Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference: How Stakeholders Can Support Teacher Quality

By Mark Schreiber, 2005 Colorado Milken Educator

As I drifted back into consciousness this morning I started to wonder what we might be having for breakfast. Maybe an egg frittata with spinach and a drizzle of some eccentric cream sauce... or maybe a delectable crepe with fresh fruit and Devonshire crème. My mind then started to wander to the conversation that I might have with all my new high-caliber educator friends. What fantastic lesson or unit have they dreamed up that I might let my ears indulge upon over our morning cup of coffee? Or the panels of speakers—what might I be able to glean from the banter of so many different policy makers during those sessions?

I rolled out of bed and got my suit out, yes the blue striped tie too—oh would I look dapper today for whatever may be on the agenda! Oh the excitement of another day to come in this incredible educationally focused place!

As I sipped my Folgers coffee and crunched down the last of my "Toasty O's" in our humble kitchen I realized that I wasn't in D.C. anymore.

Yes, the Conference is over and as cliché as it may be, I have seriously been changed forever. I met so many great educators, and all of them so professional, I may add! Just two days out and already I miss the deep conversation, the collaboration of what they do in class and how we could do it better, and especially the safety of knowing that when I share my dreams they will be taken seriously. It took a couple of days, but I realized one thing as I heard from more and more of these Milken Educators—we are all innovators. I can't wait to dream more with these new friends.

I could go on and on, filling pages with what I have learned and what I am excited about for the future...but I won't. If you have been to the Conference, you already know a lot of what I would share. If you haven't been, then I encourage you to dream your own dreams, engage with your friends about what we can do to be a part of educating our children. Just remember, as Lowell Milken always says, "The future belongs to the educated."

Now, I'm off to make some truly decadent French toast, drizzled with marmalade, and syrup; sprinkled with cinnamon, andarranged in an eccentric pattern on my plate. I'll have to save the little white chocolate medallion for a later meal, once I figure out how to make the press for it.

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org

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By John Snyder, 1992 Nevada Milken Educator

The Night had finally arrived.  Educators in tuxedoes and sparkling evening gowns gathered in front of the ballroom where the Awards Ceremony would take place.  Excited conversations wafted from the little knots of honorees as they awaited the signal for the festivities to begin.

And then, like beckoning arms, the doors swung open.  The Night had begun.

As the guests of the recipients found their way to their seats, we looked around surprised, for the state superintendents and the 2005 Milken Educators were nowhere to be seen.  Just as we were about to go investigate, trumpets blared and the Grand Entrance began.  The recipients had rehearsed well, and had assembled behind the scenes with hardly anyone noticing.

Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Jane Foley provided the introductions and the state-by-state commentary as each contingent, smiling and waving, trooped in behind their state flag.  The colors were presented by the Dunbar Senior High School Junior ROTC, and "God Bless America was sung by an amazing fifteen-year-old named Kyle Ahn.

The electricity began to build.  Television personality Josh Binswanger welcomed us as the master of ceremonies, and Milken Family Foundation Trustee Rosey Grier invoked the blessing.  We began our meal—wonderful food—but our hearts were still full of the moment at hand.

After dinner, Kim Burke-Ables, 2003 recipient from the District of Columbia, brought us up to date on her amazing career, which included being named 2006 District of Columbia Teacher of the Year.  Actor/filmmaker Robert Townsend, CEO of the Black Family Network, entertained us with his version of the Award notifications in the fall, which he had so enjoyed being a part of.  Lowell Milken introduced his family and gave us a little background on the genesis of the Milken Educator Award.

And remember what I said in my first blog entry about the annual performance by young artists that brought tears to our eyes and the audience to its feet?  This year was no exception. 

The Dulaney High School Chamber Choir, from the school where new Milken Educator Kelly Smith (MD '05) teaches, performed two beautiful old traditional songs.

Kyle Ahn returned to sing "I Believe I Can Fly," and the audience responded warmly.  Then another fifteen-year-old marvel, Kaitlin Kiyan, came onstage to sing a song of her own.  Again the audience was thoroughly impressed and responded warmly.

