non-profit in August 2009, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 5,000 solutions-oriented teachers in six major cities across the country.  www.teachplus.org 

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