Governor, Superintendent Announce 199 'Master Teachers'

Governor, Superintendent Announce 199 “Master Teachers”

Master Teachers Demonstrate Student Achievement, to Serve as Mentor for Peers

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue and State School Superintendent Kathy Cox today announced the names of 199 teachers designated as “Master Teachers,” based on legislation championed during the 2005 Georgia General Assembly.  Today the Professional Standards Commission will send each Master Teacher a certificate with the prestigious designation.

“These 199 teachers have shown they are masters in the art of inspiring Georgia students to learn,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.  “I’m proud to recognize these individuals who have proven themselves to be leaders in one of the most honorable professions in society.”

Governor Perdue’s Master Teacher and Academic Coach program was created during the 2005 legislative session to recognize teachers who are impacting student achievement and to keep Georgia’s best teachers in the classrooms, rather than moving to administrative positions.

“A great teacher has an impact that lasts a lifetime and these master teachers are sterling examples of teachers who inspire their students inside and outside of the classroom,” said State School Superintendent Kathy Cox, a classroom teacher for 15 years.  “I urge each of these Master Teachers to share what they know with others.  With their help, Georgia will continue to have some of the best teachers in the nation.”

“The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is proud to be a part of this certification program,” said Dr. F.D. Toth, executive secretary of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.  “Congratulations to the first cohort of Master Teachers.

Teachers in the pool of 199 Master Teachers designated today are eligible to become Academic Coaches.  These teachers will be released from teaching for part of the work day to mentor other teachers.  Some of the duties of the Academic Coaches may include inducting new teachers, analyzing student achievement data, making recommendations for school improvement and implementing the new Georgia Performance Standards Curriculum.  Academic Coaches may be eligible for salary increases.

In July 2005 Governor Perdue appointed a Master Teacher & Academic Coach Implementation Committee that met to finalize the details of implementation for the program.  In April 2006 the PSC and the Office of Student Achievement (OSA) began considering applications from 890 candidates. Applicants were required to show evidence of student learning gains through standardized tests.  If an applicant did not teach in a grade level or subject covered by a standardized test (i.e. foreign language), the applicant had to show student learning gains through national, local or school level measures (could include Advanced Placement scores, etc).   In addition to the learning gains, principals had to verify that applicants met basic professionalism standards.

“We are very grateful to the PSC and OSA, both of which were immensely helpful in the implementation of the Master Teacher program,” said Governor Perdue.

Applications for the second class of Master Teachers will be available in early October and will be accepted by the PSC from November 2006 through January 2007.  The PSC and Governor’s Office of Student Achievement will be offering technical assistance to teachers throughout the state in collecting and submitting student achievement data for the Master Teacher application.

The FY06 budget passed by the General Assembly included $500,000 to implement the Master Teacher program and $2 million for the Academic Coach Program.  No other state in the nation has developed a certification program to recognize Master Teachers.