Six teachers from Santa Barbara County, recently named Teachers Network MetLife Fellows for the 2009-10 school year, met to collaborate on important educational issues and plan for individual action research papers.

Senior Fellows Luke Laurie of El Camino Junior High School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, Mary Post of Foothill School in the Goleta Union School District, Linda Edwards of Cold Spring School in the Cold Spring School District, Kristin Anderson of Maple High School in the Lompoc Unified School District and Kristen Burke of Taylor School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District are returning for their third and fourth years in the educational policy research fellowship.

New this year is Sonya Morris from Arellanes Junior High School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District.

The Teachers Network Leadership Institute was established to approve student achievement by bringing the teacher’s voice to educational policy-making. MetLife Fellows from sites across the country conduct action research projects and prepare reports documenting their findings. They also read and discuss shared journal articles, research educational policy issues and prepare policy papers.

On Aug. 29, the 2009-10 MetLife Fellows met with Petti Pfau, director of teacher programs for the Santa Barbara County Education Office, for a day-long kickoff and planning meeting. Kristen Lewis was introduced as the group’s research adviser from UCSB.

The day was spent collaborating on important educational issues, planning for individual action research papers and an education policy report from Senior MetLife Fellow Luke Laurie, who spent part of the summer in Washington, D.C. Laurie reported on latest educational policy push by President Barack Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, called “Race to the Top.”

In addition to writing action research papers from information collected in their classrooms, the TNLI MetLife fellows narrowed their educational concerns to three “teacher hot topics”:

» Instructional time or, more specifically, the limitations and impositions on instructional minutes because of excessive assessment and scripted lessons or restricted schedules.

» Funding issues, including class size, where money is being spent, K-12 vs. higher education, etc.

» Teacher/student ratios, including class size, combo classes, educator workload and instructional aides.

— Wendy Shelton is director of communications for the Santa Barbara County Education Office.