The Council of Chief State School Officers representatives of a dozen major education organizations, state departments and local districts to share stories about their most successful efforts and how they plan to maintain the programs that yielded the best outcomes as budgets tighten. 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Beth Hawkins moderated one of the sessions, which showcased one district鈥檚 decision to collect data on what was working.

Organizers have released videos of the panels, focusing on innovative efforts at the state, district and school levels. In one, North Carolina officials to create an office of learning recovery within the state Department of Public Instruction, which will conduct research to help legislators make data-informed decisions about K-12 policy. The state also built a 鈥渇unding cliff dashboard鈥� for school systems to use as they confront the end of the federal aid.

Attendees also heard from a who slashed student office referrals to one third of pre-pandemic rates by gathering detailed, personal information on young people’s well-being and changing expectations for how staff spend their time. Teachers and administrators now join students for an extended lunch period, for example, and school leaders frequently ask students about everything from stress to thoughts of suicide, instead of relying on teacher referrals to support staff.

On Hawkins鈥檚 panel,  Adam Kunz, assistant superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools, and Indianapolis Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Andrew Strope delved into how their districts with 鈥�right-sizing鈥� efforts despite an infusion of cash that they could have used to forestall painful decisions. Instead, both school systems spent their federal funds on the recovery efforts that showed the strongest returns on investment.

In addition to fixing longstanding inequities in how special education and gifted and talented services are provided, Indianapolis invested in a high-dosage tutoring effort credited with reducing lost ground in math and reading to a third of losses in similar districts. 

St. Paul鈥檚 presentation described the district鈥檚 decision to plan for the end of federal funding even before the money arrived and showcased a novel high school credit recovery effort that has yielded major gains in student engagement and graduation readiness.

Here are videos of the other sessions on the program:

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt and state Sen. Michael Lee talk with CCSSO CEO Carissa Moffat Miller about their state鈥檚 creation of a research hub to collect data on effective recovery efforts that lawmakers can tap when deciding education policy priorities. 

Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals鈥� 2023 Middle School Principal of the Year Suzan Harris and eighth-grader Carter Glover describe dramatic improvements in their Jackson school鈥檚 disciplinary climate and ability to support student mental health.

CCSSO鈥檚 2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson talks to educator Jo-Anne Smith of Waterbury, Vermont, about her role as a kindergarten intervention specialist at Brookside Primary School.

Roberto Rodriguez, assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development with the U.S. Department of Education, talks with Council of the Great City Schools Executive Director Ray Hart about opportunities to continue the most effective ESSER investments.聽

But when she saw that her K-8 school district in rural Appalachia was quietly becoming a refuge for families from Mexico, Central America and Asia, she shifted gears and became an English as a second language teacher, pushing to smooth her students鈥� 鈥� and their families鈥� 鈥� transition to life in the U.S.

Her students鈥� English acquisition is key because many become their family鈥檚 translators, not just in school but elsewhere. 鈥淪o their exposure to the language and their learning the language actually opens up doors and possibilities for their families,鈥� she said in an interview.

Testerman on Wednesday was named the by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

As Teacher of the Year, she鈥檒l spend a year traveling the U.S. as an ambassador to the teaching profession, telling The74 that she鈥檒l urge other teachers to become advocates for their students 鈥� and for their fellow educators.

Testerman was selected from a field of three other finalists for the award: Alaska鈥檚 Catherine Walker, a high school science and career and technical education teacher; Georgia鈥檚 Christy Todd, a middle school music technology teacher; and New Jersey鈥檚 Joe Nappi, a high school history teacher who writes a blog on teaching about the Holocaust.鈥�  

All of the finalists, as well as the other state-level teachers of the year, on Wednesday learned from First Lady Jill Biden that when they visit the White House later this year, as is customary, they’ll also be the guests of honor at a , the first time that diplomatic nicety will be reserved for a group of educators, the Associated Press reported. Typically state dinners are used to woo foreign heads of state. 

