June 15, 2007

LANSING - The State Board of Education this week honored Harper Woods science teacher June Teisan as the 2007-08 Michigan Teacher of the Year.

Teisan will serve as the Teacher of the Year from the brand new Harper Woods Secondary School building. This state-of-the-art facility will open its doors to students and teachers in the fall. Teisan will impact teaching and learning via 21st Century technology innovations from her classroom and through participation at State Board of Education meetings, representing the voice of the Michigan classroom teacher.

Teisan will be provided the use of a new vehicle for travels throughout the year courtesy of the MEEMIC Insurance Company*. The corporate support agreement between the Michigan Department of Education and MEEMIC Insurance Company also includes:

• A $1,000 monetary award to the Michigan Teacher of the Year’s school for the advancement of education
• $300 in clothing and a leather briefcase for the MTOY
• the Michigan Teacher of the Year sculpture and plaque
• a monetary award to the schools of each of the Michigan Teacher of the Year state finalists
• state finalist plaques

State-level finalists for the 2007-2008 Michigan Teacher of the Year Award included:

• Diane Bencik, Gifted/Talented Teacher Gr. 1-5, Wass Elementary, Troy School District
• Jeffrey Bradley, 8th Grade Science Teacher, Slauson Middle School, Ann Arbor Schools
• Kim Hoke, 4th Grade Teacher, Pattengill Elementary School, Berkley Public Schools

The State Board also adopted the 2007-08 priorities for itself and the Michigan Department of Education. The priorities include:

• Continue to advocate and promote high school reform, with an emphasis on relevance, relationships, and implementation.
• Review the financial structure essential to achieve the State Board of Education’s expectations for student achievement.
• Implement the “Darkening the Dotted Line” partnership between the Michigan Department of Education and the intermediate school districts.
• Continue to review teacher preparation programs and improve the certification process.

The implementation of these priorities assumes full staffing and funding resources at the Michigan Department of Education. Modifications will need to be made if budget cuts require staff layoffs and loss of implementation funding.

The State Board also moved to cancel the July 10, 2007 meeting.

* MEEMIC is the leading provider of home and automobile insurance for school employees in the State of Michigan.