march/april 2013 edition of virginia teacher magazine
DESCRIPTION
March/April 2013 Edition of Virginia Teacher Magazine - Promise Partners, Higher Achievement Richmond, Project Plant It!, and more!TRANSCRIPT
A MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATORS ACROSS VIRGINIA
PROMISE PARTNERS
March-April 2013www.VirginiaTeacherOnline.com
INSIDEH I G H E RACHIEVEMENTRICHMONDPROJECTPLANT IT!
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To learn more about how you can help protect the environment, dig into ProjectPlantIt.com.
Kids love to get their hands dirty. That’s why Project Plant It! is such a success. This unique program designed by Dominion makes learning about trees fun through classroom activities and teaching materials, an interactive web site and a free tree seedling for each participating student to plant on Arbor Day. Project Plant It!—empowering children today for a greener tomorrow.
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Letter From the Editor
2
Education Center, which offerscourses for adults who are working to-ward their GED, as well as a citizen-ship curriculum and programs foradults with disabilities.
Dave Thomas’ level of success is veryunusual, especially for someone with-out a high school diploma. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,the average dropout can expect toearn an annual income of $20,241.That is over $10,000 less than the typical high school graduate and over$16,000 less than someone with abachelor’s degree. According to theDepartment of Education, dropoutsexperienced a poverty rate of 30.8while those with a bachelor’s degreehad a poverty rate of 13.5. The incar-ceration rate of dropouts is also ashocking statistic. Usually a dropoutends up exposed to socioeconomicforces that end up leading to a life ofcrime. Therefore, individuals that failto complete high school are 63 timesmore likely to end up in jail.
Dave Thomas realized his luck. Healso realized the importance of educa-tion. Completing his GED at the ageof 61 and developing The DaveThomas Education Center was his attempt to encourage students to stayin school and always strive forlifelong learning.
In this issue of Virginia Teacher you
will read about some local incentives
that are helping to increase on-time
graduation rates. Programs like
Regent University’s Promise Partners
(page 6) and organizations like
Richmond’s Higher Achievement
(page 12) have found solutions that
not only keep students in school, but
direct students toward the same goals
and the same high levels of achieve-
ment put forth by Dave Thomas. For
the same man that dropout of high
school and ended up running a multi-
million dollar restaurant business said
this:
“Get all the education you can. Who knows whatmore I could have achieved if I'd stayed in school and wentto college? The possibilities are endless when you have an education.”
Yours in Education,
Editor & Publisher
On November 15, 1969, Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s Old Fash-ioned Hamburgers restaurant inColumbus, Ohio. Today, Wendy’s isthe third-largest hamburger chain inthe world. Americans became very familiar with Dave Thomas throughhis long-running television commer-cials featuring himself. But what manypeople don’t realize is that this self-made multi-millionaire was a highschool drop-out.
Dave Thomas chose to quit school inorder to work full-time at the HobbyHouse Restaurant. As Wendy’s be-came successful and his name, faceand life story started to be well-known, Thomas worried that his success after dropping out would en-courage other kids to try to follow thesame path. So he returned to highschool and received his GED in 1993,at age 61. His graduating class votedhim “Most Likely to Succeed.” Hewent on to found the Dave Thomas
Guidance Counselors We LoveVirginia Teacher is currently looking for the best guidance counselors in Virginia to be featured in the May/June 2013cover story. Do you know a special guidance counselor thathas made a difference in the lives of the students at yourschool? Go to VirginiaTeacherOnline.com to submit his/hernomination.
MAGAZINE
4
ContributorsPublisher and Editor-in-ChiefDory Suttmiller
Production, Design and DistributionBreeger Media Group
WritersBrandy CentolanzaPaulin CheathmanBud Livers, PH.D.Mervyn Whighting, PH.D.
Mission StatementThe mission of Virginia Teacher Magazine is to inform and inspire educators in Virginia by providing current and relevant information on career development, educational enrichment and personal growth.
