Blair teacher invited to White House panel discussion

On Dec. 7, English Department resource teacher Vickie Adamson was one of 100 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) newly certified teachers to attend a panel discussion at the White House. The event, which honored the new 2011 members and celebrated the NBPTS's 25th anniversary, gave attendees a forum to discuss and suggest improvements for the teaching profession.

The NBPTS randomly selected 100 of the 6,200 teachers around the country who received board certification this year to participate in the White House panel. Adamson was thankful for the opportunity to meet the other chosen attendees, who represented teachers of all grade levels and subjects. "My favorite part of the experience was going to the White House and talking to other insightful teachers," she said. "It was thrilling to be in a room with people so passionate about teaching."

Adamson teaches multiple English classes in addition to American Studies, and received her certification earlier this year after teaching for more than two decades. "I've been teaching about 25 years and it happened to be on this pinnacle of teaching [that I got my certification]," she said. "I feel very privileged and honored. I feel lucky."

After Secretary of Education Arne Duncan presided over the panel meeting, the teachers were broken into subcommittees to focus on specific teaching areas that need improvement. Adamson, whose subcommittee discussed entry into the teaching profession and the creation of teaching residencies, felt the meeting was productive and necessary for the teaching profession. "Not anybody can be a teacher. It not only requires the intellectual ability and capacity, but it requires skill," she said. "It's not just what you know. It's what you can get your students to know."

According to Adamson, education still requires serious improvements, though limited state funding complicates the issue. "It will take an investment from local and state governments, as well as private donations, but it's an investment you can't put a price on," she said.