ABCTE - the year in review

To: ABCTE Supporters, Allies and Friends
From: David W. Saba, President

Date: December 31, 2009

Subject: ABCTE Year End President’s Update

A lot has happened since my last update in August. ABCTE marked an important milestone by issuing our 2,000th teacher certification, made important headway on several bills in states that are on track to accept our certification, and received a grant from the Daniels Fund to develop two new teacher preparation modules on Dropout Prevention and Technology Training. This will strengthen our program on many levels.

I know this update is one of many that will come across your desk this month, which is why I’m going to keep it brief. Please take a few minutes to catch up with us and consider making a charitable donation to ABCTE this year. Now more than ever, we need to focus on education and make sure great teachers are in front of our children. I wish you the happiest and most peaceful of holidays.

Snapshot of This Year’s Successes

• ABCTE issues its 2,000th teacher certification to Heather Herd of Branson, Missouri who received her certification in math in October
  
• Launched CharterTeacher.com, a new resource for the charter school community. The site offers professional development, teacher certification, charter school news, a charter school events calendar, online forums and a job listings section
  
• Daniels Fund granted ABCTE funds to create Dropout Prevention and Technology Training learning modules
  
• ABCTE is listed in Florida Tax Watch’s “30 Great Things About Education Today in Florida!” (#23, “Flexible Teacher Certification System, including ABCTE”)
  
• Dave Saba was on a teacher quality panel at the Excellence in Education Summit in October
  
• Arizona has been receptive to ABCTE in their Race to the Top efforts which is a positive move towards achieving acceptance in the state
  

• Over 2,000 certification are currently in progress through the ABCTE program
  
• 85% of our teachers are still in the classroom after three years
  
• 95% of principals rate ABCTE teachers as effective as, or more effective than, their peers
  
• 37% percent of our certifications are in math or science
  
• Average age of 39; 33% percent of our candidates are male; and 22% percent are minorities
  

• Late August and early September brought more press from various Oklahoma outlets, including a write-up in The Oklahoman, as we wrapped up a round of recruitment events
  
• ABCTE was included in a September Washington Post column by education writer Jay Mathews, after a reader wrote in suggesting that Maryland should accept our certification
  
• September also saw us receive press from various Missouri outlets for our events there, including a Missourinet radio interview that was heard throughout the state
  
• In October, ABCTE was featured in the New York Times in an article on career changers becoming teachers. Two ABCTE teachers were interviewed for the feature
  
• Also during October, we had a letter to the editor run in the Knoxville News Sentinel, encouraging Knoxville schools to partner with ABCTE should the program be accepted there
  
• During October and November, we received press for our Teach & Inspire Scholarship Program, as we recruited the next cohort of scholarship recipients. Highlights included several radio interviews in Mississippi, a story in Southern Mississippi’s Sun Hearld and a South Carolina Radio Network interview that ran throughout the state. More than 400 applications were received for this cohort.
  
• Earlier this month, we had a letter to the editor run in the Detroit News asking state leaders to consider a math and science pilot program with ABCTE, as they look at education reform options