DisclaimerThe views and opinions of writers andcontributors that appear in VirginiaTeacher Magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of VirginiaTeacher Magazine’s publisher, editor, staff and affiliates. The information inVirginia Teacher Magazine is provided as a service to the readers of VirginiaTeacher Magazine for information purposesonly. Virginia Teacher Magazine is notresponsible for problems arising out ofreference to the included material.Information on a commercial product orservice does not imply an endorsement byVirginia Teacher Magazine. Reproductionwithout permission is prohibited. Allphotographs are property of and credited to Virginia Teacher Magazine, unlessotherwise noted.
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PAULIN CHEATHAMPaulin Cheatham is a Public Relations and Advertising Specialist at Dominion and serves as the spokesman for thecompany’s environmental education program, Project Plant It!.He joined Dominion in 2007 as an Associate CommunicationsSpecialist at Surry Power Station in Surry, Va. Among other responsibilities in that capacity, he coordinated educationaloutreach activities with schools in Eastern Virginia. While
at Surry, he was a Boy Scout Nuclear Science Merit Badge Counselor. Cheatham holdsa bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Virginia.
MERVYN J. WIGHTING, PH.D.Mervyn, originally from the south of England, is a full professorin Regent University’s School of Education. He holds a Ph.D.from Old Dominion University and has taught in a variety of institutions in England and in Europe. Mervyn has lived in theUnited States for the past seventeen years, where he hasworked in public and independent K-12 schools as well as inhigher education. At Regent he has taught in the EducationalLeadership and Curriculum & Instruction programs, and heconducts research into different aspects of how a sense of community impacts thelearning process. Dr. Wighting is also the chair of the university’s award-wining CareerSwitcher program that is available online throughout the Commonwealth.
BUD LIVERS, PH.D.
Bud is the Emerging Technologies Coordinator for a NavyCommand in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a Senior Faculty member at the Cambridge College Regional Center in Chesapeake, Virginia, in the M.Ed., Special Education program. He taught students with an emotional disturbance at a regional public day school, andwas an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education atChowan University in North Carolina. He headed the JailsEducation Program in Virginia Beach, Virginia, tasked with
providing special education services for incarcerated youth and young adults. Bud received his Ph.D. in Educational Planning, Policy, and Leadership, with emphasis inSpecial Education Administration from The College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Table of ContentsPromise Partners 6Regent University works in partnership with Norfolk Public Schools to help reduce the dropout rates and increase on-time graduation rates.
Partners in Education 10Dominion’s Project Plant It!: helping elementary school students learn about trees and the environment.
Making the Grade 12Higher Achievement: a rigorous afterschool and summer academic program gives youth from at-risk communities their best opportunity to succeed.
Class Reunion 16Mary-Lyons Hanks: Lafayette High School, Class of 1992
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On the cover: Regent University’s Promise Partners
leaders Teresa Habib and Ryon Flack
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Good news from the Governor’s of-
fice in Richmond – the statewide
dropout rate fell to 6.5 percent for
the class of 2012, compared with
7.2 percent for the class of 2011! Dr.
Patricia I. Wright, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, gave rightful
credit to teachers and administrators
for the improvement in graduation
rates by saying, "The statewide
improvements we celebrate today
are the result of hundreds of
individual success stories involving
teachers, administrators and other
educators who provided struggling
and sometimes troubled students
with the instruction, support and
encouragement they needed to
persevere and complete their
diploma requirements."
Many schools are going above and
beyond to help at-risk students stay
in school. However, as school
districts across Virginia struggle
with continuing budget cuts, it is
often necessary to look outside the
school system for added resources
necessary to assist with the needs
of these students.
Regent University initiated the
Promise Partners project in the fall
of 2010 when it was learned that
the dropout rate in Norfolk Public
Schools (NPS) was higher than the
national average. Already in a for-
mal partnership with NPS through a
federal Transition to Teaching grant
for Career Switchers, Regent’s
By: Mervyn J. Wighting, Ph.D.