And just when we thought we had been richly entertained by the young singers' solo performances, both were called back onstage.  They performed a duet of "The Greatest Love of All" that was absolutely astounding, generating spontaneous applause at several points during the performance.  They left the stage to thunderous applause, and we were amazed to hear it was the second time they had performed together.  The first time had been the previous day.  One rehearsal.

Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder Michael Milken followed these performances with a speech about the importance of families and teams, and welcomed the new Milken Educators to his extended family.  Then the major ceremony began.

While a short video piece was shown highlighting many of the announcements across the country, the recipients silently vanished once again.  As the video came to an end, we could see Lowell and Mike Milken silhouetted on the stage.  As the lights came up, a voice began announcing the names of the 2005 Milken Educator Award recipients.

One by one, the new members of the Milken Educator family made their way across the stage.  A quick embrace, a snapshot of the presentation of the check, and then each took his or her place in the growing crowd of recipients.  By the time Wyoming had joined the throng, hundreds of flash bulbs winked, music filled the air, and the 2005 Awards Ceremony was complete.

Once again, the excitement hung heavy in the air.  Once again, the new recipients wandered and chatted and obviously wished that the night would never come to an end.  Slowly, they seemed to come back to reality, and after a flurry of last-minute photos, they wended their way back to their rooms, still in a daze over the experience they had just had.

The Night was over once again, but the magic never dies…

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By John Snyder, 1992 Nevada Milken Educator

The last Conference session before the Awards Ceremony was on the role of the teacher in enhancing teacher quality and improving student achievement.  The panelists, made up entirely of veteran Milken Educators, were asked to tell a little about themselves.

Doris Alvarez (CA '95), principal of Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego, has spent her life in low-income schools.  Jennifer Couch (GA '04), a fifth-grade teacher at Kedron Elementary School in Peachtree City, Georgia, received a college scholarship and fell in love with teaching.  Amanda Mayeaux (LA '03), an eighth-grade math teacher at Dutchtown Middle School in Geismar, Louisiana, lived all over the world before returning to Louisiana to become a teacher.  Chuck McAfee (MA '99), headmaster/director of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in the Roxbury area of Boston, took on his eighth principalship in eight years just after winning the Milken Educator Award. Paula Tafoya Nunez (NM '01), a seventh- and eighth-grade team teacher at Cleveland Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, works with fellow teachers on professional development. And Bill Richey (OH '99), a chemistry teacher at Xenia High School in Xenia, Ohio, once worked as a biologist and chemist, but fell in love with teaching and switched.

Milken Family Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken led the discussion and began by asking what career advancement means to the panelists, and what they believe it should mean.

Chuck described a teacher who had approached him needing a change.  He didn't want to lose her, so he set up a mentorship with a stipend.  She lovedthe idea.  He kept her, and a lot of teachers got a lot of first-class assistance.

Doris said that when teachers start getting restless, she usually suggests beginning the National Board Certification process.

Amanda said there was a point when she was at her wits' end, but knew of an outstanding teacher down the hall.  Amanda observed her, and then asked her to team up to earn National Certification.  "We're still teaming," said Amanda, "and we really work well together."

How about professional development? asked Lowell.  How about additional pay for additional duties?

Paula said their school has a three-tiered licensure system, which kind of parallels the multiple career paths element of the Teacher Advancement Program, but leaves some things out.  Under their system, she said, you have to leave Level 1 within a few years, but you can stay at Level 2 if you want.  You have to wait three to five years to go to Level 3.

For Jennifer, career advancement means that she would have to move into administration.  To be competitive on a world market, she said we are going to have to raise the chances for compensation.  I can't get nationally certified, she said, because to certify in middle school math, she has to teach middle school, and she currently teaches fourth and fifth grade as a specialist.

Lowell said, "I can't tell you the number of Milken Educators who have told me that they were thinking of leaving the profession when they won the Award, which they said really invigorated and renewed them.  It isn't a common occurrence, but it's not an isolated instance."

He then asked the panelists about how to attract and retain good teachers to teach in high-need schools.

Doris said that there's one charter school that pays for its teachers' master's degrees and pays extra stipends and such.  It seems to be working, she said.

Amanda related a story about how she was mentoring a teacher once, and gave her a book to help her deal with some issues, but she wouldn't read it.  Where's the accountability? Amanda asked.  How can we let these people stay?  I've been asking around and most people here at this Conference estimate that about 35 percent of the teachers at their schools are ineffective.