Testerman, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education and a Master of Arts in reading education from East Tennessee State University, teaches in , a K-8 school in a small farming town of about 4,500, located 250 miles east of Nashville. And she serves as the Rogersville district’s ESL specialist and ESL program director. She also coordinates the system鈥檚 summer programs and is a mentor teacher and member of the teacher leadership team.

She鈥檚 not the first ESL teacher to capture the top-teacher honor 鈥� in 2004, it went to Rhode Island鈥檚 , who designed the ESL program for the North Kingstown, R.I., school district. And in 2018, the recipient was , a Washington state ELA teacher who worked at a 鈥渘ewcomer school鈥� for new immigrants. Other recipients have also worked with English language learners, even if the designation wasn鈥檛 in their formal title.

Here are five things to know about Testerman:

1. She has taught her entire career in a single school in rural east Tennessee.

The 53-year-old Testerman is a lifelong teacher, having put in 33 years in the classroom, all of it Rogersville. 

鈥淚t’s a beautiful place,鈥� she said in an interview. 鈥淚t looks like it’s a Hallmark postcard.鈥�

She admits that her long career is 鈥渒ind of unusual 鈥� teachers, as you know, tend to leave the field as soon as they’re able to do so. But I still find a lot of joy in teaching, and I feel like I’m as energized to keep teaching as I was years ago.鈥�

2. Before working in ESL, she had a long career as a classroom teacher. 

Testerman spent most of her career, about 30 years, working as a first- and second-grade teacher before enrolling in Tennessee鈥檚 program and adding an English as a second language (ESL) endorsement to her resume. She has said she wanted to ensure that immigrant students and families in Rogersville had an advocate. 

鈥淚 try to make sure that my children and their families are assimilated here, that they鈥檙e participating in sports and everything, because if they assimilate, people will accept them more easily,鈥� Testerman told when she was named a finalist.

3. While Rogersville is isolated and rural, her students are from all over the world.

Testerman has a full-time case load of 21 students, a mix of Spanish, Arabic and Chinese speakers, as well as a few who speak Gujarati, a language from the western Indian state of Gujarat. It accounts for a of Indian immigrants to the U.S. 

鈥淚t’s a pretty interesting breakup of situations and languages,鈥� she said. 

Her students are divided between first-generation Americans born here to immigrant parents, and newcomers 鈥� many of whom have arrived in the U.S. 鈥渨ithin the past year or so,鈥� she said.

Testerman said her students occasionally face 鈥渟ome unpleasant situations鈥� around discrimination in the mostly white community of Rogersville, 鈥渂ut that’s basically the rarity. My school has embraced them, has embraced their families. I think that I have the luxury of being in the role to kind of be the ambassador, to make that happen.鈥�

She said most people in the area also embrace the newcomer families once they get to know them 鈥渂ecause they see that they’re just like every other family. They love their students. They want them to do well and achieve so that they can create a good future for themselves.鈥�

In her application for the award, Testerman wrote, 鈥淪imple gestures such as sitting with my students鈥� families at high school graduation or a school play goes a long way in helping them find acceptance in our rural area, since I have belonged to this community for decades and others trust my lead.鈥�

Former student Nadeen Aglan told AP that Testerman goes out of her way to develop close ties with the families of her students. 鈥淗er kindness shows. Her compassion is really deep.鈥�

4. She wants teachers to realize their own power 鈥� and fight for change.

Testerman said she is looking forward to advocating for teachers over the next year.

鈥淭here are 3.5 million dedicated teachers all over this country who invest time, energy and love into helping our students create the best possible future for themselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I want to empower teachers by getting them to understand that they are their best advocates and their students’ best advocates. Teachers are the experts.鈥�

Testerman said many times teachers must abide by policies that are 鈥渘ot made by people who spend a lot of time in classrooms. 鈥淚t’s time for teachers to let their voices be heard.鈥�

She wants teachers to advocate for students not just in their school building but, if needed, in their state legislature 鈥渨hen there is either an implemented policy or a suggested policy that you know is just not what’s best for kids.鈥�  

5. She plans to return to the classroom after her year away.

National Teacher of the Year winners often leverage the honor to pursue big dreams outside of the classroom, including and . , the 2016 honoree, is now a member of Congress representing Connecticut. 

