Art Teacher Helps Set Standards

University High School’s MacKenzie Hawley is one of 12 art educators in the country selected to decide what determines excellence in art teaching.

She’s part of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards committee on art education. The national board was developed by a coalition of teachers, administrators, politicians and reform advocates in 1987 to create a national certification program for teachers.

Presently, when a teacher moves out of state, he or she must be re-certified to teach in the new state. National certification could one day change that, Hawley said.

“Why as a teacher, do you have to keep proving yourself, wherever you go?” asked Hawley, a small, energetic woman with a warm smile and a firm handshake.

For five days in July, Hawley and the other 11 art teachers, from states such as California and Indiana, sat down with samples of student work, teaching portfolios, essays and other materials to determine how to measure good teaching.

“We started at 8 in the morning and did not budge until 6:30,” Hawley said. “We were so intense and they kept us so focused.”

The data from the group meetings was submitted for analysis by an educational laboratory in San Francisco.

In May, the group will reconvene to review the lab’s results. Eventually, the data will be used to judge art teachers who apply for board certification. At that stage, Hawley might also be on the committee which will judge those teachers.

WV community will run for bucks

Thirty-one teams of students, parents, teachers and administrators will race around West Valley High School’s track Saturday in the 12-hour relay challenge.

It’s the school’s biggest fund raiser and is expected to earn about $10,000 for the student body.

“It’s gotten bigger every year,” said WV High activities director Cathy Wolfrum. Last year, 20 teams of 10 competed. Prizes are awarded for most inspirational team, most money earned and most miles run. Beginning at 9 a.m., team members run mile laps around the track, then pass the baton off to another team member.

While waiting their next turn, contestants participate in volleyball matches, dunk tanks, balloon tosses or three-legged races. But someone from each team has to be heading around the track at all times.

Among the teams are: the varsity cheerleaders, national honor society members and freshman class members. Both assistant superintendents and the superintendent also will be dashing around the track, Wolfrum said.

Each team will design its own banner and decorate an area of the field. Each participant is responsible for raising a $35 entry fee.

Sock hop for U-Hi parents

The University High School Booster Club is holding an old fashioned “sock hop” for parents Friday night after the U-Hi-Central Valley football game. Parents are encouraged to take off their shoes, let down their hair and dance to rock ‘n’ roll and country music from the 1950s through 1980s. The dance will be the gymnasium. Admission is $3.

, DataTimes