Lowell said that when you start getting teachers together in cluster groups, there really isn't anywhere to hide.  Sometimes the ineffective teachers transfer out, but sometimes they don't.  What do we do? he asked the panelists.

A lot of the time, said Chuck, these are really good people.  He tries to remain positive, but if they resist, he brings out the statistics and shows them.  He shows them how their students are performing, and asks them how they're going to deal with it.  Sometimes they walk.  Numbers don't lie, he said.

Bill Richey said he looks forward to the TAP program, because he does all that mentoring already.  But he gets no extra pay for it, and no fewer classes.

Lowell then asked how we measure teacher quality.

At Doris Alvarez's school, in addition to classroom observations, the teachers put together a portfolio, which they present to each other.  And the students fill out evaluations, which the teachers share with their peers twice a year.

Jennifer Couch says she looks at how her students do on standardized tests.  She also enforces a policy whereby they have to get along with each other.  And she teaches study skills and how to do well on standardized tests.

Chuck joked that he uses a student named Jerome—the one that none of the teachers want in their class.  Chuck asks Jerome who's teaching well and who's not.  He knows.

Paula says her school did walkthroughs.  "We told them what we were looking for," she said, "but it was still difficult to do.  We told them we were working on specific areas, and it evolved into a culture of high achievement."  She said they also brought all the teachers into conferences to provide perspectives from all sides.  Some of them were doing very poorly in many classes, but well in a few.  She said they would talk to those teachers to find out what they're doing that's getting through.

Bill Richey said he wishes they had a passion meter.  That's what really sets great teachers apart, he said—that they teach with passion.

The discussion transitioned into a lively question-and-answer period.

One person from the audience said he was astonished at the lack of work ethic in some teachers.  He noticed that the one common denominator among the great teachers he knew was that they had a great work ethic.  He had been used to finishing up all the work each night, because they never knew what might happen the next day.

This brought up the issue of tenure.

Amanda said she abhors tenure.  She mentioned taking a four-hour course on how to get rid of a poor teacher.  "It was the best course I ever took," she said.

Amanda also spoke of a little girl who told her in her good-bye note that though she had learned math from Amanda, the most important thing she had learned came from watching her.  She knew Amanda was a teacher and a mother, and she said she learned to excel just by watching Amanda do all those things well.

Chuck reminded everyone that tenure started when people didn't respect teachers, and it provided protection.

Doris said they don't have tenure in her charter school, and it doesn't seem to hamper them in attracting high-quality teachers.

Chuck also said there needs to be a process of building relationships.  The children know if they can trust you, he said.

A few more comments from the audience, and we had come to the end of another outstanding panel session.  We probably would have been willing to keep the lively discussion going, but it was time to get ready for the Awards Ceremony.

The Night had come at last…

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By John Snyder, 1992 Nevada Milken Educator

In a panel discussion Thursday morning on the role of government in enhancing teacher quality, moderator Dr. Stephen Goldsmith, professor of government at Harvard University, asked Ted Sanders, executive director of the Cardean Learning Group, what level of education reform has the most impact on the future of education. According to Sanders, the state level was probably where the greatest difference can be made.

Dr. Goldsmith asked Henry Johnson, assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education for the U.S. Department of Education, if there was a correlation between high-performance teachers and the most effective teachers. Dr. Johnson said generally speaking, yes. "That's what we're working on now," he said. "We're trying to concentrate on classrooms of greatest need."

Dr. Goldsmith asked Chester Finn, president of the Fordham Foundation, if the government is doing more harm than good. When it comes to government, said Finn, less is more. "Most people have the most confidence in the level of government they've had the least experience with," he said. "I've worked at all levels, and I don't have much confidence in any of them." If government imposed fewer restrictions and schools could hire who they wanted—and were held accountable—we would have a great improvement in education, argued Finn.

Sanders said that government can help by putting more into research and development, and by improving professional development. We ought to be willing to experiment with very, very radical ideas, he said, because the situation as it stands has serious problems.

Steve Robinson, aide to Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), said we should put in place twenty competitive grants to get ideas that work in the hands of the teachers and find out innovative techniques that are working.

