Arizona K12 Center at Northern Arizona University

🚀 Kick off your journey at the National Board New and Continuing Candidate Kickoff! New National Board candidates receiving funding for the 2024-2025 cycle are required to attend. The Kickoff is also open continuing candidates. - https://mailchi.mp/azk12/kick-off-your-national-board-journey

This year's Arizona New Teacher Induction Network kicked off with its first meeting of the year school this morning.

This network is a community of practitioners dedicated to ensuring every student has an effective teacher. Through this Network, members learn more about what is working in teacher induction as well as impact, sustainability, and capacity building.

We were also so honored to have several special guests, including facilitator Vera-Lisa Roberts of New Teacher Center, Andrew Morrill of WestEd, and four leaders from the Hawaii Teacher Induction Center!

National Board Candidate Support Providers, NBCTs, and district leadership, there are just a few more weeks to update us with how your district provides support for National Board Certified Teachers and candidates.

This information helps us advance National Board Certification across the state and allows us to recognize those districts most committed to this powerful work! Contact Program Director Donnie Dicus at [email protected], or CSPs can check your email for how to provide updated information.

Pictured are Nancy Pratt of Buckeye Elementary School District, one of the Arizona districts with the greatest financial commitment to National Board Certification, and Beth Blankenship of APS and the Arizona K12 Center's Board of Directors at the 15th Annual Celebration of Accomplished Teaching.

Northern Arizona University is all about supporting educators they inspire students. They have created these these fun, free, print-ready coloring pages to help you in the classroom. Check it out!

Welcome educators | Northern Arizona University Keeping students focused and engaged during testing days is essential, especially when they finish at different times. That’s why we’ve created these fun, free, print-ready coloring pages to keep your…

It was a PACKED HOUSE today for the Beginning Teacher Series: Shouting Won't Grow Dendrites with Marcia Tate. Dr. Tate kept us all on the edges of our seats with so many amazing classroom management techniques. These lucky beginning teachers and mentors experienced Dr. Tate's tips and tricks firsthand as she demonstrated their effectiveness throughout the day.

What is your favorite take-away from Dr. Tate's teachings?

If you're a beginning teacher or mentor, don't miss the next sessions in this series:
- Beginning Teacher Series: Welcome to Teaching with Doug Fisher on October 22, 2024
- Beginning Teacher Series: Rigor Redefined with Michael McDowell on February 11, 2025

Last night, educators and NBCTs gathered to "Network and Nosh" at seven locations throughout the state, making connections with colleagues who believe every child in Arizona deserves an accomplished teacher, and every teacher deserves to become accomplished. The get-together was held in collaboration with the Arizona NBCT Network.

Missed the fun this time? Save the date for the next happy hour on February 11, 2025.

Applications are open and due in 15 days for Arizona Public Service - APS/Phoenix Suns STEM Teacher Grants!

Applications are open! In partnership with the Phoenix Suns/Mercury Foundation, K-12 teachers in our service territory may apply for a STEM Teacher Grant to bring innovative, hands-on STEM activities to life. A total of $50,000 is available each year.

aps.com/STEM

Recently, the State Board of Education heard from ADE's Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force, including the task force's recommendations for school systems to implement "induction with robust mentoring" as part of a full retention plan.

The Arizona K12 Center's Arizona New Teacher Support Program is a research-backed induction and mentoring program that matches the task force's recommendation.

The application window for the next two-year cycle for this program opens this winter. We also offer customized induction support and analysis. Read more through the link below.

Our Approach to "Robust" Mentoring and Induction - Arizona K12 Center The ADE Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force has recommended schools host an induction program with robust mentoring, an approach that mirrors the Arizona K12 Center's Arizona New Teacher Support Program.

Tonight, the 2024-2025 Arizona TeacherSolutions Team met for the first time and began exploring how using a Reflective Growth Cycle can evolve their practice. Program Director Paula Watkins will be guiding this team through the year as they explore their individual practice and as they together plan for next summer's 20th Annual Teacher Leadership Institute!

📣Last call for National Board coaches for this school year!📣

Tomorrow is the deadline to apply to coach National Board candidates at Coaching Saturdays in Phoenix, Tucson, and through Zoom. Coaches will be compensated $250 per date and must be both an NBCT and have attended a coaching training.

Learn more and apply at https://forms.gle/MBGAMtwGYKKCSpfb8 or email Program Director Donnie at [email protected] with any questions.

Google Forms: Sign-in Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

This morning, we hosted our first Arizona K12 Center Board of Directors meeting for the 2024-2025 school year and the first led by new board chair Dr. Schavon Waggoner of Union High School District and vice chair Ben Collinsworth of Wells Unified School District.

Our board is composed of organizational representatives from key segments of the education community, K12 practitioners, representatives from government entities, and the business community, and we are so grateful for their support in navigating the future of the Arizona K12 Center!

Today kicks off the first day of our Fall/Winter semester fundraiser! As a department of Northern Arizona University, we are partnering with the NAU Foundation and Northern Arizona University Alumni Association in a new JacksFunder campaign. Make a gift and share this link to help sustain our organization as the professional home for Arizona's educators.

P.S. Donate during this campaign to receive one of our limited edition State Forty Eight and Arizona K12 Center collaboration t-shirts!

Make a gift to help sustain the Arizona K12 Center as the professional home for Arizona's educators. Support Arizona’s students by serving teachers through the Arizona K12 Center

We had a great time at the Phoenix Rising Football Club game last night. The Arizona K12 Center was highlighted in collaboration with the Arizona Teachers Academy and Northern Arizona University!

✏️ Our version of 'back to school': the first event of the new school year!

