Partnership Teacher IIC Conferences

"Ideas, Insights and Challenges" Secondary Conference: "Connecting North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards to the Promise of Improved Working Conditions"- March 11, 2008

Carolyn McKinney, Executive Director of the NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission, and Eric Hirsch, Director of Special Projects at the New Teacher Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz , field questions from conference participants during a candid and thought-provoking discussion of the information presented during their sessions.

Table discussions focused on the impact of the data given by Eric Hirsch on the Teacher Working Conditions survey on the newly-adopted NC Professional Teaching Standards.

Conference attendees participate in a live teleconference with educators in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in the Distance Learning classroom.

Sixty-five teachers and over 30 UNCW faculty attended the conference, focusing on connecting North Carolina 's new Professional Teaching Standards to the promise of Improved Teacher Working Conditions. A second thematic strand of the conference examined the role of high schools in preparing students for the increasingly global world in which they live and will work. Attendees exchanged views on global issues, schools, and current teaching topics with educators in Port Elizabeth , South Africa , via a live web cast. Afterward, partnership teachers from three area high schools described their "global" initiatives with the group and gave pointers on getting started with several highly interesting global projects.

Eric Hirsch, Director of Special Projects at the New Teacher Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz , has worked with the North Carolina Governor's office for the past several years on the Teacher Working Conditions initiative, developing a survey and collecting and disaggregating the data submitted by teachers. He spoke on what we have learned about working conditions at the high school level and how the data gathered through the Teacher Working Conditions survey may be used to improve high schools for students, teachers, and administrators. Table conversations following his presentation examined the impact of working conditions on the recruitment and retention of educators in North Carolina .

Keynote speaker Mrs. Carolyn McKinney, Executive Director of the NC Professional Teaching Standards Commission, oriented attendees on the new Professional Teaching Standards adopted in June 2007and participated in a highly engaging question-and answer session, along with Mr. Hirsch, on the impact, consequences, and issues emerging from the adoption of these new standards by the State Board of Education.

During lunch, Kim Rushton, partnership teacher at New Hanover High School , was recognized as the Secondary Distinguished Partnership Teacher for 2007-2008.

The afternoon session gave participants the opportunity to meet by academic disciplines with WSE coordinators, supervisors, and faculty to discuss their internship experiences to date and to make plans for the remainder of the internship semester.

Some feedback from conference participants:

"I really enjoyed the teleconference with the South African educators. It was an opportunity to interact on a global level-very cool!!"

"The teleconference was amazing! Great experience!"

The interactive discussion with South Africa was very insightful and helped me reflect on my situation. Thank you! The global discussion was very good as well."

"Thanks for a conference designed to take on a "Global Education" for anyone and everyone in education. I am prepared to take what I learned back to my school and continue to make a difference immediately. Thanks for working in partnership with my district and school."