Finn addressed the issue of certification, saying that while some of the panelists were certified to teach, others were not, and that those who wanted to teach what they knew best, wouldn't be able to because of their lack of certification. Some of the members of the panel, he said, would make great teachers, particularly on the subject of government, but they would have to go back and get certified before they could walk into a classroom. "I don't mind background checks," he said, "but all this certification is insane."

There is a series of levers we could use, he said, but none is as important as recruiting. We need to figure out how we can improve the pipeline.

Nina Rees, vice president of strategic initiatives for the Knowledge Universe Learning Group, said that teaching is as much an art as it is a science. We are trying to recruit people to teach in inner city schools, but we are tied down by bureaucratic rules. At the federal level, she agreed with Sanders that the best thing the government can do is more research and development. Our portion is awfully small, she said, and we need to increase it.

Dr. Goldsmith brought up the subject of pay for performance, asking why not more?

Rees said that in the most successful schools, there is a network in place to facilitate communication rather than competition among colleagues.

For Dr. Johnson, the critical components are "knowledgeable" and "skilled." I don't care how we get that in place, he said, and we don't know who will succeed going in. We need to look later.

Dr. Goldsmith asked, why all these criteria like No Child Left Behind?

Sanders referred to a slide showing the results of a study that indicated that five consecutive years of quality teachers raised the achievement of students who were at the 14th percentile to the 53rd percentile. We've got to find out how to identify high-quality teachers and get them into the classroom, said Sanders. He had originally wanted to be a math researcher, but he didn't have the money to go straight through to a Ph.D. in number theory. This was just after Sputnik, and math teachers were really in demand, so he decided to accept a teaching job. He knew math, but not pedagogy. If it hadn't been for Eva Simmons, a fellow teacher next door, he says he would have failed as a teacher.

Dr. Goldsmith asked what we can do to remove the barriers to getting the good teachers?

Robinson said it's hard to tell, because "teaching" is a different thing at higher ed versus high school versus middle school. What we really need, he said, is to figure out how we can we build a collegial system.

Then why lower barriers? asked Dr. Goldsmith.

Because then, said Robinson, we can set up systems of mentoring on the job, rather than giving teachers a lotof theory and then cutting them loose.

Are there sufficient alternative routes to licensure? asked Dr. Goldsmith.

Sometimes, said Rees, they are as burdensome as traditional routes. We need to give kids access to online curriculum and let the local teacher supplement the instruction, she said. To reward good performance, we need to put the data systems in to be able to determine who is doing what.

Robinson argued that there is almost no research that can tell you prospects for success—with the possible exception of content knowledge and verbal ability. If we can't predict effectiveness, he said, why regulate who gets into the professional by means of some arbitrarily selected criteria?

A spirited question-and-answer session followed. One of the panelists replied to a question by saying, "There is a relatively large group of people late- or mid-career who want to do some socially redeeming work. That is one group we're trying to prepare for survival in the classroom. Technology holds a great deal of promise for teacher preparation."

Chester Finn said, "Fifty years ago, teachers were thought of as professionals. Then the unions started emulating the steelworkers. In the 1980s they wanted to get the professionalism back. Student numbers grew by 50 percent, but the number of teachers tripled. If the number of teachers had increased by the same rate and the same money were spent, teachers would now be averaging $100,000."

At the end of the session, the group broke off into job-alike sessions and a panel discussion on the federal government's newly passed Teacher Incentive Fund. The Conference continued to amaze...

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By Clyde Lehmann, 2003 Texas Milken Educator

The entire week of the Conference, of course, is amazing. Having the chance to converse with dynamic teachers from across the country is invaluable. However, time stops when you walk into the grand gala event! The grandeur of the ceremony and the elegance of the evening captivate one's eyes, but the metaphoric significance of the night is what seizes your mind. In the style of the Academy Awards, this night will recognize teachers, unsung heroes who rarely get noticed, much less honored, for their contributions of inspiration. And no profession is more deserving!

So, to the Milken National Educators of 2005, I say, "Carpe Noctem" (Seize the Night). Absorb and enjoy every moment of this evening. It will stay with you forever.

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By John Snyder, 1992 Nevada Milken Educator

As we finished our breakfast Thursday morning, Lowell Milken introduced U.S. Congressman Ralph Regula (D-OH 16th), vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and chairman of its Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.