20 mentors joined us in Phoenix for Mentor Institute. Focusing on instructional mentoring, observation and conferencing, using data to inform instruction, and designing effective instruction based on the learning needs of students, this training is aligned to specifically meet the needs of Arizona teachers and mentors.

You might be familiar with some of the Arizona K12 Center's signature events and programs. But did you know you can bring many of the Arizona K12 Center's offerings to your district or school site?

The Arizona K12 Center can partner with you to bring research-based customized training and support to your school or district. These offerings include:

-Cognitive Coaching Training
-Induction and Mentoring Support
-Instructional Rounds Training
-National Board Promotion
-STEM Support

Read more through the link below:

Cognitive Coaching, Instructional Rounds, and other Customized Support for Your School - Arizona K12 Center The Arizona K12 Center can partner with you to bring research-based customized training and support to your school or district.

Welcome to Dr. Quintin Boyce and Brian Capistran, the two new members on our board of directors!

Dr. Quintin Boyce fills the board seat designated for a representative from Arizona State University. Dr. Boyce is the associate vice president of outreach with Educational Outreach and Student Services at ASU, leading K-12 school partnerships. Originally from Chicago, he has been deeply committed to the field of education since 2002 and previously worked in Phoenix Union High School District and Roosevelt School District.

Brian Capistran fills the board seat reserved for a representative from the Arizona School Administrators. Capistran is the superintendent of Glendale Union High School District and serving this year as president of the Arizona School Administrators. He has dedicated his career to serving the Glendale Union High School District community, making significant contributions as a teacher and leader.

We look forward to a great year ahead with the board, kicking off next week with our first board meeting of the school year!

If you haven’t already heard, the Arizona K12 Center has a new look! We’re celebrating 25 years and a bright future of continuing to serve Arizona’s educators!

Read more about this next chapter through the link below.

We've got a new look! Meet the new Arizona K12 Center. To celebrate 25 years of serving Arizona’s educators and our exciting future, the Arizona K12 Center is getting a new look! You’ll see our fresh appearance at events, in emails, and on social media — and other upgrades are on the way! But this next chapter is about more than that.

The first event of this year's Beginning Teacher Series kicks off soon. Join us as we welcome the very engaging Dr. Marcia Tate, author and leader in brain-based teaching, to learn strategies for managing an active, brain-compatible classroom without ever raising your voice.

Deadline to register is September 10:

www.azk12.org

Congratulations to these top five teachers in the running for the 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year!

🎉 We have EXCELLENT news! 🎉 We have named the five finalists under consideration for the 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year® Award!!

These five finalists, known as Ambassadors of Excellence, are in the running for Arizona Teacher of the Year, which will be announced during the 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony on October 19th, 2024, presented by Desert Financial Credit Union.

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

🔹 Torunn “Tori” Anderson (10th-11th grade English Language Arts), Carl Hayden High School, Phoenix Union High School District

🔹 Jodian Brown (4th grade Reading, Math & Science), Desert View Intermediate School Bobcats, Page Unified School District

🔹 Emmett Burnton (AP World History, U.S. History Dual Enrollment), Boulder Creek High School, Deer Valley Unified School District

🔹 Ryan Donovan (AP U.S. History), Boulder Creek High School, Deer Valley Unified School District

🔹 Jennifer Spector (5th grade English Language Arts & Social Studies), Desert View Elementary, Washington Elementary School District

All fifteen outstanding educators will be honored at the awards ceremony on October 19, 2024, where the winner will be revealed live onstage! Get your tickets today: https://ow.ly/Ghtk50T9oYc

Read more about all of our wonderful finalists at https://ow.ly/F4uN50T9oYb

Arizona NBCTs, just a couple weeks left to apply for the Arizona K12 Center's coaching team for National Board Coaching Saturdays this school year!

For the 2024-2025 cycle, we will offer Coaching Saturdays in Phoenix, Tucson, and through Zoom. Interested coaches can apply for one or more locations and be compensated with $250 per date.

Learn more and apply at https://forms.gle/MBGAMtwGYKKCSpfb8 by September 13!

Arizona NBCTs, now is the time to join our coaching team for the Arizona K12 Center's National Board Coaching Saturdays this school year!

For the 2024-2025 cycle, we will offer Coaching Saturdays in Phoenix, Tucson, and through Zoom. Interested coaches can apply for one or more locations and be compensated with $250 per date. Applications and letters of recommendation are due by September 13, 2024.

Learn more and apply at https://forms.gle/MBGAMtwGYKKCSpfb8 or email Program Director Donnie at [email protected] with any questions.

It's time for ♫Pomp and Circumstance♫ for 34 educators who completed Cognitive Coaching Foundations today! Thank you to Flagstaff Unified School District for hosting us these eight days of training. This cohort featured teachers from across northern Arizona and a couple from Tucson!

Our fall Cognitive Coaching Foundations is already full but there are still seats available in our spring cohort: azk12.org/25CCSpring

Yesterday, we hosted our first virtual meeting of a "Component 3 Cohort," a group of National Board Certification candidates meeting monthly to focus on the "video component" of the process.

Component 3 requires video footage showing your engagement with students and written commentary that describes, analyzes, and reflects on your teaching and interactions with students.

If you've been considering National Board Certification, know that we are here to support you! Learn about and prepare for the process through our next National Board Pre-Candidacy Class, starting in February. Register at: azk12.org/precan

Is your district formally integrating AI this school year?

The Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy, led by Dr. Chad Gestson, has posed a challenge for school systems working with AI. Read the details at the link below. School systems that complete the three-part challenge will be in the running for a free AI-focused professional learning session!

Artificial intelligence challenge | College of Education We’re supporting schools with AI implementation through guidance and training. Complete our “must-do” tasks within the first three months of the school year!