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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Teaching North Carolina's Teachers

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Monday, August 27, 2012   

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - As North Carolina teachers and their students get into the swing of a new school year, there is something missing. For the last two years, teachers have done without state-funded professional development, which was eliminated by budget cuts. So, school systems are looking for ways to privately fund teacher training.

With the help of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the Asheville City Schools Foundation has provided more than $100,000 in the last four years for teacher development. Laura Lane is a reading specialist at Isaac Dickson Elementary, Asheville. This is her second year in the fellowship program, she says.

"Having the opportunity to learn new things, it just energizes me - and that energy goes back to my classroom. You have to change with the current research so that you're doing the best job that you can."

The Asheville fellowships are in the form of grants to teachers to fund a project based on a need they see in their classroom or school. This year, 24 teachers are in the program. As part of their fellowship, they also share what they learn with other teachers and focus on increasing student achievement.

Kate Pett is executive director of the Foundation. She says professional development is important to help teachers keep pace with the changing demands of students and the economy.

"We're trying to prepare kids to work with technology that most of us didn't have access to when we were in our teacher education programs."

According to the Asheville City Schools Foundation, 92 percent of the Fellows felt their projects have empowered them in the classroom. Pett says in addition to increasing teachers' knowledge, the fellowships increase morale.

"One of the most important strategies to ensure that great teachers stay in the classroom is to provide them with ongoing professional development. It allows students to learn more and makes teachers feel more successful."

Pett says they've also seen a reduction in students' behavior problems and an increase in "on-task" behavior in classrooms taught by teacher Fellows.

In the last four years, 82 Asheville teachers have received fellowships through the program.

Reporting for this story by North Carolina News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest. Media in the Public Interest is funded in part by Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.


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