Congressman Regula congratulated us educators for our efforts, and then decided to keep his prepared speech in his pocket and speak from his heart.

He told us of Tom Friedman's recent book, The World is Flat.  He described a world in which, thanks to a variety of recent developments, engineers can collaborate from different continents to build an engine, for instance.  He thought of his own daughter at home and how much things have changed since he was growing up himself.  It is no longer "Eat your food; think of all the starving people in China."  Now it is "Do your homework.  Think of all the little girls in China doing theirs."

He told of his efforts to keep America first.  He told of ALS victims who have asked him to fund research—not for themselves, for it is too late, but for those who will follow.  He says he meets a lot of very unselfish people in his role as a legislator.

It all comes back, he says, to the teacher in the school.  For a while in his own past, he taught while going to law school at night.  When he got to be an elementary school principal, he would often substitute for his teachers when they were sick.  It kept him in touch with what happens in the classroom, and in touch with the reality of some devastating statistics.  Of the students who enter school, 32 percent drop out.  Eight-five percent of inmates in the penal system were high school dropouts.  He reminded us that the decision to drop out doesn't happen during ninth grade, but in the third grade.

As a legislator, he has three goals:

1. Lower the dropout rate.
2. Everybody should be able to read.
3. There should be a quality teacher in every classroom.

He recounted seeing a film clip in which Hitler told of his most "influential" teacher, the one who instilled socialism in him.  Mr. Regula asked us what might havehappened if Hitler had instead had an influence for good.

At the Capitol, they had voted the previous night on the budget until one a.m., and the only field that received an increase was education.  He said we must become missionaries to the legislators about education.  The difference we make, he said, cannot be measured.

He described Troops To Teachers and Teach For America, two programs he sees as successful and productive at inspiring kids and lowering the dropout rate.

When he was a principal, he used to tell his teachers that the kids in their classes were little mirrors.  If they came in grumpy, the kids would probably be a little grumpy.  If they came in sparkly and cheerful, they would have a great day.  He bid us go back and inspire those little mirrors.

Mike Milken on Preparing for Globalization

When Congressman Regula had finished, Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder Michael Milken spoke to us about preparing for globalization.  In the 21st century, he said, we are going to have worldwide competition for human capital.  He has visited 16 countries this year, from which he gained a new perspective on what's happening in other hotspots around the world.

He said that no country has ever succeeded long-term by investing in commodities such as natural resources.  Now countries are investing in education rather than things.

He described the tremendously increasing number of professional athletes who were born in other countries.  The trend toward globalization is reflected in telecommunications.  Prices are spiraling down and speed is soaring for communication with any place in the world.  Taxes are being done in India for every state in the U.S.  Medical processes are done in India for four to ten percent of the cost of the same procedure in America.  Not only that, but their success rate is three times the American rate.

He talked about the shifting financial focus, particularly in China, India, and the United States.  He traced the evolution during the last 200 years.  He pointed out that 200 years ago, China and India were dominant in the world economic market.  The United States accounted for only 1.3% of the trade.  Since then, China and India's share has diminished, but they are now both on the upswing, and in not many years, the top three shares on the world economicchartwill be China, India, and the United States.  By then, Brazil and Mexico will also be major players.

Education is a changing field as well.  It is difficult to get educational visas here, so the students are going to England and Australia.  This is unfortunate, since even if they return to their own country, the students will be ambassadors of good will for the country in which they studied.

Singapore is also recruiting scientists from all over the world.  They have established million dollar scholarships to high-achieving students to provide a free educational ride through graduate school and/or medical school if the student will agree to move to and stay in Singapore.

Einstein was once asked about the most powerful concept he knew of.  He didn't say e=mc2.  He said "compound interest."  J.P. Morgan funded the Carrier company, which started an air conditioning industry.  Someone else patented air conditioning in the nineteenth century, but couldn't find funding.  Not many people remember his name.

Medical technology has evolved quickly.  In the 1950's, we had 58,000 cases of polio and they called it an epidemic.  Now, one in three women get cancer.  One in two men get cancer.  No one is calling it an epidemic.

