Photos by Scott Buschman

“In three words or less, what must organisms do to survive?”

Students call out answers, such as eating, breathing and
reproducing.

“Organisms must evolve, adapt and function,”
states biology teacher Becky McKinney.

The same could be said of science at San Pasqual High
School: It has evolved, adapted to the Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS), and functions well, thanks to the leadership and hard work of this
Escondido Secondary Teachers Association member and her team.

The AP biology and physics teacher, curriculum creator, and
professional development coach helped to radically change science on campus.
She earned two awards from Escondido Secondary School District — a Lighthouse
Award for innovation in 2018 and Teacher of the Year in 2019. She was also
named 2018 Outstanding Engineering Educator by the International Council on
Systems Engineering for incorporating engineering principles into lessons.

McKinney also mentors new teachers and supports veteran
teachers — and was the school’s Dancing With the Teachers champion for a
fundraiser.

She’s not your typical educator. She wears combat boots and
says “y’all” and “howdy.” She flies around the classroom offering real-world
examples of science and rarely uses a textbook. An administrator once observed
her frenetic teaching style and asked later, “Are you always like this?”

“I said, ‘Yep, that’s me,’” McKinney recalls. “I want
science to inspire my students to look at the world with wonder, and I’ll do
whatever it takes. If I have to stand on a table and dance, tell a silly joke
or create a funny meme, I’ll do that. I’m not afraid to be me.”

Colleagues say McKinney has transformed science by
empowering students to take a problem-solving approach that’s exciting and fun,
via questioning and collaborating.

For example, during a lesson on homeostasis, students put
thermometers in water beakers, and were told to keep the temperature and water
level constant for 10 minutes only by adding water. The group activity led to a
lively discussion on how humans must sometimes intervene to maintain their
body’s equilibrium.

“She relates real-life situations to science, showing us
biology is everywhere, instead of just in a textbook,” says senior Kimberly
Najera.

McKinney’s mission has led to higher student achievement,
better instruction, more teacher collaboration and increased teacher
leadership, according to her Teacher of the Year Award bio.

Fifteen years ago, she was a forensic scientist with the
police department in Fort Worth, Texas, doing CSI-style work. After moving to
California, she needed a job and was hired on an emergency permit to teach
science in Palmdale, later earning her credential.

“I grew up in Texas where you did your homework, respected
your elders, and dinner was on the table every night,” she says. “But here,
students didn’t turn in homework, had to take care of siblings, and sat down to
dinner whenever they made it. I wasn’t prepared for that. I realized it wasn’t
about science anymore; it was about fostering relationships with students so
they could learn science along the way.”

Our 2019-2020 Innovation Issue

Becky McKinney is one of the innovative educators we highlight this year. Meet the rest:

• Jennifer Barry guides Special Ed students in work and life skills
• Sherinda Bryant teaches English through a social justice lens
• James Gensaw helps Native American youth connect to their culture
• Somphane Hunter creates community in the kitchen
• Daniel & Dennis Gibbs set a STEM career path for students
• Juan Padilla‘s big idea brings science opportunity to all kids
• Jorge Perez creates an oasis of scientific excellence at community college

She facilitated numerous conversations and meetings for a districtwide committee whose members rewrote physics curriculum in 2015 and then rewrote chemistry, biology and Earth science curriculum throughout 2016-18. There were few examples to follow, and the NGSS had not been finalized by the state, but that didn’t stop McKinney and her colleagues. She became a teacher on special assignment in 2016, co-creating a “Summer Science Institute” for educators implementing NGSS, and has since returned to the classroom full time, which is where her heart is.

McKinney leads professional learning communities schoolwide
for teachers of all disciplines, because she believes all teachers can learn
from one another. Cross-curricular collaboration has brought staff closer
together.

Her new project is working with colleagues to create
NGSS-aligned grades and assessments that embrace equity. McKinney presented on
the topic at the California Science Teachers Association’s conference in
October.

“The work we are doing now geeks me out,” she says
excitedly. “We’re not treading water, we’re jumping right in and being leaders
in what NGSS assessments and grades should look like, throughout California.
I’m super pumped about the great things we will accomplish.”

To read more about McKinney’s ideas on NGSS implementation, visit sites.google.com/euhsd.org/science-in-escondido/home and bmckinney-ngss.blogspot.com.