Another Mansfield City Schools teacher has achieved Master Teacher designation, as defined by the State of Ohio, while two others have successfully renewed their Master Teacher status.
Kevin Stone, co-chair of the district’s Master Committee, said Dawn Williams of Woodland Elementary School has earned her Master Teacher designation. Kathryn Laser of Malabar Intermediate and Kathleen Kranch of Sherman Elementary have achieved renewals.
The district now has 11 Master Teachers and two renewals, Stone said. “A Master Teacher, as defined by the State of Ohio, is a teacher who ‘demonstrates excellence inside and outside of the classroom through consistent leadership and focused collaboration to maximize student learning. A master teacher strives for distinguished teaching and continued professional growth as specified by the Standards for Ohio Teachers,’” Stone said.
Williams, Laser and Kranch began the process last fall by preparing portfolios which included writing and evidence documenting five main domains as they relate to their teaching and professional development. The five domains include:
— Consistent leadership
— Distinguished teaching: Focus on collaboration and communication
— Distinguished teaching: Focus on students and environment
— Distinguished teaching: Focus on content, instruction and assessment
— Continued professional growth
Stone said the Master Teacher Committee provided individual and group support during the winter and spring months. “Portfolios were due in May and were scored by the committee,” he said. “Candidates had to score exemplary in four out of five sections to qualify. Candidates report spending approximately 30 to 40 hours completing this process and data collected could go back five years.”
Stone said Master Teacher status is especially important in regard to Ohio’s new licensure process. “A Master Teacher may now move up to a Senior Teacher license,” he said. “A Master Teacher taking three college classes may move u to the Lead Teacher license. The Lead Teacher license will be very important to have for those teachers wishing to serve in leadership positions. The Master Teacher designation is active for five years. “We are very proud of this year’s successful candidates.”
Information about the 2018-2019 Master Teacher program will be updated on the district website over the summer.
“The Master Teacher Committee knows that we have many, many more teachers in the Mansfield City district who will qualify as a Master Teacher,” Stone said. “We are counting on many more teachers to sign up to go through this process next school year.”
Source: Mansfield City Schools