That's why the Milken Family Foundation started medical awards programs similar to the Milken Educator Awards program:  the Founation's Cancer Research Awards and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.  In 2003, for the first time in 70 years, the number of people dying of cancer actually went down.

They also started FasterCures.  In Shanghai, you can travel on the train at 280 mph.  In America they are still going the same speed they have for 100 years.  It's the tracks and the thinking—still 19th and 20th century.  FasterCures is an effort to speed up medical research by "building better tracks."

Most of healthcare is lifestyle.  20-30 percent is based on genetics.  Childhood obesity is on the rise, perhaps because of the decline in athletics in schools, or perhaps because of what (and how much) we eat.  We've got to rethink our practices.  The 21st century demands new ways of thinking.

When they tried to get companies to move out to California, they thought they had taken care of everything—food, living quarters, the whole shot.  It turns out they missed something:  the people they were trying to persuade had education as their main concern. For this and many other reasons, the Milken Family Foundation started its National Educator Awards program.

Nobel winners recently chose two issues as most important in the future:  energy and education.  When Michael visited Dubai, he asked a classroom full of kids how many of them had wireless devices with them.  Every one of them had one.  Every single one.  And in the U.S., all incoming Duke University freshman get iPods on which they can store their lectures.

In Washington, there was wounded national pride went Sputnik went up.  We then restructured education.  Today, he challenged, where is our Sputnik that will change the way we do things?  Will it be China or India?  Will it be the fact that in a few years there will be more English speakers in China than in the rest of the world?  Or the fact that 85 percent of the jobs in America require skills, or that reading scores are plummeting, or that California is postponing testing math and reading while we bring up the percentage who can pass?

We saw a video clip of Albert Shankar, the former president of the American Federation of Teachers, who suggested that rather than vacillating between strict standards and loose standards, we need a different system.

Michael cautioned against fear of competition.  We should work with people from all over the world to get the best, he said.  In China, they pay three times as much for childcare as they do to go to college.  In America, we pay three to four times as much for a college education as we do for child care.  When Apple Computer was about to go bankrupt, IBM invested $500 million to revitalize them.

He talked about the last British ski jumper who jumped 253 feet.  The Olympic winner that year jumped 402 feet.  The big news was not that the British athlete hadn't won something, but that he didn't die or seriously injure himself in the attempt.  Now athletes must be in the top 30 percent to even be allowed to compete.  The lesson, he averred, is that we must get our kids past the minimums. We need them to be the 403-foot jumpers.  Sadly, only 11 percent of educators graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.

He left us with the question:  who will provide the next Sputnik event to revitalize our education program?  Will it be you…?

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By John Snyder, 1992 Nevada Milken Educator

A cool afternoon. Sprinkles of rain. Venturing out of the Conference headquarters, many for the first time, we filed excitedly onto waiting tour buses. We threaded our way through the early Washington, D.C. rush hour, and arrived at an imposing edifice, the Hart Senate Office Building.

Our bus was the last to arrive, and after clearing security, we arrived at the reception hall just as Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards Program, was explaining the procedures we would use. Our new Milken Educators were each given a pager so that as the senators and representatives arrived, they would know to come greet them.

As the reception got underway, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana was the first to speak and congratulate the educators from her state. She was followed by senators and representatives from Ohio, Arkansas, South Carolina, Maryland, and Minnesota. Each stepped to the podium and told of his or her support for the work the Milken Family Foundation was doing, and in many cases, for the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP).

Since Congress was in session, some of the members who were unable to attend the reception sent representatives from their staff. Our group from Nevada was proud to visit with all but one of our congressional delegation or their representatives. All across the hall, animated discussions buzzed and chuckled.

To hear Lowell and Mike Milken saluted by so many distinguished legislators by their first names was a tribute to the significance of their efforts and the long-term nature of their dedication to education. We got the feeling that we were part of a significant group whose leaders were important influences in the halls of power. The legislators congratulated us individually, but they were obviously well acquainted with our collective efforts to improve education in America.

As the reception drew to a close, we drifted back down to the buses, and in no time, we were back at the Conference center, ready to end our day. The words of Representative Steny Hoyer from Maryland still rang in our ears: "There are no more important people in any society than its teachers."

Thank you, Senator Hoyer, and amen.