“Without question the most surprising fact for me was that these
young men and women were extremely knowledgeable,
persistent, and capable for their age. They were rather hesitant to
start with but by the end of the school year, they were eager to
debate with us and to present new ideas.”
high school. In the high school and
one middle school students were
involved in tutoring different
groups of children to help them
with their core subjects. In the
other middle school Promise Part-
ners teamed with Students in Free
Enterprise (SIFE) to conduct
entrepreneurial project with
children in grades 7 and 8.
The SIFE (now renamed Enactus)
team has participated in one of the
middle schools. Twice a week, a
team of four used a tailored curricu-
lum to teach children the basic
principles of business and entrepre-
neurialism. Oftentimes, classes
consisted of discussion where the
children presented their entrepre-
neurial ideas and explained a strategy
related to the topic. Other sessions
involved teaching commonly held
business principles. But the main
goal was to motivate the children
to think creatively ‘outside the
box’. The SIFE team believes this
style of education not only allows
students to apply what is being
taught, but challenges them to do
so innovatively – the trademark of
all successful entrepreneurs. In the
upcoming months, the team plans
to find effective ways of taking this
School of Education was able to
secure the support of NPS’ Human
Resources director and also the
division’s Director of Secondary
Education. Promise Partners is a
university-wide initiative to help
improve the dropout rate in NPS
through tutoring, mentoring, and
through entrepreneurial projects
involving undergraduate as well as
graduate level students. The title
Promise Partners is significant: the
Regent students promise to work
with NPS children in either a men-
toring or tutoring capacity, or
leading a community project. In
return the NPS children promise
to participate and to stay involved
in school activities.
PROMISING BEGINNINGSIn school year 2010/2011 approxi-
mately 50 volunteer students from
various schools in Regent University
worked with children in two high
schools and two middle schools in
NPS. At the end of that school year
it was concluded that more success
had been achieved in the middle
schools than with children from
grades 9-12. Consequently in
2011/12 the initiative focused on
two middle schools and just one
PROMISE PARTNERS:
Helping to Lower the Dropout Rate
and get a good start in life is a huge
bonus.
Graduate student Teresa Habib, a
Career Switcher who is transition-
ing into teaching after her first ca-
reer in the United States Marine
Corps has been tutoring in Norview
for two years. In the military she
VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE |MARCH • APRIL 2013 7
“All too frequently the children who are at greatest risk of
dropping out do not have a consistently caring adult in their
personal life.
application beyond the classroom
and making it a reality by establishing
ways to start small businesses with
the children taking a supervised,
active role. Ryon Flack, an under-
graduate at Regent has been involved
throughout the entrepreneurial
project. He has found that working
with children in an urban middle
school to be pleasantly rewarding:
“Without question the most surpris-
ing fact for me was that these young
men and women were extremely
knowledgeable, persistent, and
capable for their age. They were
rather hesitant to start with but by
the end of the school year, they
were eager to debate with us and
to present new ideas.”
PROMISES KEPTIn Norview High School the focus
has been more on tutoring. Often
this is conducted on a one to one
basis, which gives teenagers in the
GED prep class the undivided
attention of a caring adult. Conse-
quently the session can result in far
more than just an improvement in
the subject area. All too frequently
the children who are at greatest risk
of dropping out do not have a con-
sistently caring adult in their per-
sonal life. So to be sitting quietly
with an adult, week after week,
who not only cares about assisting
with math but who also cares
whether the children stay in school
saw firsthand how newly entered
(and sometimes troubled) youths
were transformed into confident
young adults in a short period of
time once they realized they were
in the company of people who
truly cared about them. Teresa has
transposed this into her tutoring.
She has found her voluntary work
in the high school to be necessary
and rewarding; a commitment to
community and caring. Each week
brings a new face and a new chal-
lenge. One week could be tutoring
algebra, the next week two teens
might need to study English com-
prehension. No matter the subject,
the time spent with these at-risk
teens reinforces a basic human
need to be appreciated. Showing
up each week is how Teresa confirms
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her commitment and dedication.
Once these teens pass their GED,
they are not left to their own devices.
