Posted on September 5, 2012

Information For Educators

Teachers—Have You Completed the Teacher Evaluation Standards Course?

In June, the first module of training on the new teacher evaluation system was released to teachers and administrators. This module focused on an overview of the teacher evaluation standards. The Teacher Evaluation Training Team appreciates the nearly 4,000 employees who have already completed this overview. The overview lasts approximately 15 minutes and needs to be completed by every teacher and administrator by the end of September.

The course is easily accessible in MyPLT. After logging in, a link to eLearnIT along with instructions for accessing the course appears at the top of the page. To ensure course credit for Teacher Evaluation Standards, participants need to answer “YES” to the question at the completion of the overview to acknowledge full understanding of the information provided in the training.  

More information about the new teacher evaluation program is available at http://www.fcps.edu/hr/epd/evaluations/teacher.shtml. Information regarding the new process and training dates will be posted as it becomes available.

If you have any questions, contact Dawn Galloway at dawn.galloway@fcps.edu.  

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National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Information Meetings Start September 25

Several information meetings about the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process will be held this school year from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Fairfax Ridge, 3877 Fairfax Ridge Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030. The dates are:

  • September 25, 2012.
  • October 23, 2012.
  • November 20, 2012.
  • December 18, 2012.
  • January 22, 2013. 

The NBPTS seeks to establish and maintain high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. A candidate for NBPTS certification undergoes an assessment process that includes four portfolios of the teacher’s work and six assessment center exercises.

NBPTS certification is available in the following fields for secondary teachers: English/language arts, math, science, social studies, career and technical studies, health education, music, foreign language, physical education, and art. Generalist certificates, as well as art, music, and physical education certificates are available for elementary school teachers. Certificates are also available for teachers of students with exceptional needs (students birth to 18+), for teachers in library media (students 3 to 18+), and for teachers of English as a new language (ages 3 to 18+), literacy: reading-language arts (ages 3 to12), and school counseling (ages 3 to18+).

Fairfax County Public Schools has approximately 360 teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The Virginia Department of Education offers stipends, dependent on budget availability, to teachers who attain NBPTS certification.

Registration is via MyPLT. If you need additional information about NBPTS, send an e-mail to Marylou Carmack, Department of Professional Learning and Accountability, at mmcarmack@fcps.edu.

Additional information and guidelines can be found on the Department of Professional Learning and Accountability website at http://www.fcps.edu/pla/opp/nb/fcpsnbct.shtml.

National Board Certification Grants

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) received a grant from the United States Department of Education to provide partial financial support through the Candidate Subsidy Program for individuals interested in seeking National Board Certification. More information is available from the Department of Professional Learning and Accountability on FCPSnet at http://fcpsnet.fcps.edu/pla/opp/nb/nbgrants.shtml.

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GMU Regional Educational Leadership Program Planned, Information Meeting to Be Held October 1 at Fairfax Ridge

George Mason University (GMU) is offering a regional educational leadership program beginning in summer 2013, in collaboration with Northern Virginia school districts. The program is for employees who want to obtain the administrative endorsement necessary for consideration for school-based administrative positions of assistant principal, principal, and student activities director. Enrollment will be limited to 30 people. Selection criteria include three years of teaching experience with at least one year in FCPS and outstanding teaching ability. Participants will pay tuition and book costs.

Representatives from George Mason University will provide information about the program, the application and selection process, coursework, and internship requirements at a meeting on Monday, October 1, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., at Fairfax Ridge, room C-07.

To register for the information session, contact Rita Cloutier in the Department of Professional Learning and Accountability by sending an e-mail to rita.cloutier@fcps.edu. Be sure to include your name, work location, and telephone number in the e-mail.

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Fall Academy Course Registration Now Open Online

Online registration is now open for fall Academy courses at http://www.fcps.edu/pla/oas/pubs/academy.shtml.

All employees must register through MyPLT. Follow these steps to use MyPLT for the first time:

If you have problems with your username or password, contact the IT Service Desk at 703-503-1600 or ITServiceDesk@fcps.edu.

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Volunteer Tutors Needed for GED, Adult Diploma and Non-Traditional Schools Programs

The Volunteer Learning Program (VLP)—part of the Department of Special Services, Office of Intervention and Prevention, Adult High School Completion—needs volunteers age 21 and over to tutor adults in reading, writing or math skills in order to obtain a high school diploma or GED through FCPS’s Adult High School Completion Programs. 

VLP’s volunteer tutors also help adults to achieve important goals such as improved basic skills for the workplace and for post-secondary education, and being more prepared to  help their children with schoolwork. Tutors meet adult students for at least one hour a week in a public library close to home or work, on a day and time that are convenient for both. VLP tutors also help teachers individualize instruction in adult high school completion classes, and in alternative programs for juveniles. Tutor preparation, materials and ongoing support are provided.   

For more information on VLP, visit http://www.fcps.edu/WoodsonAHS/vlp.html. To volunteer, call VLP at 703-246-3609, or e-mail Michele Armstrong at michele.armstrong@fcps.edu.  

The Volunteer Learning Program is the proud recipient of the 2008 Fairfax County Outstanding Volunteer Program Award. 

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Fulbright Teacher Exchanges Available for 2013-14, Application Deadline Is September 24

The Department of Professional Learning and Accountability (PLA) is seeking applicants for the Fulbright Teacher Exchange for the 2013-14 school year. Current classroom teachers who have an interest in teaching in another country as part of a direct teacher exchange and who meet the minimum requirements for participation are encouraged to apply. Eligibility requirements at the time of application for the program are:

  • U.S. citizenship.
  • Fluency in English.
  • Hold at minimum a bachelor's degree.
  • Have a current full-time teaching assignment in the U.S. or one of its territories. Note: For the purpose of determining eligibility, “full-time” refers to applicants who are currently employed full-time by a single institution (school or school district). Teachers who hold a combination of part-time jobs which may add up to a full-time equivalent are not eligible.
  • Have taught for at least five years.
  • Meet current Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) eligibility requirements regarding previous grants. Previous Fulbright recipients who completed a grant of longer than eight weeks in 2007 or earlier are eligible to apply.

Previous Fulbright recipients who completed a grant of eight weeks or less in 2010 or earlier are eligible to apply.

Interested applicants must submit their applications first to the Department of Professional Learning and Accountability for review and approval before submitting them to the Fulbright Commission. More information and application packets are available at http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/fulbright-classroom-teacher-exchange-program.   

All applications with supporting materials must be received in the Department of Professional Learning and Accountability for review and approval by Friday, September 24.

More information can be found on the PLA website at http://www.fcps.edu/pla/opp/fe/index.shtml, or by calling 571-423-1345 or e-mailing Richard Culp at richard.culp@fcps.edu.

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