Two Michigan 'Teachers of the Year' are From Rochester
A media specialist and a science teacher were recently honored for their achievements.
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Two Rochester Community Schools teachers were recently honored by school leaders for being named "teacher of the year" in their fields.
Monica Harvey from Hart Middle School has been recognized as the Michigan Middle School Science Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Science Teachers Association.
Julie Harris from Rochester High School has been recognized as the Michigan School Librarian of the Year by the Michigan Association of Media in Education.
Both teachers were honored at a recent Board of Education meeting.
Rochester High Principal Charles Rowland described Harris as knowledgeable and cooperative.
"I've never heard her say 'no,'" Rowland said. "Julie can be counted on to bring her positive, can-do attitude to any task she takes on."
Hart Principal Rachel Guinn said Harvey was recognized by her peers for having a mastery for her curriculum and for a teaching repertoire that has served as a model in the district.
Harvey has a "what's-mine-is-yours" philosophy, Guinn said, and is constantly sharing her knowledge and idea with other teachers.
Rochester Superintendent Tresa Zumsteg congratulated the teachers. "When you think of all of the teachers in the state of Michigan and for Rochester to have two of them ... it's a very big deal," Zumsteg said.
In This article
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Hart Middle School
6500 Sheldon Rd, Rochester Hills, MI -
Rochester High School
180 S Livernois Rd, Rochester Hills, MI
Joshua Raymond
12:54 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Congrats to Ms. Harvey and Mrs. Harris! They represent our district very well!
Dorothy
1:19 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
But the absolute worst part of the plan is that some of these schools will be managed by for profit operators and even corporations, and only some of our state’s students will be allowed to attend some of these schools.
There is a meeting that will give you important information about the bills our lawmakers are trying to pass before their "lame duck" session ends in December.
Date: Monday, December 3, 2012
Place: Rochester High School
180 S. Livernois, Rochester 48307
Afternoon Session: 4:00 P.M.
Evening Session: 6:30 P.M.
If you want to maintain local control over your community school and your tax dollars, tell your Governor (517) 373-3400 and legislators to oppose House Bills 6004, 5923 and Senate Bill 1358
Dorothy
1:19 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Congratulate them while you've got them.
Right now, your Governor and legislator are considering a plan that creates a single, statewide school district that is accountable to a board, not elected by the people, but instead appointed by the Governor. Not only is this district not governed by any local elections, it would operate without any oversight from the Michigan Department of Education. And your tax dollars would be sent to this new super-district without any approval from your elected representatives.
Under this plan, this new school district will be able to open schools anywhere it wants in the state. The bills even say that the state can force your home district sell or lease some of the buildings your community owns to this new district if it wants to operate a school there.
These new schools are not required to meet the same quality requirements as local public schools – in fact, they need not follow the state’s assessment systems, making it impossible to compare school quality
Dorothy
1:21 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
I believe the meeting is open to the public. You might want to check first.
Joshua Raymond
2:01 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Dorothy, while the above bills warrant discussion, perhaps we could use this thread to honor these teachers. They deserve that.
Dorothy
2:29 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
I absolutely agree. Good teachers are underpaid and deserving of a lot more appreciation than they get. I just didn't see this anywhere, and I thought it was important to let the community know.
Mike Reno
3:01 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Great point on both counts, Joshua! This should be a time for recognition. And another thread is indeed appropriate, especially to counter the long line of misinformation and complete fabrications that were written earlier about the positive changes being proposed.
But... debate is for another day! :-)
For today, congrats to Monica and Julie!
Meredith McCutcheon
2:24 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Congratulations to both of them! As a former teacher turned stay-at-home mom, I know how demanding their jobs are, how much time and energy they devote to their craft, and how much they give of themselves every single day. I truly appreciate their devotion to our children. We are fortunate to have them (and countless other amazing educators) in our community! Thank you for everything you do for our kids!
Paul Sprague
3:26 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Amen. Congratulations to these teachers! I agree with Dorothy as well. We may lose the autonomy of our school systems if shell game artists like Mike Reno and friends have their way. Follow the money Rochester.
Involved Parent
5:00 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Keeping it classy, Mr. Sprague. You were able to get off topic as well as insult someome in just a few sentences. You did it on an news story supposed to praise teachers. Nice.
Kristin Bull
3:40 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Congrats to both of these teachers.
Dorothy has posted a separate piece here on Patch about the pending legislation. Feel free to share your opinions here: http://patch.com/B-cB86
The meetings next Monday are, indeed, open to the public.
Dorothy
4:06 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Might I ask why Patch isn't covering this? There is no way I would trust Snyder or any other administration with this much power and authority over my local school. MI did repeal the Emergency Manager law you know.
Debbie Grimes
4:52 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Congratulations to both teachers! I have two children who were both blessed to have had Mrs. Harvey for science at Hart Middle School. I commend the decision makers on this award! Mrs. Harvey cares about her students, as individuals. She brings enormous passion and energy to her field and craft, modeling life-long learning for students. The kids feel her commitment and are eager to please her, concentrating on achieving the high goals she places before them. Additionally, she is excellent at keeping parents in the loop. Mrs. Harvey accomplishes all of this with the most positive attitude and good humor!