They are welcomed to come back
to job-hunt via the classroom com-
puter, to get help applying for college,
or even just to talk. The principal
and staff at this high school wel-
come the intervention, and Teresa
feels honored to be a part of such a
caring community. Norview’s prin-
cipal, Dr. Majorie Stealey, sums it
up succinctly:
“Volunteers in this program are
providing valuable one to one
instruction as well as modeling
for success.”
PROMISING FUTURESSo, what effect does a project like
Promise Partners have on Norfolk
Public Schools’ dropout rate? NPS
saw its dropout rate dip to 10.7
percent in 2012, compared with
15.6 percent the previous year. In
an interview with the Virginian Pilot
on October 24, 2012, NPS’ Superin-
tendent Dr. Samuel King, noted
that the division has implemented
measures of its own to tackle
dropout rates, such as employing
dedicated attendance officials,
using a comprehensive database to
identify early on the students who
are most at risk, and adding a grad-
uation coach at each high school.
As part of the same interview Dr.
King stated, "It is our aspiration that
all of our students will graduate on
time and ready to attend college or
enter the workforce.”
From Regent University’s perspec-
tive, this kind of initiative provides
an excellent opportunity for its stu-
dents to serve the local community.
Irrespective of whether they are 21
year old undergraduates or sea-
soned graduate students transition-
ing into their second career, they
all bring maturity and their life
experiences into the public school
classroom to share with at-risk
youths. Dr. Paul Bonicelli, Regent’s
Executive Vice President believes it
“gives our students the chance to
be a positive role model as well as
actively assisting children with their
school studies. We are delighted to
be able to provide an outreach such
as this and we firmly believe it will
help convince some children that it
is worth staying in school because a
caring adult from the ‘real world
outside of school’ has instilled
some confidence in them.”
Would the Promise Partners model
between a school division and a
local university work in other parts
of Virginia? The jury is still out while
sufficient data are collected to ana-
lyze and identify what the most
successful interventions might be.
The real answer may lie in a combi-
nation of any and all measures that
a school division can introduce to
convince youths – especially those
who are identified as being at risk –
that some adults really do care about
them and that with help from these
adults they can become valuable
and valued members of society.
For more information on Promise
Partners, contact Dr. Mervyn Wight-
ing at (757) 352-4321 or
Regent Undergraduate Student Ryon Flack developing a business project
Regent Career Switcher Teresa Habib tutoring one to one.
VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE | MARCH • APRIL 2013 9
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DOMINION CULTIVATESLEARNING WITH PROJECTPLANT IT!For the seventh consecutive year,
Dominion’s Project Plant It! contin-
ues to blossom with new ways to
engage Virginia’s elementary stu-
dents in learning about trees and
the environment. Along the way,
the program has earned the presti-
gious Public Awareness of Trees
award from the Arbor Day Founda-
tion, as well as receiving an award
from the Virginia Association of
Science Teachers.
In January, teachers in participating
school systems received a kit of les-
son plans, posters, stickers and
other instructional tools to help
students learn about the important
role of trees in the ecosystem. All
of the materials align with state
learning standards for math, sci-
ence, language arts and social stud-
ies. A new lesson plan for 2013
helps students understand energy
sources and uses.
The cornerstone of the program is
the distribution of a redbud tree
seedling to each participating stu-
dent on Arbor Day, which falls on
April 26 in 2013. “This beautiful
tree species is native to Virginia,
and children will enjoy caring for it
and watching it grow,” said Paulin
Cheatham, spokesman for Domin-
ion’s Project Plant It!
More than 25,000 elementary chil-
dren across the Commonwealth
10
Partners in Education
are enrolled in Project Plant It! this
year. Since 2007, Project Plant It!
has distributed more than 160,000
tree seedlings to students in seven
states. According to the Virginia
Department of Forestry, this equates
to 400 acres of new forest if all of
the tree seedlings are planted and
grow to maturity.
The website,
www.projectplantit.com, features
videos and interactive games about
trees. Students can boost their
science vocabulary about trees and
plant life cycles by playing the
following games:
Timed Jigsaw PuzzlesThese interactive brain-benders
offer three tree puzzles with in-
creasing levels of difficulty. Kids
move the pieces by dragging them
to their proper place in the tree-
shaped puzzle while fighting the
clock. Each completed puzzle will
reveal facts about the tree being
created.