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By William Richey, 1999 Ohio Milken Educator

William Richey is participating in a panel discussion at the Conference on the role of teachers in enhancing teacher quality and improving student achievement.

The issue of teacher quality from the perspective of a classroom teacher is interesting. Most days as a chemistry teacher in Xenia, Ohio, I don't have the time or energy to think about teacher quality—I just do what I love doing. I think the most important aspect contributing to teacher quality is the passion that a teacher has for his/her subject matter. If only we could get all teachers placed in the subject matter in which he or she majored or minored, that would be a starting point. If the teacher doesn't have a passion for that subject or topic, how can the love for that topic be passed on to the students? And how do we as an establishment define a highly effective (notice I didn't say a highly qualified teacher) teacher? You can be assured that your students (my students) and each and every student in any school can tell you who is highly effective. Was the lesson engaging? Was the presentation dynamic? Was the material presented in a way that made the subject matter come alive? Think about when you sit down to watch a TV show. Do you watch a program that isn't entertaining or engaging? I'd say no. That show wouldn't last two weeks on TV. I know we are not in the classroom to entertain but we ARE in the classroom to engage and stimulate.

I received my B.S. in biology/chemistry and went on to graduate school to work on a masters in aquatic biology. I had a teaching assistantship in grad school and I couldn't wait to go and teach those freshman classes. It wasn't until I was in front of a classroom teaching that I discovered the true joys that the career can bring. As a classroom teacher in a district where most of our students come from low- to middle-income families, I started the Chemistry Club (I knew no one would come if I called it the Future Teachers Club). The main goal of my chemistry club (besides to get elementary students fired up about science!) is to get my honors chemistry students—the best and the brightest in the school—excited about teaching. My club of 80 students visits eachof the elementary schools in our district and teaches a hands-on science lesson that has been integrated with a literature book. Through this experience, many of my honors students discover the true joy of teaching. At Xenia High School this year, we have five valedictorians. All five have participated in Chemistry Club and were very active. Two of the five have chosen teaching as a career. That excites me and makes me think maybe I had a little something to do with their career choice. If as effective classroom teachers we can influence our best and brightest students to go into what I feel is the most noble and important profession in the world, then we will have changed the future, if only one student at a time.

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By Amanda Mayeaux, 2003 Louisiana Milken Educator

Amanda Mayeaux is participating in a panel discussion at the Conference on the role of teachers in enhancing teacher quality and improving student achievement.

Teacher Quality...What a theme! Once you have spent time with Milken teachers from around the nation, you are overwhelmed with specific examples of quality.

Two years ago I came to this Conference as an excited honoree. I was focused on the Conference, but quickly learned that while $25,000 may be the treasure the world will see, my treasure will be all of the connections I make. I left knowing that fact was true. I have made so many terrific friends and I have learned so much from these connections.

I am more relaxed at this year's Conference, and I began making connections from the first second. I have met incredible teachers who exemplify quality. All have similar traits. First and foremost, each teacher is passionate and his/her face literally lights up from within when asked about teaching. Second, all are extremely well-spoken and communicate their visions effectively. I am sure few students leave their classes confused. All of the teachers are also constantly scribbling ideas they hear from other teachers. Quality teachers know our best ideas are triggered from our collaboration with others.

Karen Christenson Teff, a new Milken Educator from Minnesota, told me on Tuesday that she attacks everything in her life with the attitude that she will succeed. She said she can't even imagine not doing her very best. That statement sums up the attitude of the teachers at the Conference. This inability to conceive failure is the internal spark that causes quality teachers to continually improve and to believe that their students can learn and grow. Little is said between the teachers about pay or bonuses—not that this is not an important portion—but for us, teaching is really about the students. We are all intrigued and eagerly awaiting all of the new connections we will make.

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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By John Snyder, 1992 Nevada Milken Educator

Following Wednesday's discussion of the private sector's role in enhancing teacher quality, a panel of educators discussed the role of the education sector in doing the same.  Lew Solmon, president of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, provided a brief history of the efforts that have been made to improve education in the past few decades.  He then asked each of the panelists to give his or her perspective.

Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, Ohio State Superintendent of Public Instruction, observed that it is often a counter-intuitive effort.  She gave a few specifics:

• Instructional management system: what do we want our educators to be able to do?
• Fiscal policies:  are resources being used effectively?
• Overall picture:  how can we compare strengths and weaknesses of very different schools that may be just around the corner from each other?

