Contact: Maridith Geuder
More than 80 state teachers in a Mississippi State University mentoring and support network are among the latest group earning the highest national professional credentials in their field.
Representing school districts throughout North and Central Mississippi, the participants in MSU's World Class Teaching Program are among more than 400 state educators receiving 2001 certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
The WCTP was established at MSU by the Legislature in 1996 to guide groups of teachers through the year-long certification process. To date, more than 300 National Board Certified teachers have worked with the Starkville-based program, a mentoring effort that since has expanded to all major state universities.
"Mississippi has one of the most successful certification records in the nation," said MSU program director Peggy A. Swoger of the College of Education. A founding member of the National Board for Professional Standards, she led in developing the original state training curriculum for the voluntary certification process.
Swoger said Mississippi's success this year gives it the sixth-highest number of new board-certified teachers in the United States. "Teachers voluntarily undergo an assessment process in which they document their knowledge of their subject matter, provide evidence of effective teaching methods and demonstrate their ability to manage and measure student learning," she explained.
Mississippi teachers who successfully earn certification receive a $6,000 annual bonus.
Teachers who completed mentoring by MSU and earned national certification this year include [by hometown]:
ABERDEEN--Amy Henley of Aberdeen Middle School.
ACKERMAN--Pam Simpson of Ackerman Elementary School.
AMORY--Dawn Ausbon of Prairie Elementary School and Amy Lofton of Becker Elementary School.
BELDEN--Kim Fandel of Tupelo's Church Street Elementary School.
BOONEVILLE--Lynn Thompson of Hills Chapel School.
COLLINSVILLE--Ramona Fields of Parkview Elementary School; Sandy Reid and Lori Wiggins of West Lauderdale High School; and Christie Rowcliff of Oakland Heights Elementary School.
COLUMBUS--Candace Aldridge of Fairview Elementary School; Michelle Byrd and Becky Kinard of New Hope Middle School; Patricia Harris, Melinda Lowe and Terry Richardson of Joe Cook Elementary School; Lori Lowery of Stokes-Beard Elementary School; Annie Smith of Starkville High School; and Patricia Thrash and Nan Wyckoff of the McKellar Technology Center.
CORINTH--Kim Green of Kossuth Elementary School and Barbara Trapp of Corinth High School.
ENTERPRISE--Kimberly Freeman of Northwest High School in Lauderdale County and Kelli Speed of Oakland Heights Elementary School in Meridian.
ETHELSVILLE, Ala.--Debbie McLaurin in Sale Elementary School in Columbus.
GUNTOWN--Tammy Parham of Saltillo High School.
HOUSTON--Beverly Doss of Houston High School.
JACKSON--Stephanie Stephens of Isable Elementary School.
KOSCIUSKO--Deborah Pickle and Lynn Wiggers of Lower Elementary School.
KOSSUTH--Suzanne Follin of Kossuth Elementary School.
LOUISVILLE--Patty Webb of Nanih Waiya Elementary School.
MACON--Nancy Cotton of East Kemper County Elementary School and Katherine Eichelberger of Nash Elementary School.
MAYHEW--Melinda Young of the Millsaps Career and Technology Center in Starkville.
MERIDIAN--Tawana Barnette and Amanda Cross of Poplar Springs Elementary School; Dianna Harper of West Hills Elementary School; Joann Herrington of Clarkdale High School; Lowell Hummer of Magnolia Middle School; Pam McDonald of Northeast Middle School; Lona Moffett of Southeast High School; Mable Oatis [cq] of Meridian High School; Mary Hill Shular of West Lauderdale Attendance Center; Diane Toms of Crestwood Elementary School; and Diane Wells of Southeast Lauderdale Attendance Center.
OLIVE BRANCH--Kimberly Heath and Norma Neeley of Olive Branch Elementary School.
PHILADELPHIA--Valerie Hardy of Neshoba Central High School.
PLANTERSVILLE--Margie Clark of Nettleton Primary School.
PONTOTOC--Brigitte Howard of Pontotoc Elementary School.
QUITMAN--Kathy Dedwylder and Kelly Mollett of Enterprise Middle School.
RIENZI--Phil Smith of Alcorn Central High School.
SALTILLO--Katherine Clark and Frances Wigginton of Saltillo Elementary School, and Connie Gusmus and Alicia Ussery of Tupelo High School.
SHERARD--Sharon Prescott of Sherard Elementary School.
SMITHVILLE--Misty Kennedy of Smithville Elementary School.
STARKVILLE--Susan Aycock of the Quad-County Alternative School; Tammy Butler of Overstreet Elementary School; Rusty Coats, Renee Crimm, Linda Jack, and Missy Staggers of the Millsaps Career and Technology Center; Andy Duett, Denise Hosie and Deborah Vanderford of the Ward-Rosa Stewart elementary schools; Kellie Gartman of Sudduth Elementary School; Robert Hamlin of Armstrong Middle School; Jeanine Lark of Henderson Intermediate School; and Sandy Maynard of Overstreet Elementary School.
TUPELO--Patty Hosch and Jan Kennedy of Tupelo Middle School, and Anita Williams of Church Street Elementary School.
UNION--Carleen Gilmore of Newton County Elementary School.
WEST POINT--Lanell Early of the West Point Career and Technology Center and Dianne Mathews of Church Hill Elementary School.