Leaf Identification andMemoryChildren can improve their mem-
ory while learning about the differ-
ent types of tree leaves through a
clever matching game. Cards that
are successfully matched will dis-
play a larger image of the leaf and a
short paragraph of information
about it.
Tree ID Which tree is the tallest? Which tree
is the youngest? What type of tree
thrives in Virginia? Which tree has
leaves of three? This interactive
game of identification will use
comparative images to teach
children how to recognize each
species of trees, as well as the
developmental stages of a tree.
By: Pauline Cheatham.
VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE | MARCH • APRIL 2013 11
There are many other features onthe website that will appeal toteachers around Virginia. On the“Teacher” tab, there’s a TeacherToolbox listing all of the materialsthat can be downloaded at nocharge. And don’t miss the “Get Active!” section with almost adozen ideas to get children out ofthe classroom for a personal encounter with Mother Nature.
Project Plant It! is provided by Dominion at no cost to schools.Ifyou teach in a school system thatisn’t enrolled in Project Plant It!,visit the website to order free treeseedlings for the classroom (whilesupplies last). Be sure to “Like”Project Plant It! on Facebook tosee stories and photos of studentswho are making a difference forthe environment.everywhere. Yourfellow teachers will likely appreciateyour invitation for input. And sowill your administration, which canhelp pave the way for a successfulVLM field trip experience.
You want the best for your students– that’s why you work so hard toget them to get them out on fieldtrips. So to maximize the profitfrom your field trip to the VLM aswell as other off-site educationalinstitutions … invest the time topre-visit the museum, and developyour own “Focus Guides” for yourstudents. Your efforts will definitelypay off.
Comments from Virginia Educators
“Each year, we closely evaluate allprograms that are offered to ourstudents and Project Plant It! continues to provide high qualityinstructional materials. The science lesson plans, for example,sharpen a student’s skills in
scientific observation and analysis. Also, the lesson plans emphasize 21st century skillssuch as communicating and collaborating in teams, whilebuilding a more global awarenessabout our environment.”Dr. Jean R. YoungSupervisor of Science for Spotsylvania County PublicSchoolsSpotsylvania, VA
“Thanks to everyone at Dominionfor working on behalf of our students to provide a successfultree planting event. Many of ourstudents will walk past the treesfor years to come and carry amemory of their part in placingthem there for all to enjoy.”Anne Richardson, Primary Science Lab TeacherCora Kelly Elementary SchoolAlexandria, VA VT
“Going to Nauticus was
I went on a HUMONGOUS, real -life Battleship!
I built an underwater robot!I piloted a tugboat down the river!
I TOUCHED a living fossil! I saw an awesome movie on a HUGE screen!
On the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront
One Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510 | Nauticus.org (800) 664-1080 | [email protected]
e, Norfaterside DrivWOne v080 | reser0) 664-1(80
0 | Nauticus.org A 2351VVA 2351olk, e, [email protected]
Plant It! Lesson Plans
� Know Your Tree Terminology
� Identify the Parts of a Tree
� Identify the Parts of a Leaf
� Tree-Tac-Toe
� Trees in Our World
� Math and Fractions in the Forest
� Tree Product Scavenger Hunt
� Tree Book Report
� Planting a Tree!
� Watch It Grow!
� Understanding Energy (NEW thisyear)
HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT
In the movie Stand and Deliver,
Jaime Escalante teaches math in a
barrio high school. Through a
combination of hard work, long
days, summer sessions, exceptional
motivation and personal mentor-
ing, Escalante helps his students
pass the advanced placement cal-
culus exam. Based on a true story,
this “formula teachers movie”
shows how Escalante had to work
with administrators and parents to
help his at-risk students achieve
superior academic results.
