In a pulse survey conducted by
Expect More Arizona in the spring of 2009, Arizona high school students reported that teachers are the second most influential people in their lives when it comes to education.
Studies also show that high quality teachers can increase student achievement, attitudes and graduation rates.
The Arizona K-12 Center, a partner of Expect More Arizona, is working to increase the quality of teaching instruction across Arizona through ongoing training, development and Master Teacher Certification.
The Center’s programs and curriculum are based on proven research and best practices as well as student and teacher needs.
The Center also ensures that it is based on the Arizona Academic Standards for Students and the Arizona Professional Teaching Standards for teachers.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that Arizona students are getting the best instruction possible by providing training and resources to teachers throughout the state.
Through the Arizona K-12 Center’s Master Teacher program, the organization is challenging educators to expect more of themselves and their performance in the classroom.
The program is unique and innovative and helps younger, newer teachers learn best practices from their more experienced colleagues.
The program places accomplished teachers into leadership roles in schools as mentors for their peers. Teachers with at least five years of experience, strong evaluations, and demonstrated student achievement and growth can apply to become Master Teachers.
They will then be trained to become mentors and help guide new teachers with less than two years experience toward greater effectiveness while retaining them not only in the profession but in the school they teach.
Arizona’s goal is to place a Master Teacher in every school in the state, beginning with those schools most in need.
Currently the program is in schools that have a low-income population, high teacher turnover or are labeled underperforming.
There is no question that good teachers inspire good students and ultimately student success.
Teachers not only instill a love of learning in their students but also help to shape our children intellectually.
The Master Teacher program is an example of teachers who are raising the bar in order to ensure that their students are getting the best academic instruction possible.
To learn more about what's happening in education and how teachers are expecting more, please visit
ExpectMoreArizona.org.
Expect More Arizona is a public-private partnership dedicated to increasing public awareness about the importance of strengthening education in our state. The partnership has set out to create a movement of Arizonans who value education as our state's top priority AND are actively engaged in strengthening the entire continuum - from birth through career.
Expect More Arizona is a sponsor of Sonoran Living Live.