Testerman on Wednesday said her plan after her year away from the classroom is to return. 鈥淚 still find so much joy in teaching,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can’t honestly imagine my life without being a teacher.鈥� That may change, she said, but at the moment she plans to return to the classroom.

Watching a child acquire another language is 鈥渁n amazing, magical transformation,鈥� Testerman . 鈥淭here鈥檚 a level of excitement in a learner when they realize they are able to understand the language they are hearing around them.鈥� 

But on Wednesday, the Swedish immigrant was named National Teacher of the Year 鈥� a recognition of the tight bonds she鈥檚 formed over 11 years with students and her efforts to bring teachers鈥� inspiring stories to the forefront.

鈥淚 hope that my story 鈥� it being so very difficult and wondering if this was the right thing 鈥� resonates with other teachers,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just want my message to be lifting up the profession.鈥�

Peterson, who teaches algebra, AP Calculus and other math courses at Union High School in Tulsa, was one of five state-level winners chosen as finalists by the Council of Chief State School Officers, which sponsors the program. As the national winner, Peterson will devote the next year to highlighting other teachers鈥� stories. That shouldn鈥檛 be a stretch for Petersen, who last year began , which she describes as an educator version of the popular website . Over the past year, she鈥檚 visited teachers in 40 of 77 Oklahoma counties and posted their stories on social media.聽

鈥淚 want to create a space for teacher voices and elevate their joys and their struggles,鈥� she said.

Her message is a counterpoint to what some Oklahoma teachers have heard from their state leaders in recent years. In 2021, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed limiting class discussions of race and gender.  And Superintendent Ryan Walters has pushed to have over violations.

But on Wednesday, Walters had nothing but praise for Peterson.

鈥淪he has inspired our children in the classroom and lifted up other teachers鈥� potential across our state,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淥klahoma is lucky to have her, and we are happy to share her talents with teachers and students across the country.鈥�

Peterson declined to address whether her efforts to celebrate teachers grew out of recent controversies.

The daughter of medical missionaries, with a Swedish mother and Iranian father, Peterson lived in four countries before settling in the U.S. About six years ago, she began sharing her experience as a sometimes lonely immigrant as a springboard to connect with her students. Some of them write her letters sharing their stories, but most accept her invitation to meet one-on-one. 

Daniel Flores, a senior who had Peterson for AP Calculus in 11th grade, said that beginning-of-the-year meeting set a positive tone for the rest of his junior year. 

鈥淎s a passionate learner, there is nothing greater than connecting with an equally passionate educator,鈥� he said.

After her rocky start  teaching high school math, Peterson became one of five administrators of the blog, where teachers post reflections from their day. The blog, she said, is the reason she stuck with teaching.

鈥淚鈥檝e trained my brain,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a mindframe where I see good that happens in the classroom that others might not see.鈥�

Memorable moments for her have included watching two students who usually don鈥檛 get along help each other in class, or a student who usually says he鈥檚 鈥渘ot a math person鈥� say something positive about what he鈥檚 learned.

post was about a gift she received from a student who she said 鈥渃hecked every single box of trauma.鈥� When his mother died, he had to move in with his alcoholic father. But he graduated second in his class and is a talented viola player who worked at a local music store to pay for his instrument.

He told Peterson he wanted to show her his appreciation, but couldn鈥檛 afford to buy her anything. Instead, he offered to play her favorite song 鈥� 鈥� on his viola. The moving ballad includes the lyrics, 鈥淏ecause I knew you, I have been changed for good.鈥�

That line, she said, is central to her teaching philosophy.

鈥淚 hope that the way I love my students is so deep and true,鈥� she said, 鈥渢hat it changes the way that they love and view themselves.鈥�

Children with special needs are among those whose learning has suffered the most because of the pandemic. But that鈥檚 not what Juliana Urtubey sees when she looks at her students at Booker Elementary in Las Vegas.