Not just the stuff of Hollywood
screen writers, such academic
successes are demonstrated
regularly by select middle school
students enrolled in Higher
Achievement. This rigorous after-
school and summer academic
program gives youth from at-risk
communities their best opportu-
nity to succeed in middle school —
and in life. The organization has
served more than 10,000 middle
school youth in the Washington,
DC area since 1975. Since then,
Higher Achievement centers have
opened in partnership with local
school divisions in Baltimore, MD,
Pittsburgh, PA, and Richmond. VA.
One of the greatest predictors of
college or career readiness is a stu-
dent’s academic achievement in
8th grade. Accordingly, Higher
Achievement focuses on that criti-
cal window of opportunity available
during the upper elementary and
middle school years.
12
Making the Grade
Higher Achievement Richmond,
held after school and during the
summer, operates two achievement
centers serving over 120 5th and
6th graders from schools in Rich-
mond’s Northside and Southside
neighborhoods (Henderson Middle
School and Boushall Middle School).
These are both Title I schools, with
90 percent of students eligible for
free and reduced-price meals.
Ninety-two percent of the student
populations are students of color,
and 36 percent of the families live
below the poverty line.
Supported by corporations and
private donations, Richmond Public
Schools provides bus transportation
for students at no cost. Students
are selected from neighborhood
elementary schools and must commit
to full participation in the program
during their entire middle school
years. In addition to high academic
standards, students work toward
high school placement with coun-
selors who help them research
various high school options.
By: Bud Livers
Raising Students to New Heights!
This rigorous after-school and summeracademic program gives youthfrom at-risk communities theirbest opportunity tosucceed in middleschool — and in life.
Mentoring
VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE |MARCH • APRIL 2013 13
When asked if there were plans to
expand the program into Hampton
Roads area schools, Higher
Achievement Richmond Executive
Director Eleanor Rouse Kootsey
stated that the current focus is in
growing each of the two existing
centers to scale (180 students per
center). Additionally, they are look-
ing to incorporate portions of the
existing program into existing
school division initiatives, vice de-
veloping full service programs.
The Challenge of the Middle The Middle School years are partic-
ularly challenging for many stu-
dents. In addition to significant
social and emotional changes, aca-
demic expectations rise. Grades
often plummet during the transi-
tion to, and throughout the Middle
School years. Students have an in-
creased likelihood of disengaging
from family and experimenting
with unhealthy behaviors, while de-
valuing education in general.
The challenges of middle school
are exacerbated in at-risk commu-
nities, where students are more
likely to lack quality schools, quality
out-of-school-time activities, and
positive role models — and where
they are more likely to be sur-
rounded by poverty, to encounter
violence and gangs in their neigh-
borhoods and schools, and to face
significant barriers to learning.
One of the greatestpredictors of collegeor career readiness is a student’s academic achieve-ment in 8th grade.
The Rigors of HigherAchievementHigher Achievement is certainly
rigorous. From 5th through 8th
grade, Higher Achievement scholars
spend 650 hours a year learning
an advanced curriculum that is
aligned to state standards. This
commitment is in addition to at-
tending school for the standard
900 hours a year. The program
costs about $4,500 per scholar
per year.
Higher Achievement’s year-round
program combines high expecta-
tions with high support —
demanding academic work plus
mentoring, skill-building, individual
student achievement plans, and
personal encouragement. Higher
Achievement is a three-phase
program.
14
■ Afterschool Academy includes
core subjects, such as litera-
ture and mathematics, as well
as seminars, artistic electives,
field trips, and opportunities
to engage in community serv-
ice. Higher Achievement Rich-
mond afterschool program
uses 140 unpaid volunteers, 2
hours per week, Oct-May, for
25 weeks.
■ The 6-week Summer Academy
includes coursework in litera-
ture, science, mathematics, so-
cial studies, and electives, as
well as a three-day trip to a col-
lege. Summer curriculum does
give exposure to what they will
learn the following year. By
partnering with teacher educa-
tion programs at nearby
universities, student-teacher
can apply their hours here toward
their required field work.
