Teacher of the Year Student Essay Contest!

Maryland Teacher of the Year

The Maryland Teacher of the Year Program recognizes the work being done by the state's outstanding teachers. Drawing from a pool of nominees representing each county, one individual teacher is selected for the honor of representing Maryland in the National Teacher of the Year competition.

For eligibilty and nomination process information, please review the Prince George's County TOTY 2010 Brochure. Complete the TOTY 2010 Application Form and include with the nomination items listed in the brochure. Nomination Deadline - Friday, March 19, 2010, 4:30 p.m.

Teacher of the Year Student Essay Contest! To honor and celebrate the Prince George's County Teacher of the Year, the Department of Publicity and Publications will sponsor an essay contest for students in Grades 10, 11, and 12 with the theme, "How My Teacher Changed My Life." The deadline for submissions is March 26, 2010.

First, second, and third place winners will be selected in each of the three grades, with one of three first place winners being named Most Inspirational. The Most Inspirational winner will read their winning entry during the Prince George's County Teacher of the Year celebration at the Newton White Mansion on April 28.

Milwaukee Public Schools plans to spend 4 million on parental engagement

Written by
By Erin Richards of the Journal Sentinel

Lennise Crampton, a 40-year-old Milwaukee mother of eight, sometimes wonders how her children would have performed in school if she'd known how to be a better parent from the start.

A single mother until she married this year, Crampton usually managed decent meals and clothing and getting her kids to class. It was up to the school, she thought, to handle the education part.

Then in December of 2005, a representative from Lloyd Street School marched up to Crampton's door and asked her to participate in a program that improves relationships between teachers, schools and families.

Crampton started coming to weekly meetings at Lloyd, where her two youngest attended. She learned about training she could get as a low-income parent. She learned how to engage in her children's academics at home and how to advocate for their needs at school.

"These little ones get the best of the best now," she said. "If it applies to my children's academics, I'm on it." Crampton's experience underlines the critical connection between schools and families, teachers and parents. Though her children are not always model students, Crampton knows they tend to do better in school when she's engaged, and that they drift academically and socially when she's less diligent.

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Erin Richards