State Farm funds teacher’s academy

An insurance company with Emporia offices has funded an orientation academy for teachers working toward an advanced national certificate.

Twenty-eight teachers from across the state attended the Fall 2003 National Board Orientation Academy sponsored by State Farm Insurance.This is the fifth year the company has funded the academy.

ESU has offered a program of professional support for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification since 1993. The program now operates from the Great Plains Center for National Teacher Certification in ESU’s Jones Institute for Educational Excellence.

State Farm contributed $5,000 to support the orientation academy held at the beginning of the school year.

“ESU’s National Board Certification candidate support program has a national reputation, in part because of its long-standing goal and achievements in providing equitable access to teachers throughout the state as they pursue the NBPTS advanced national board certification,” said Tes Mehring, Dean of the Teachers College.

According to Mehring, a national board certificate shows that a teacher has been met high and rigorous professional standards through national peer review. It is one of the main ways the teaching profession recognizes excellence among its ranks. Attendants of this year’s academy were elementary and secondary teachers from rural, suburban, and urban communities.

“As state funding for higher education continues to be a growing challenge, collaborative partners in business and industry are of increasing importance.The supplemental financial support from State Farm is an example of how the partnership between private and public funding sources can help assure our ability to meet the goal of equitable access to the academy for all teachers in the state,” said Mehring.

Pete Euler, a State Farm agent in Emporia, played a major role in advancing the original ESU proposal to the State Farm Foundation Kansas-Oklahoma regional office in Tulsa. Euler has continued to support the Center’s proposals to the State Farm Foundation. Euler, along with local State Farm agents Vicki Burnett and Gene Reneau, have been supportive of the center’s program.

Vanda Oxford Easley, public affairs specialist with the State Farm Kansas City, Kan. office, was also present again for this year’s academy. She was joined by Amy Valenciano, State Farm public affairs specialist from Wichita; and Bill Hudson, a State Farm agent from Stafford. Senator James Barnett and Representative Don Hill of the Kansas Legislature also attended a portion of the academy.

“Vanda Easley and our local State Farm agents have clearly demonstrated their ongoing commitment to help make this orientation program a reality in our state,” said Linda Hazel, director of ESU’s Great Plains Center for National Teacher Certification.

“This year marks the fifth year of funding from State Farm.Their continued support has helped us build and sustain a model academy in our state that includes professional guidance and mentoring for teachers throughout Kansas as they begin the rigorous year-long advanced certification process,” Hazel said.

For more information about the NBPTS program at ESU, visit the Jones Institute web site at www.emporia.edu/jones. For more information about the State Farm gift, contact Vanda Easley, with the State Farm Insurance Companies Kansas City office at (913) 279-6711.