Talking Points for Pike Road Educational System for Excellence in Teaching (PRESET)

• Purpose is to recognize and promote excellence in teaching among current teacher populations, as well as university students seeking to be teachers in Alabama public schools.
   
• Objectives are:
   
  • To have valuable inside-the-classroom experiences for student teachers from the universities.
  • To provide entrepreneurial and innovative educational initiatives in K-12 classrooms throughout the state. To allow for university facility to input new ideas into the classroom.
  • To create additional linkages between the public universities and the K-12 schools throughout the state.
    • To create a vehicle for administrative support of the linkages.
    • To create a mechanism for generating external support for the initiatives.
  • To create an incentive program for student teachers participating in the programs at the university and at the K-12 schools.
  • Create vehicles for additional grant and research participation for local schools, as well as universities.
  • The State of Alabama would establish the necessary pilot activities to initiate the project. Pilot projects should be cost-shared between participating universities, participating K-12 systems, the state and the private sector.
     
• Costs
   
  • The cost of this program to the State of Alabama. There would be a small cost associated with the State Certification Board for the Schools in Excellence in Teaching. The cost would be associated with the administrative work and the once-a-year meeting.
  • The costs for local boards of education would be the cost associated with the hosting of a student teacher network and having technology available to allow communication between the university and the school. The local board would also be responsible for producing a report on the success of the project at the local level.
  • The costs to the university would be the cost associated with a faculty member serving as a consultant to a class and any miscellaneous costs associated with the student teacher being in the classroom.
  • Costs borne by external sources. The costs of generating the salary stipends for teachers being recruited into the local area.
     
• The plan does not require any school or university to participate. The plan is 100% permissive.
   
• The plan does not take any powers or authorities away from the local school board or the State Department of Education. The plan simply provides a teaching and learning vehicle to support their local work. Ultimate outcome of the plan would be an enhanced relationship between K-12 and public universities that would lead to more schools striving for excellence in their level of instruction increased use of innovative ideas in the classrooms, and a better prepared pool of student teachers.
   
• The authentication of the work would be provided through the accountability reports of the university-school relationship that would be provided to the state. A state certification board with participation from the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, Chair of Education Committee of the House, Chair of Education Committee of the Senate, and the State Superintendent of Education would be established and authorized to annually review and certify the validity of the designations.
   
• Long term result of the plan would be a better prepared student teacher population, more innovative ideas shared to a broader cross section of students and teachers through the university relationship and incentives that motivate an increased level of commitment to excellent schools.