鈥淥ur brains work in slightly different ways. Our job is to find all of our students鈥� strengths,鈥� she said about special education teachers. That perspective, she said, has given her an advantage over the past year. 鈥淚 was mining for students鈥� strengths.鈥�

On Thursday, the Council of Chief State School Officers named Urtubey the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. Surprised with flowers from First lady Jill Biden, Urtubey is the third special educator to receive the honor. Advocates said having a special education teacher as spokeswoman for the field over the next year could help as they push for an increase in federal funding for children with disabilities. But Urtubey said her focus will be much broader. Her message is that all students deserve a 鈥渏oyous and just鈥� education in schools where they feel a 鈥渄eep sense of belonging.鈥�

That starts, she said, by incorporating children鈥檚 culture into classroom lessons and their experiences at school.

鈥淭o me, as a Latina, our public institutions can鈥檛 separate our students from their families,鈥� said Urtubey, who moved with her parents to the U.S. from Colombia and was trained as a bilingual teacher in Arizona when the state passed a law requiring English-only instruction. 鈥淚 think about the tremendous loss of language and culture in this country.鈥�

At Crestwood Elementary, where she worked before Booker, she helped that became an outdoor classroom for the school and another way to make immigrant families feel welcome.

Ciara Byrne, founder and CEO of Green Our Planet 鈥� which works with schools to teach science, technology, engineering and math through school gardening 鈥� remembers how plain and uninviting Crestwood looked in 2014 when she first talked with Urtubey about being part of the program.

鈥淪he was just full of beans and talking about how she was going to transform it,鈥� Byrne said. 鈥淲ithin three years, there were murals all over the place.鈥�

Many were painted by mothers of the 鈥済nomies,鈥� a student garden club that meets on Friday mornings. In fact, when Byrne wants to show the nonprofit鈥檚 work off to potential sponsors, she takes them to Crestwood, which not only has several planter beds, but also butterfly, bee and pollinator gardens.

Jose Silva was assistant principal at Crestwood at the time. He took notice of Urtubey鈥檚 鈥渃aring approach鈥� and her expertise in working with special needs students. Now he鈥檚 principal at Booker, where he said her dedication to the school extends to her colleagues.

With the title of learning strategist, Urtubey coaches other classroom teachers on providing instruction for students with special needs and has served as a mentor to new teachers. But even veteran educators said they benefit from working with her.

Rosie Perez, another special educator at Booker, called Urtubey when she was working on a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. They had never met before, but Perez said she 鈥渋nstantly noticed her amiable and warm-hearted personality.鈥�

鈥淚 am in the 19th year of my teaching career and am still eager to learn,鈥� Perez said, adding that she 鈥渃ould not think of anyone better to begin this step in my career, to learn and grow along with, but Juliana.鈥�

鈥楾hrough a lot of loss鈥�

Urtubey鈥檚 positive outlook doesn鈥檛 mean the past year hasn鈥檛 been traumatic 鈥� for families and teachers. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been through a lot of loss,鈥� she told CBS This Morning host Gayle King, after she learned she was the winner.

In an interview with 蜜桃影视, she noted the past year has probably been the most difficult in her teaching career 鈥� a sentiment shared by those in the special education field nationally. An American Institutes for Research released last fall showed that 58 percent of districts have found it challenging to comply with the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act during the pandemic. And almost three-quarters said it was 鈥渕ore or substantially more difficult鈥� to accommodate students鈥� individual learning needs.

Urtubey, Nevada鈥檚 first recipient of the national award, said her emphasis on students鈥� social and emotional connections made the loss of in-person learning less disruptive. 鈥淥ur classroom community just translated over鈥� to a remote format, she said. She worked with school nutrition staff to make sure meal distribution worked for families鈥� schedules and tracked down students who moved during remote learning.

