Important School of Education News

1. The AUS School of Education and the Master of Arts in Education for Experienced Educators is pleased to offer coursework leading to endorsement in Environmental and Sustainability Education.

The course of study broadly covers ecological science and all the social dimensions of sustainability. Sustainability refers to the study and enhancement of human relationships to the natural world for their effect on (1) the quality of life enjoyed by all human communities and all living species on earth presently and (2) the ongoing possibility for humans and the entire natural world to enjoy equal or greater quality of life into the infinite future through the creative evolutionary process of renewal and regeneration. Sustainability thus calls upon all realms of ecological science to help examine how cultural, political, and economic activity over time have reflected human regard for the natural world and shaped our past and present treatment of the environment as well as point to what we can do in the future.

All endorsement study is aimed toward a guiding set of objectives rather than rigidly fixed content or means of reaching outcomes. Students can therefore create personally interesting and relevant paths of learning toward the endorsement. In acknowledgement, too, of the importance of “personal meaning” and “local solutions” in sustainability, our endorsement program puts a distinctive emphasis on re-creation and expansion of “local, living economies,” recognition of the value and wisdom of traditional and indigenous knowledge, and concern for the ethics of eco-justice.

The endorsement program will begin in the summer or fall quarter of 2010. Please contact Ed Mikel, emikel@antioch.edu, or Sara Hagenah, shagenah@antioch.edu, for more information.

2. Antioch University’s Program in Support of National Board Candidates
As part of its commitment to provide continuing professional development for Washington’s teachers, Antioch University supports National Board Certificate candidates through all aspects of the certification process.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate attests that a teacher is accomplished, makes sound professional judgments about student learning and acts effectively on those judgments. Antioch University’s NBPTS Support Program provides a support system for NBPTS certification.
About Antioch’s Program

To demonstrate that teachers can meet the certificate’s high standards for teaching skills and knowledge, candidates complete a two-part assessment: a portfolio of videotaped classroom teaching, lesson plans, student work samples and reflections on teaching that show their impact on student learning; and a series of written prompts that measure knowledge of their subject area. Teachers report spending 200-400 hours on the certification process over the course of a school year. During this time, candidates will meet regularly with a collegial support group and be provided with mentoring from National Board Certified Teachers and other facilitators trained by the Initiative.

Program components:
Summer orientation meeting followed by approximately 40 hours of facilitation by Nationally Certified facilitator September through April. Group meetings (ratio of 1 Nationally Certified Teacher for 4-5 candidates) will provide individual support with the National Board process, feedback on written entries, organization, assessment center help, and retake support. Program schedule will be determined by cohort and facilitators.

Fee: $650

Coordinator: Sara Hagenah

Contact Information:
shagenah@antioch.edu

Who Should Participate?
NBPTS candidates must . . .
- Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Hold a valid Washington state teaching/counseling certificate.
- Have completed a minimum of three years of successful full-time teaching (or the equivalent part-time as defined by candidate’s employer) in a U.S. P–12 school prior to the first day of work of the 2009-10 school year.
- Be employed in a Washington state K–12 public or state-approved private school during the 2010-2011 school year.
- Regularly teach at least one class during the 2010-2011 school year that meets the age range and content specifications for the desired certificate area. At least six students must be in the class, with at least 51 percent of the students at the appropriate age level.
- Read the complete text of the NBPTS standards for the intended certificate (available online at www.nbpts.org or for $15 from NBPTS at (800) 22-TEACH).
- Must agree to attend and fully participate in all support meetings and complete the portfolio and assessment center exercises according to published timelines.
- Be prepared to pay Antioch University the $650 NBPTS Support Program fee by May 28, 2010.

Scholarship Application Process
The 2010-11 OSPI National Board Certification Scholarship cycle will open on January 15, 2010. Please check the OSPI website for more information.

Credit/Clock Hour Option
Participants who wish to earn clocks for their work in the program may select the clock hour option for an additional fee.

Questions?
For additional information about Antioch University’s National Board Candidate Support program, send your questions to shagenah@antioch.edu. For information about the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), visit their website at www.nbpts.org. For information about the Washington Initiative scholarships, visit the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website.