Bertie recruits America’s best

By Thadd White (Contact) | Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

Published Saturday, June 6, 2009

WINDSOR – Bertie County Schools is working to put quality teachers in every classroom.

With that goal in mind, the district has partnered with Teach for America to provide at least six teachers for the coming school year. Teach for America’s mission is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting the nation’s most promising future leaders in the effort.

Bertie Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chip Zullinger said he was aware of Teach for American, but it was really District Transformation Coach Tonya Horton who pushed for the program to be a part of Bertie County Schools.

“I’ve known it was out there for a while,” he said. “One of Tonya’s ideas was that we needed to talk to them.”

Dr. Zullinger said the main reason the district was moving in the direction of Teach for America was because of the needs of the system to have quality teachers.

“I think in Bertie often times we have failed to make the tough decision around teacher quality because we think maybe a warm body is the best we could do,” he said. “Because it is often hard to recruit good teachers it’s sometimes easy to settle for mediocrity.

“Teach for America is able to provide a substantial number of highly qualified teachers for our kids,” he added.

Horton said that was one of the key elements of her idea of having Teach for America come to Bertie County.

“Like Dr. Zullinger said, we sometimes have a problem getting high-quality people in to make an impact on student achievement,” Horton said. “Coming to Bertie County may be difficult for those who don’t know what they’re getting into, but these people do. They will also bring skills we don’t always get.”

Horton said there was a simple reason for the need for quality teachers.

“I think this is really important,” Horton said. “Research shows the biggest impact on student achievement is the classroom teacher. You can have a lot of other programs, but without good classroom teachers you won’t get results.”

Thus far Bertie County Schools has agreed to hire at least six Teach for America teachers next academic year. They will spend two years teaching in Bertie County Schools. There are already Teach for America teachers in Northampton, Halifax, Weldon, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Warren and Vance counties in eastern North Carolina.

Teach for America will send teachers to Bertie based on the district’s need.

“Some of our elementary schools will have no vacancies, so we won’t need them at every school,” said Executive Director for Curriculum Carol Atkins. “Principals have already submitted a tentative needs list which Teach for America will screen their teachers.”

An interview day has been slated for June 17 in Northampton County in which the region’s principals will have the opportunity to interview various Teach for America members for their vacancies.

While the commitment of a Teach for America teacher is only two years, Dr. Zullinger said that time frame would be quality instructional years.

“These people are really bright, qualified people,” Dr. Zullinger said. “They may not spend a lifetime as a teacher, but they want to give back.”

The teachers will come with high-level degrees, often in the area of math and science.

“For example, Mr. (G. Fisher) Mitchell is looking for a person to teach Engineering at the STEM School,” Atkins said. “While it may be difficult to find that person through traditional means, we can through Teach for America. They will find someone they think will be a good fit and then Mr. Mitchell will have the opportunity to see if he feels they are a good fit.”

Horton also said the two-year commitment troubles some people, but she feels the program is still important.

“Some people may be concerned about the two years, but you get two years of quality instruction,” Horton said. “That’s far superior to a 30-year person doing their first year 30 times.”

One of the key reasons for Teach for America is the strengthening of the Bertie High School curriculum that is taking place. Already ninth graders are moving far ahead of their predecessors in the same grade. That will continue into the tenth grade and thereby force the district to offer higher-level math and science courses.

“Teach for America will really help STEM and eventually Bertie High School,” Horton said. “Because of the higher level courses that will have to be offered at the high school, we’ll need Teach for America to find people it may have been difficult to locate previously.”

While Teach for America will help Bertie County Schools put quality teachers in classrooms, it will not take the place of locating quality long-standing teachers.

“If we have quality local person or someone who will make a serious commitment that has abilities and can give us a career, we’ll certainly look at those folks first,’ Dr. Zullinger said. “We are now getting some second generation teachers who will probably be our future great teachers and will be with us for 30 years.”

Dr. Zullinger said the county’s principals were pleased with the Teach for America program and were brought in on the “ground level” of discussions.

Teach for America is looking at the possibility of having its eastern North Carolina base in Windsor, Dr. Zullinger said. There is a residence in Windsor that is being considered as a home for those teaching in the county and an office.

Dr. Zullinger, Horton and Atkins all said they were impressed with the high level of energy Teach for America teachers had and felt that level of energy and knowledge would be beneficial to the students.

“They debunk the myth that those who can’t do, teach,” Horton said. “These people could do anything they want to and they choose to teach.”

Teach for America will begin in Bertie County Schools next year.

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