Her 鈥渞esilience is indicative of how hard special education teachers have worked this year,鈥� said Dennis Cavitt, president of Council for Exceptional Children, a membership and advocacy organization. But he added that her recognition also comes as advocates are pushing for funding to address shortages of special education teachers and a lack of diversity in the workforce. President Joe Biden has asked for a $2.6 billion increase for special education.

鈥淗aving Juliana in the spotlight this year will help carry that message forward and energize the entire education community around those goals,鈥� Cavitt said.

Urtubey said she doesn鈥檛 know if she鈥檒l return to Booker after her year on a national stage. But she鈥檚 working with Silva and Green Our Planet to create another community garden 鈥� what she described as a 鈥�10,000-square-foot outdoor oasis鈥� 鈥� and leave a lasting mark on the school.

鈥淚鈥檓 definitely going to stay connected to my Booker family,鈥� she said.

The National Teacher of the Year program is a unique fixture in America鈥檚 education landscape 鈥� an annual, highly publicized recognition of excellence in the art of teaching, complete with a national tour and a trip to the Rose Garden. One day you鈥檙e leading a tenth-grade biology seminar; the next, you鈥檙e a combination Kennedy Center honoree and a World Series winner.

The selection process continues in 2021 even in the middle of an utterly atypical school year, Nevada, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington, D.C., awaiting a final decision from the Council of Chief State School Officers, which has conferred the award since 1952. The winner will be granted access to leadership training, influential policy networks, and a platform to discuss the issues and students they care about for the next 12 months.

But where are these professional exemplars coming from? A new study examines the characteristics of Teachers of the Year over the last three decades, finding that winners disproportionately teach in schools with lower-than-average numbers of low-income kids. Both at the state and national levels, underrepresented teachers include those working with special-needs students, those who teach in elementary and middle schools, and those employed by charter schools.

Lead author Christopher Redding, a professor of educational leadership at the University of Florida, told 蜜桃影视 in an interview that little previous research focused on the selection process for Teacher of the Year. Given the rarity of education policies and institutions that place educators in leadership roles, he noted, that made it a ripe area for investigation.

鈥淲e structured the study to treat the program as something that deserves attention in and of itself,鈥� Redding said. 鈥淵ou want to have a large role for teachers to be able to advocate for the profession, and at least as the program is designed now, it’s really trying to be a vehicle to accomplish that aim. So it seems like we should be asking who is going to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of the teaching profession.鈥�

Redding and co-author Ted Myers used publicly available information to identify over 1,600 state and national Teachers of the Year 鈥� each year, the CCSSO picks finalists and an ultimate national winner from the ranks of state Teachers of the Year, who are themselves selected by their districts and state education agencies 鈥� between 1988 and 2019. Matching each winner to their respective schools, they used data from a pair of ongoing, nationwide school surveys to compare the Teachers of the Year against the wider population of American educators.

The results show that the winners, and the places they work, are disproportionately drawn from a few categories. Thirty percent of recent National Teachers of the Year have been English instructors, while 23 percent have taught social studies; those percentages are, respectively, three and four times greater than the share of those teachers in the American teaching ranks. No National Teachers of the Year have taught health, foreign languages, or career and technical education, and just one (Tabatha Rosproy, ) has been an early childhood educator.

The authors specifically cite special education staff as being overlooked; while 10 percent of teachers in their nationally representative sample worked with special-needs students, only 3 percent of state-level Teachers of the Year did. Given the pronounced differences in training, credentialing, and work responsibilities between those working in the field versus their peers in general education classrooms, the authors argue, it is reasonable to ask whether their professional concerns will find a voice in the program鈥檚 advocacy efforts.

Schools where winners worked tended to be much bigger than other schools in their state, enrolling 415 more students on average. That鈥檚 explained somewhat by the fact that Teachers of the Year are generally more likely to come from high schools 鈥� some 46 percent of all winners, compared with 20 percent of teachers nationwide. And while charter schools were underrepresented by about three percentage points among those producing Teachers of the Year, magnet schools were slightly overrepresented.