Paul Vallas, chief executive officer of the School District of Philadelphia, pointed out that his city is a genuine challenge. And yet despite insufficient funding and academically struggling students, scores and retention rates have been improving. The school system has turned around, he said.  They now have more applicants than they can accept.  They subsidize extra help in the classroom by providing internships for students from eight local colleges—and not just education students.  When these students get into classrooms and see what can be accomplished, quite often the school will win another future teacher.

They've tried physical changes—going to smaller schools, charter schools, and other variations.  They have insisted that high school Advanced Placement courses be data-driven.  And they instituted year-round professional development, first during school, then during the summer.  That approach, he said, institutionalizes quality instruction.

Gary Stark, vice president of program development for the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, stated that first we need to deal with teacher management, and outlined again the four elements of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP).

The TAP team that goes into the schools to help get things rolling are support members sent to work with the teachers.  TAP is not, he said, "just a shake-n-bake solution" mailed to the school, after which we cut them loose.  We work with them every step of the way.  We have 125+ schools, and we're in fifteen states now.

Putting on his teacher/principal hat, he suggested that TAP should start with the leadership role.  A good principal helps the new teachers get into the new orientation.  Great teachers will be attracted and retained by this approach.

Tom Carroll, president of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, reported that his organization decided to understand why we're not getting to where No Child Left Behind wants us to get to.  What they found was that we not paying enough attention to the structure.

We don't have a teacher supply problem, he said.  We have a teacher retention problem.  The teacher dropout rate is higher than the student dropout rate.  When asked, those leaving the profession complained of no preparation for the task at hand, and no support when they started the job.  Another common observation was that "I don't see a rewarding career path in front of me."

New teachers are no longer willing to teach in factory-era conditions.  We used to have TV heroes, he said.  Now we have TV teams.  Instead of Dr. Kildare, we have ER.  Instead of Perry Mason, we have The Practice.  We should be moving from stand-alone teaching to team concepts.  It is morally irresponsible to have a high-powered teacher in one room and a poor teacher just down the hall.  We've got to build a team.

Joan Baratz-Snowden, director of educational issues for the American Federation of Teachers,  took umbrage at ad hominem criticisms of teacher unions.  She asserted that there's plenty of blame to go around.  Working people have always understood the importance of education, adding that she wasn't talking about teacher unions alone, but all unions.

Teacher unions, she said, can be powerful agents of change.  If they were as powerful as they are said to be, however, we'd have a lot better schools.  Unions advocate for policies that support teachers and teacher unions, and they do a lot of professional development.

Lew Solmon asked the panel members if they thought National Board Certification process was constructed primarily to produce great teachers or to identify great teachers?

Thomas Carroll said the initial purpose was to identify accomplished teachers, but that it has actually become a means of developing stronger teachers through the reflective process of certification.  By the way, he added, we need to stop calling them "hard-to-staff" schools; they're just bad places to work.  And, he said, we need to train teachers how to teach under new conditions.

Joan Baratz-Snowden agreed, saying that money alone is not going to move talented teachers to difficult schools.  Safety is also a big issue, and geography is a problem. Finally, she said, we've got to remember that it's not the kids that are repelling potential teachers—it's the working conditions.

Other panel members offered suggestions for improving school conditions.

Vallas: I would not have not had the success I have had, had it not been for collaboration with the teacher unions. We've also got to upgrade our approach and our methods to deal with current problems and prospects.  We've not only got to recruit teachers who might be willing to spend two or three decades, but also great prospects who might be able to spend five or six years and give them the support they need.

Zelman:  Teach For America is providing an apprentice model.  Generation X students have a very different view of the world and of their careers than we did.

Snowden:  It's a democracy.  The teachers vote to have the TAP model come in.  Many times the teachers are really open to learning.

Carroll:  What we're hearing is that the preparation is critical to the survival of the new teachers.  They must learn, for instance, to collaborate.

At that point, we were running dangerously close to the time when the buses were scheduled to pick us up to take us to the Congressional Reception at the Hart Senate Office Building, so the panel adjourned and the Milken Educators headed for the buses.

For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org.

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