Boston teachers honored with Science Education Fellowship

BOSTON - Twenty outstanding Boston Public Schools science teachers have received a year-long Fellowship in Science Education from the Boston Science Partnership.

The Science Education Fellowship, in its first year, was given to 20 teachers across the Boston Public Schools and recognizes their outstanding contribution to the education of Boston students and the potential for the teachers to expand their own talents and those of their peers. The Fellows represent elementary, middle and high school, and all subject areas.

The Science Education Fellowship is a Boston Science Partnership program (www.bostonscience.org) and funded by the National Science Foundation. These teachers will participate in a comprehensive set of activities designed to improve teachers’ own science knowledge and the knowledge of how to best teach science. They will focus increasing achievement in science for all students from Kindergarten through 12th grade, especially by expanding access to excellent teaching in schools where students are currently underperforming.

Arthur Eisenkraft, Distinguished Professor of Science Education at UMass Boston, explained the goals of the Fellowship. “The Science Education Fellowship is both a recognition of excellent work as well as a commitment to excellence in science education in the Boston Public Schools.”

In a ceremony at the UMass Boston Alumni Club, the Fellows were congratulated by Dr. Eisenkraft, BPS Science Director Pam Pelletier, and Assistant Chief Academic Officer Shonda Huery.

"All of us in the Boston Public Schools congratulate the first group of Science Education Fellows," said Dr. Carol R. Johnson, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. "These talented educators have demonstrated a tremendous ability to engage and inspire our students. The Fellowship provides them with a wonderful opportunity to strengthen their skills and accelerate science education throughout the district."

The goals of the program are to build and support a corps of urban teacher leaders; to institute a culture of continuous improvement of instruction; and to increase student achievement by making connections between subjects and between grades so that learning is connected. Fellows will accomplish this by meeting in small groups with their grade peers, their subject peers and as a whole group.

Among the talented group is a Presidential Award winner, a cheerleading coach, two former scientists, one UMass Boston chemistry PhD candidate (and full-time chemistry teacher), a teacher with 34 years teaching experience and 3 with just three years experience, a teacher of the Deaf, and those who teach kindergarten and those who teach Advanced Placement.

The Boston Science Partnership, an NSF-funded, is an 8-year project among three core partner institutions: the University of Massachusetts Boston, The Boston Public Schools and Northeastern University. Its goals are to increase the science achievement of students across the city from grades 6 through college.

2009 Science Education Fellows:

Elizabeth Babinksi, Gavin Middle School

Scott Balicki, Boston Latin School

Fiona Bennie, Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Kristen Cacciatore, East Boston High School

Fernando Cleves, Kilmer K-8 School

Mike Clinchot, Edwards Middle School

Cheryl Hall, O'Bryant School of Math and Science

Mike Harris, Burke High School

Erin Hashimoto, Hale Elementary School

Theresa Lee, Sumner Elementary School

Keith Magni, Boston Community Leadership Academy

Dean Martin, Gardner Pilot Academy

Johanna Mendillo, O'Bryant School of Math and Science

Wai Chin Ng, Quincy Elementary School

Haven Ripley, Perkins Elementary School

Erin Rua, Harvard-Kent Elementary School

Juanita Shaffer, English High School

Johanna Waldman, Another Course to College (ACC)

Darren Wells, Timilty Middle School

Karen Ziminski, Edwards Middle School