Most strikingly, schools where Teachers of the Year were selected also enrolled 8.4 percent fewer low-income students (those eligible for free and reduced-price lunch) than other schools in their state and award year. In 26 years out of 32 studied, award recipients also worked in schools with smaller shares of minority students than the state average, though the disparity in that instance was narrower (1.7 percentage points).

It鈥檚 unclear what factors might explain the trends in selection. The weight of research evidence indicates that top-performing teachers are in comparatively affluent schools and districts, while schools that disproportionately enroll more low-income and non-white students tend to hire younger staff with much less classroom experience. Whatever the cause, in Redding鈥檚 view, that demographic mismatch raises the question of whether the Teacher of the Year program 鈥� one of only a few elevating the voices of school employees, and by far the most prominent 鈥� can fully represent the views of most teachers.

“What stands out the most is that it does really seem like teachers from high-poverty schools are less likely to be selected,鈥� he noted. 鈥淚f that shapes the issues that are being [raised], it underrepresents the ones that might be of most concern to teachers working in high-poverty schools.鈥�

Over the last few years, National Teachers of the Year have increasingly found themselves either willing or reluctant participants in the national conversation around education politics. When Boston charter school teacher Sydney Chaffee received the award in 2017, members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association voted down a motion to offer her congratulations even though she was the state鈥檚 first national winner. More recently, 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson Donald Trump after the president declined to attend his award ceremony in person. He has for tweeting out a joke calling for violence against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConell.

But the most famous example is that of 2016 winner Jahana Hayes, who used her year of notoriety to begin a political career that has now taken her to Congress.

Sarah Brown Wessling, the interim director of the National Teacher of the Year program (and herself the 2010 National Teacher of the Year), told 蜜桃影视 via email that the Council of Chief State School Officers was 鈥渃onstantly striving to improve the program and our supports to teachers.鈥�

鈥淐CSSO is proud of state efforts to diversify the selection of State Teachers of the Year, and of the national Selection Committee鈥檚 attention to selecting finalists and National Teachers of the Year who can represent teachers and students across the country. Recent National Teachers of the Year have taught in a variety of settings representative of America鈥檚 schools and students, from preschoolers in a small town to immigrant and refugee high school students in larger cities.鈥�

Juliana Urtubey 鈥� pre-K-to-5 special education teacher from the Clark County School District in Nevada 鈥� is the National Teacher of the Year, the Council of Chief State School Officers today on CBS This Morning.

First lady Jill Biden surprised Urtubey at Booker Elementary School to make the announcement.

Urtubey works with classroom teachers to improve instruction for students with special needs.聽

鈥淚 get to be part of a whole new world with so many students,鈥� she told host Gayle King about her love for teaching, adding that her students 鈥渉ave made that same kind of impact on my life.鈥�

John Arthur, Utah鈥檚 Teacher of the Year, recently received a visit from a former student at Meadowlark Elementary School in Salt Lake City. Addressing him as 鈥淐aptain鈥� 鈥� the nickname students gave him based on a manga character 鈥� the eighth grader didn鈥檛 mince words.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 it like being the teacher of the worst year ever?鈥� he asked.

Arthur emphasized the positive. He worked on becoming more dynamic, using song, dance and stories to maintain his students鈥� interest during the long, lonely days of Zoom. And on Wednesdays, he and a few students jump in his car after school to deliver math and science materials and meals to the doorsteps of students learning from home.

鈥淚 got into this out of a love of teaching,鈥� said Arthur, whose parents wanted him to become a doctor. 鈥淚 believe in public service, and never will that service mean more than it does this year.鈥�

Arthur 鈥� along with Alejandro Diasgranados of the District of Columbia, Maureen Stover of North Carolina and Juliana Urtubey of Nevada 鈥� are candidates for National Teacher of the Year, which the Council of Chief State School Officers is expected to announce this week. In their own way, each would likely echo Arthur鈥檚 sentiment: Even the best educators had to learn new skills this past year to connect with students.