■ The final phase of the pro-
gram provides high schoolplacement services, designed to
help scholars advance to top
academic high schools. In
addition to helping scholars
identify schools that fit their
needs, Higher Achievement
helps them prepare for place-
ment tests, practice interview
skills, complete applications,
and identify resources for fi-
nancial assistance.
The Higher Achievement program
also includes special academic
events, including spelling bees,
student readings of their own
poetry, Olympics of the Mind, and
the Green Apple awards.
Federal Reserve field trip
VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE |MARCH • APRIL 2013 15
Achievements of HigherAchievementA study led by Dr. Leigh Linden
from The University of Texas at
Austin found that Higher Achieve-
ment’s program significantly in-
creases students’ reading and math
scores. Additionally, the findings
point to an increase in students’
desire to attend competitive high
schools.
On average, scholars who
complete the program:
■ Increase their GPAs at least
one letter grade.
■ Graduate with a B average.
■ Show improved attendance.
■ Demonstrate improved
attitudes and behaviors toward
their peers and adults.
During the years that Jaime
Escalante taught math at Garfield
High, hundreds of students passed
his math classes and achieved
more in life than ever thought
possible. Today Higher Achieve-
ment is helping tens of thousands
realize the same.
For further information about
Higher Achievement in Richmond
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What was your favorite schoolsubject?
Calculus was my favorite class be-cause I could see [in that class] howall of the math classes I had taken before were used. I liked the application of math in this class.
Who was your greatest influence?
My parents, Joyce and Larry Walk,were my biggest influences. Theywere both in education. My father isa retired Williamsburg-James CityCounty principal and my mother is a retired teacher. They are amazingeducators, but even more amazingparents.
What one thing did you learn inschool that has served you wellpost-graduation?
In school, I learned that it takes hardwork to achieve a goal, and that Iwould have to work for what Iwanted.
How did you decide on your career? What lead to your decision to return to LafayetteHigh School to work?
I always said I was never going to bea teacher. I watched how hard myparents worked for what seemed tome to be very little gain. But as I got
Class ReunionLAFAYETTE HIGHSCHOOLCLASS OF 1992
16
older I realized that what they didmade a difference. Teaching was ajob in which I could make a differ-ence. I really wanted to do that. Ibegan my teaching career in a differ-ent school, but after one year, myhusband and I moved back home toWilliamsburg, where we grew up.
What is it like being back atLafayette High School now as ateacher instead of as a student?
I really enjoy being back at Lafayetteas a teacher. The first year wasstrange, since there were severalteachers still teaching at Lafayettewho had been my teachers. It wasvery difficult to call these teachers,who were now my colleagues, bytheir first names. But, it was alsowonderful. All of the administrators I have had the chance to work withhave been amazing and all of theteachers I have taught with havebeen wonderful as well. We have an amazing staff and I am so blessedto be here.
What do you learn from your stu-dents today?
I learn so much from my studentsevery day. I learn a lot of patience.But I also learn to listen, to treat others as I would like to be treated,and to have compassion
By:Brandy Centolanza
Mary-Lyons HanksSessoms, Jr.MAYOR OF VIRGINIA BEACH
What advice do you offer currentstudents/the next generation?What advice do you offer for students who may want to headback into the classroom to teachone day?
My advice is to work hard to achieveyour goals. I want students to knowthat they can be successful, but theyare going to have to work to getthere. If a student wants to return tothe classroom, I would say make sureyou love what you are doing. Educa-tion is a difficult career path, but ifyou love what you are doing, it willshow in your teaching. VT
BIOGRAPHY:Mary-Lyons Hanks is a 1992 graduate ofLafayette High School in Williamsburg-James City County School Division.She earned a bachelor’s degree inmath from Virginia Tech and a master’sdegree in secondary education fromOld Dominion University. Mary-Lyonscurrently teaches geometry, probabilityand statistics and calculus at LafayetteHigh School, where she also serves assponsor of the math honor society. Shewas named WJCC’s High SchoolTeacher of the Year in 2012. When sheis not in the classroom, she enjoysspending time with her parents, Joyceand Larry Walk, her husband ChrisHanks, and their daughter, Lindsay.
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