Over 150 Teachers, Principals, Superintendents and State Leaders Attend January Meeting Recognizing Outstanding Teachers in the Region
At the January CORAS meeting 48 teachers from CORAS member districts were recognized for their outstanding contribution to education in their districts.
Patton College Dean, Renee Middleton, State Superintendent of Instruction , Mr. Paulo DeMaria and CORAS Executive Director helped to recognize the teachers who were nominated by criteria determined by individual districts. Teachers received an plaque and letter of acknowledgement that was sent to Board of Education members in their district.
At the conclusion of this meeting, there was a press conference announcing a major research study being conducted by CORAS, Ohio University’s Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education, and four other institutions of higher learning – Marietta College, Muskingum University, University of Rio Grande, and Shawnee State University – will collaborate on this research project, which seeks to improve academic outcomes for rural Southeast Ohio students and prepare them for future employment opportunities. To that end, researchers will gather data relating to best practices in discipline, parent engagement, student achievement, attendance, student satisfaction, and teacher/administration support. Their goal is to identify processes, systems, and programs that mitigate the effects of poverty and its impact on academic outcomes for Southeast Ohio students.
These research-based findings will be useful for Ohio legislators as they prepare for Ohio’s 2019-20 biennial budget cycle. In fact, State Representative Robert Cupp (R-Lima), who is chairing the Ohio House Speaker’s Task Force on Education and Poverty, is slated to speak at the meeting.
Janetta King, Chair of Ohio University’s Board of Trustees, announced the initiative on behalf of Ohio University President Dr. M. Duane Nellis and the aforementioned colleges and universities, which comprise the Southeast Ohio Teacher Development Collaborative (SEO-TDC). The SEO-TDC seeks to not only recruit and retain high-quality teachers to Appalachia, but also use data and research to guide its curriculum.