鈥淲e are welcomed guests in families鈥� homes. We got to peek in and see what it looks like,鈥� said Urtubey, a pre-K-5 special education teacher who supports 10 classrooms at Booker Elementary School in the Clark County School District, which includes Las Vegas.

She watched a mother, father, grandmother and cousin take turns helping a student with autism during distance learning so the responsibility wouldn鈥檛 fall on one family member, and witnessed other parents upend their work schedules to stay home with their children.

鈥淣ot a day goes by that a teacher doesn鈥檛 tell me something awesome their families did,鈥� Urtubey said.

She was trained as a bilingual teacher in Arizona 鈥� just as the state implemented Proposition 203, requiring English as the only language of instruction.She gravitated to special education because of a provision in the law allowing students with disabilities to receive bilingual services.

One day, she had an 鈥渁ha鈥� moment about the potential of all students to learn: She caught a fifth grader, who couldn鈥檛 read at a kindergarten level, 鈥渞unning a business out of his backpack.鈥� He sold pencils, erasers and snacks, keeping a balance sheet to track revenues and expenses.

鈥淗e planted a seed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥極K, let鈥檚 figure out a way to use this for academic intervention.鈥欌��

Unlocking the magic

At Cumberland International Early College High School, located on the campus of Fayetteville State University, a lot of Stover鈥檚 students enter ninth grade needing intervention. The state鈥檚 early college high schools target students from underrepresented minority groups in line to be the first in their families to attend college.

The students who thrive in the model are 鈥渕otivated, but behind,鈥� Stover said. 鈥淭here is magic in them that we can unlock.鈥�

A former intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force who served in the Middle East, Stover teaches biology, environmental science and a class that prepares students for college. When her students transitioned to distance learning, the casual interactions she shared with them in the classroom and eating lunch together in the student union stopped.

Over Zoom, many clammed up. She encouraged them to bring their pets on screen and gave them a virtual tour of the raised beds in her backyard, using the outdoors to spark conversation and teach a lesson on photosynthesis.

One outcome of remote learning, she said, is that students have learned some 鈥渄igital citizenship,鈥� such as not showing their house number on social media and recognizing that a classmate鈥檚 joke in the chat field can sometimes be taken the wrong way.

They鈥檝e collaborated on projects remotely through videos and documents. For years, educators would talk about 21st century skills, but 鈥渋t always felt really forced,鈥� Stover said. 鈥淣ow my kids have those skills.鈥�

鈥楾heir voice can make change鈥�

In northeast D.C., Diasgranados鈥檚 fourth and fifth graders at Aiton Elementary School have sharpened advocacy skills they鈥檝e been learning since second grade when he began moving with them from one grade to the next.

A letter from the students explaining that many lacked devices for remote learning caught the attention of a producer for The Drew Barrymore Show on CBS. In October, Barrymore featured Diasgranados as a guest and for every student and staff member.

In past years, his students have written to the Washington Football Team, explaining how unwashed clothes contribute to chronic absenteeism. The $10,000 for a school laundry. And when Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly faced racist taunts at a game in Chicago, the students wrote him letters of support. Smith-Pelly visited the school and donated coats to the students.

鈥淢y students are activists,鈥� Diasgranados said. 鈥淭hey really understand their writing and their voice can make change.鈥�

Unlike most teachers this school year, Diasgranados didn鈥檛 have to form new relationships with students he鈥檚 never taught before. He already had numbers for grandparents, aunts and uncles he called when he couldn鈥檛 find students during the early months of the pandemic.

But teaching remotely in one of D.C.鈥檚 poorest neighborhoods 鈥� even with the laptop donation 鈥� was no less challenging. As children of essential workers, a lot of his students have had to connect to school from their parents鈥� jobs or a city bus.

Aiton was holding a talent show March 13 last year when texts about school shutting down began pouring in. Diasgranados started to get emotional and gave more hugs and took more selfies than normal.

鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 really understand what was going on,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 remember telling them to take as many books home as they could.鈥�

Lead Art: Alejandro Diasgranados, Juliana Urtubey, John Arthur and Maureen Stover. (Council of Chief State School Officers)