For the second year in a row, state lawmakers have sought to highlight the positive happenings in Arizona’s schools by inviting teachers to speak at the capitol.
Charter teachers have played a prominent role in these presentations, with Rep. Paul Boyer, chairman of the House Committee on Education, working with the Association to bring some of the best charter educators to the legislature.
So far, four charter teachers have shared their love of teaching with legislators.
Mary Ellen Lee, a math teacher at Leading Edge Gilbert Early College, was the first teacher to appear before the committee late last month.
Lee is an expert on charter schools and school choice, as she was raised by the co-founder of a charter school, and attended charters as a student from elementary through high school.
When Lee spoke to committee members, she described how the independent, autonomous nature of charter schools helped her grow as a teacher.
“Being a charter school teacher to me means being able to change the lives of my students. It means the freedom to think outside of the box, while holding highly rigorous standards and expectations,” she said.
In mid-February, Shawnee Baca, a first grade teacher at Valley Academy, shared how her autistic brother influenced her personally and professionally. She also credited the staff and administrators at Valley Academy for helping her grow as an educator.
“Although my background and personal experience give me an edge in the classroom that I enjoy sharing with others, I would have never known the kind of teacher I could be if I had not found myself at Valley Academy surrounded by incredibly supportive administrators and master teachers ready to share their wisdom,” Baca said.
This week, Elizabeth Rogers of Arizona Autism Charter School, became the third teacher to speak before the House Education Committee. She described her reasons for choosing to teach autistic students, as well as her methods for reaching her students.
Committee members commended her and school founder Diana Diaz for their commitment to educating special needs students in such a unique school.
On Thursday, March 1, our 2016 Charter Teacher of the Year, Richelle Lewis, will become the first charter teacher to speak to the Senate Education Committee during this legislative session.
Click here to view Baca’s speech. You can view Lee’s speech here.
