Goza Middle School Teachers Meridith Armstrong, Elizabeth Hill, and Christy Smith received a Badger Pride Award in the October School Board Meeting. The three educators were recognized for being selected into the Cohort IV of the High-Reliability Teacher Certification Program. The selection was announced Oct 1, 2022, by the Arkansas Department of Education. Ms. Armstrong, Ms. Hill, and Ms. Smith are among eighteen teachers from across the state selected. The High-Reliability Teacher certification operates under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.
Ms. Armstrong was inspired to apply for the cohort because of her sincere desire to help create a school culture where students are both free to learn and express themselves in a safe, collaborative environment. Becoming more proficient with school-wide processes and using her knowledge of curriculum and support she says will allow her to assist teacher teams in addressing the needs of all students. She hopes that through this certification she is able to assist fellow faculty and staff members in strengthening their instructional goals, especially in the way of utilizing data to inform classroom lessons and assisting students with meeting their educational goals.
The Cohort met at The Solution Tree office in Little Rock for the first time on October 20th. After the meeting, Ms. Hill and Ms. Smith came back excited about the process and what lies ahead. The teachers have already begun submissions. Throughout the process, they will be receiving feedback from Solution Tree reviewers. The Cohort IV will meet back together in the spring.
We are so fortunate to have great teachers like Ms. Armstrong, Ms. Hill, and Ms. Smith who want to improve their skills even more for the betterment of their students and colleagues. They hope that in the future other teachers in our district will consider applying and going through the certification program.
Congratulations!