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| Simi Educators Association President Dayle Gillick (left); prior president and BTSA County Coordinator Peggy Noisetta |
A little BTSA went a long way, when the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program developed by the Simi Educators Association (SEA) and the Simi Valley Unified School District was selected as one of six distinguished winners nationwide in the 2008 NEA-Saturn/United Auto Workers (UAW) Partnership Awards for New Teacher Induction Programs.
A panel of six judges — representing the NEA Executive Committee, Saturn/UAW, previous union and administration partnership winners, and the academic induction community — considered a number of worthy projects. In the end, they selected winners that demonstrated a strong union-management partnership and an outstanding induction program to assist new teachers in their education careers. Simi educators were the only group awarded from California.
The award was presented to SEA members at the NEA Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C., at a celebratory reception and dinner, and winners made a brief presentation of their mentoring programs and partnerships. Winners also receive a visit to General Motors and UAW in Michigan this fall.
Accepting the award were current SEA President Dayle Gillick, former President Peggy Noisetta, and former teacher and current administrator Laurie Rangel.
One-fourth of the district’s 21,000 students are English learners — presenting challenges for experienced teachers and novices alike. Thanks to a strong partnership between teachers and district administrators, a dynamic professional development program that blends pedagogy and performance was designed to encourage teacher retention and student achievement.
“It was not only an honor, but validated the hard work and collaboration that association and district were able to establish and have on an ongoing basis,” said Gillick.
Sherry Posnick-Goodwin
