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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For further information:
March 7, 2002 P. Brett Smith brett@brettsmith.org
Mahtomedi Teacher Joins Panel to Set National Teaching Standards
As President Bush visited the Twin Cities this week to highlight a commitment to quality teachers, Mahtomedi teacher Brett Smith returned from a four-day meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to review the Standards for National Board Certification of music teachers.
“I certainly welcome President Bush’s support for the teaching profession,” said Smith. “All of us -- parents, students, and teachers -- need to start a new dialogue about excellence in the classroom. Every school in Minnesota needs more financial support, but we also need to spread the word that great teaching makes a difference for kids.”
Smith was one of 25 teachers selected nationally to evaluate the standards for the National Board for Professional Standards in Music. The standards are complex performance assessments that recognize the need for effective teachers to know how to teach as well as what to teach. Smith was selected to evaluate the validity of the assessment for this national certification prior to its publication and implementation.
“I hope that the National Board Certification will be just one way that we inspire more teachers to excel in their relationships with kids in the classroom,” Smith explained. “Each of us can recall our best teachers, and know the impact they have on our lives. To excel as a teacher, you really need to be a great listener and an effective communicator. And you need to know how to make the most out of the resources you have.”
The creator of the Master Musician program now used in schools throughout Minnesota, Smith has worked over the past decade at Mahtomedi to set high expectations for both his students and himself. To be recognized as a “Master Musician,” students must demonstrate content knowledge as well as musical performance skills and a willingness to work hard to achieve. “The Master Musician program is really similar to these national teaching standards,” said Smith. “Students need encouragement and guidance to develop the skills necessary to become Master Musicians; teachers benefit from high expectations and support systems to help them excel. In both cases, we are trying to communicate that hard work and a commitment to excellence make a difference.”
Smith teaches at O.H Anderson Elementary School and has been teaching for 17 years. He was the 1999 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, and a finalist for 2000 National Teacher of the Year.
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