State Farm funds teacher’s academy

For the fourth year in a row, State Farm Insurance funded an orientation academy for teachers working toward an advanced national certificate.

Emporia State University 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 last weekend.

“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 ESU Teacher’s College.

A NBPTS certificate shows that a teacher has been met high and rigorous professional standards through peer review. It is one of the main ways the teaching profession recognizes excellence among its ranks.

“In light of the challenges education faces in regard to the significant and serious cuts in state legislative funding for higher education, the supplemental financial support from State Farm assures 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. Burnett also joined this year’s National Board Certification candidates at the academy luncheon.

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 Judie Laws, a State Farm field executive from Chanute; Amy Valenciano, State Farm public affairs specialist from Wichita; and Bill Looker, a State Farm agent from Garnett.

Senator James Barnett and Representative Lloyd Stone of the Kansas Legistlature also attended.

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

“The continued support from State Farm 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,” she said.

Educators from New Mexico also attended to learn from ESU’s orientation academy as they begin working to build similar programs of support for national board candidates in their states.

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