Contact: Maridith Geuder
Nearly 100 Mississippi teachers participating in a Mississippi State University program are among the latest group earning national honors as outstanding educators.
The annual recognition is made by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that works to raise teaching standards in the nation's elementary and secondary schools. Teachers who earn certification complete a lengthy, voluntary process that demonstrates accomplished teaching practices.
MSU's World Class Teaching Program, created by the Mississippi Legislature in 1996, has served as a model subsequently expanded to other state universities.
"Mississippi has one of the most successful certification records in the nation," said Peggy Swoger, MSU mentoring program director. A founding member of the national board, she was among the team that developed national standards to measure teaching excellence.
"These teachers are to be commended for undertaking this process," Swoger said. "It is a rigorous yearlong effort that requires they videotape classroom presentations, provide examples of student work and take a written examination."
To date, Mississippi has almost 750 National Board certified teachers. Those earning 2000 certification with support from MSU's mentoring program include (by hometown):
AMORY-June Harrington and Linda Monaghan of East Amory Elementary School, and Charlotte Pearson of Hatley Elementary School.
BAILEY-Katherine Bergin of Northeast Elementary School.
BALDWYN-Janet Hodges of Wheeler High School.
BELDEN-Renee Listenbee of Thomas Street Elementary School in Tupelo and Mary Webb of Tupelo Middle School.
BELLEFONTAINE--Melinda Allen of Eupora High School.
BOLTON-Carol Ann Franklin of Clinton Junior High School.
BOONEVILLE-Dana Baggett of Saltillo Elementary School in Lee County.
BROOKSVILLE-Pamela Pugh of Sudduth Elementary School in Starkville.
CALDEDONIA-Sandra Murphy of Caledonia Elementary School.
CALHOUN CITY-Pamela "Dedee" Lee of Vardaman High School.
COLDWATER-Rebecca Conner of East Tate Elementary School.
COLLINSVILLE-Alice Faye Reaves of Neshoba Central High School.
COLUMBUS-Robin Ballard and Karen Stafford of New Hope Elementary School; Dawn P. Dawkins, Terry Richardson and Olivia Sansing of Cook Elementary School; Barbara Holland and Emma Richardson of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science; and Sheila Williams of West Lowndes Middle School.
CORINTH-Teena Hatfield of Alcorn Central High School.
CRAWFORD-Gayle Fortenberry of the McKeller Vocational Center in Columbus.
DALEVILLE-Betty Davis of Northeast Elementary School.
DUMAS-Cynthia Davis of New Albany Elementary School.
ECRU-Brenda Bain of Pontotoc Elementary School.
EUPORA-Lin Bagwell of Houston Upper Elementary School in Houston, Evelyn Clay of East Webster Elementary School, and Dan Burchfield and Monica Cummings of Eupora High School.
FAIRHOPE, Ala.-Angel Overton of the Meridian Public Schools.
FOREST-Martha Cleveland, Regina Rigby and Janis Smith of Forest Elementary School, and Stacy Crosby, Regina Reiss and Margaret White of Scott Central Elementary School.
FULTON-Janice McKinney of Fulton Elementary School.
GREENVILLE-Judy Davis of Tripp Elementary School.
HAMILTON, Ala.-Carroll Hughes of Tupelo High School.
HAMILTON-James Reed of Caledonia High School in Caledonia, Patsy Willis of Hamilton Elementary School and Gloria Wilson of Aberdeen High School.
HICKORY FLAT-Rochelle Thompson of Ashland Middle School.
HOUSTON-Donna Griffin of Houston Junior High School, Linda Heair of Houston Upper Elementary School and Donna Turman of Houston High School.
INDIANOLA-Rebecca Cobb of Yazoo Elementary School.
JACKSON-Diana Brantley of Peeples Middle School, Paula Mayfield of Terry High School and Melanie Reed of Northside Elementary School in Pearl.
LAKE-Regina Richardson of Newton Elementary School.
LAWRENCE-Linda Sue Geter of Newton High School.
LOUISVILLE-Julie Childs and Janice Whitfield of Fair Elementary School.
MATHISTON-Patricia Cochran of Eupora High School.
MERIDIAN-Ruth Bayles of Witherspoon Elementary School; Nelda Davidson and Peggy Webb of the Ross Collins Vocational Center; Brenda Easterwood of West Hills Elementary School; Liz Michael of Kate Griffin Junior High School; Karen Pace and Linda Whitley of Northeast Elementary School; and Melinda Perry and Barbara Richardson of Clarkdale Attendance Center.
MOOREVILLE-Adelia Whitmon of Mooreville High School.
MORTON-Marsha Barnes of Morton High School.
NETTLETON-Brenda Ratliff and Tracy Smith of Nettleton High School.
NEWTON-Susan Neal of Newton High School.
PHILADELPHIA-Gina Moorehead and Rene Wood of Philadelphia Elementary School, Kristi Lane of Neshoba Central Elementary School and Jayne Robinson of Philadelphia High School.
PONTOTOC-Rhonda McNeese of Pontotoc Elementary School.
POTTS CAMP-Pam Boren of Mary Reid Elementary School.
QUITMAN-Belinda Ott of Northeast Elementary School in Lauderdale County.
RIPLEY-Wanda Yancey of Pine Grove School.
SALTILLO-Judy Lott, Judy Hartsville and Gena Yarbrough of Saltillo Elementary School, and Janice Mitchell of Saltillo High School.
STARKVILLE-Dianne Clark, Kathryn Hester, Cheryl Lipsey, and Temple O'Nan of Sudduth Elementary School; Dawn Davis of Louisville Elementary School in Louisville; Diana Heineck of Armstrong Middle School; Margaret Hill of Rosa Stewart Middle School; Cindy McLaughlin of Lee Middle School in Columbus; and Judith Moody of Starkville High School.
TOOMSUBA-Shirley Burton of Meridian High School.
TUPELO-Brenda Spearman of Saltillo High School.
UNION-Frankie Germany of Newton Elementary School.
WEIR-Robert Mamrak, Weir High School.
WINONA-Cathy Ellsworth of Winona High School, and Pam Hammond and Lee Anne Ingram of Winona Junior High School.
WOODLAND-Anita Ellison of Houston High School.