Three teachers from the Westmoreland Central School District are now “Master Teachers.”
Math teachers Nicholas Darrah and Lindsay Ballie and Science teacher Brandon Fleming are among 275 educators statewide to be accepted into the New York State Master Teacher program this year, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced.
Responding to the call to strengthen our nation’s K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education, Governor Cuomo launched the New York State Master Teacher program in partnership with The State University of New York and Math for America in 2013. Master Teachers are strong, classroom teachers with clear goals for further developing their breadth and depth in three areas: STEM content, pedagogy and knowledge of their students’ families and communities.
“This impressive accomplishment by our very own is a testament to our focus on continuous growth and outstanding achievement,” Superintendent of Schools Rocco Migliori said. “Their commitment and enthusiasm for sharing their successful practices with colleagues in our schools and region is commendable.”
Throughout their four-year participation in the program, Master Teachers receive a $15,000 annual stipend; engage in peer mentoring and content-oriented professional development opportunities; work closely with pre-service and early career teachers to foster a supportive environment for the next generation of STEM teachers; and attend required regional cohort meetings. They will also participate in and lead several professional development sessions each year.
To be eligible to become a Master Teacher, an individual must be a certified, full-time K-12 New York State public school teacher in a STEM area with at least four years of teaching experience. There are only 980 Master Teachers statewide.
Congratulations to our Master Teachers!