If you're serious about quality
Teacher draws from over 25 years in the classroom at NCLB roundtable talks

AFT leader Pamela Burtnett brought more than 25 years of classroom experience to bear when she told a U.S. Senate panel this spring that one thing we do not need is “additional federal mandates and hoops for teachers to jump through” when it comes to highly qualified teacher provisions under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Speaking at an NCLB roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill, Burtnett urged lawmakers to keep the focus on strategies such as effective teacher induction and high-quality career development programs as Congress looks for ways to attract, support and retain excellent educators under NCLB. Those are proven paths to building quality education, said Burtnett, an English teacher who is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS); she also is president of the Lake County (Fla.) Education Association, a joint affiliate of the AFT and the NEA.

“States should require high-caliber teacher induction systems to ensure that new teachers receive the critical support they need so they can provide effective instruction during their beginning years,” Burtnett told the panel.Effective, embedded professional development—programs that involve frontline educators in their design and selection—is also key, she added.

Burtnett highlighted the positive steps undertaken in Lake County, Fla. The district’s effective teaching center, which is a joint venture between the union and the school board, has provided high-quality embedded professional development to teachers. Each year, she noted, about 120 teachers are given five days of release time to participate in the AFT’s Educational Research and Dissemination (ER&D) program. And Lake County schools offer “early-release Wednesdays” and other professional development that educators can access in the regular school day.

“Teachers are always open to improving their instruction because they know it will benefit them, and more importantly, their students,” she said.