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Pittsburg teacher receives national certification

At its Monday night meeting, the USD 250 Board of Education congratulated a Westside Elementary teacher on becoming nationally board certified.

Diana Oertle, a third-grade teacher at Westside Elementary, found out in November 2005 that she had met all of the requirements to be board certified at a national level.

It took roughly a year from the time Oertle applied to when she found out she had achieved certification. The process included: building a portfolio, which Oertle turned in March 31, that included a videotaped sample of Oertle's teaching; self-commentary on the teaching; samples of a student's work that show progress through Oertle's teaching; and her contributions to the profession, which is "what types of things have you been involved in professionally that have helped impact your students' achievements."

The portfolio had strict guidelines, Oertle said, and then there were computer tests that gave her different scenarios and prompts that she had to follow standards for. Oertle saw the certification as her next step. She's already obtained master's and specialist degrees - the next level is a doctorate.

"And so I saw this as a good opportunity to continue to develop myself as a teacher without necessarily furthering my education," Oertle said.

The certification process helped Oertle reflect on her teaching methods. "It really impacted me in being able to look at my students and what kinds of things I was doing and what kinds of things I needed to do to take them as far as I could while I had them."

At the meeting, USD Superintendent Gary Price said there was research that showed students under teachers with national board certification did better than their counterparts on assessment tests.

"We are extremely proud of you," board Vice President Ann Elliott, who filled in for President Dawn McNay, told Oertle.

This is the first year for third-graders to take assessment tests.

"With the big movement toward state assessments, I want to do whatever I can to help my students do the best they can. That's important to me as a teacher, Oertle said.

Other board items:

* The Course Recovery Program would be an after-school program - similar to what's offered in elementary schools - for Pittsburg Community Middle School (PCMS) to help students in need of assistance in reading and math. Program funding of about $10,000 would come from at-risk funds. The board approved the program to start March 27 and continue through May 18, operating Monday through Thursday from 3:05-4:50 p.m. Matthew Wendt, USD 250 assistant superintendent, will provide updates to the board on the program's progress. The program will help about 80 middle school students improve their reading and math skills. That number might seem high, Wendt told the board, but that's roughly 25 or 26 students per grade level, then divide that by the four elementary schools and it's about seven students per building. "We might not be at No Child Left Behind, but we're awfully close," he said;

* Wendt said assessments were "going extremely well." He said there had been fewer computer glitches;

* The school district will be participating in a NetSmartz Workshop, which is aimed at keeping kids and teens safe on the Internet, Price said;

* Price will also be going around the schools today with his 7-year-old granddaughter, Katie, to get her perspective on how the education system is going;

* The board approved Tindel's Telephone Service to install a talk-back intercom system at Pittsburg High School for $18,600;

* The board approved a low bid of $11,200 from Marlin Excavating to work on the D-zone sections at either end of Hutchinson Field. The board will receive pricing on phase two - asphalt layering - this summer;

* The board approved implementing the Kids Voting Kansas Program again;

* Enrollment increased by about 50 students for the 2005-06 school year, which allows the board to republish the general fund at $14,552,980. The general fund was originally published in August at $14,225,191;

* The board approved policy revisions.

The Morning Sun, (www.morningsun.net) March 14, 2006