Guest blog by Catherine Alspaugh, 2009 Teacher of the Year.

This series focuses on the work that members of our support staff do to make a difference for our students!

Eliminating the achievement gap continues to be a priority in school districts across the nation. Some communities are starting to recognize that efforts to eliminate the achievement gaps found among children as young as two years old can make a difference.

The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, also known as the Kirwan Commission, has spent hundreds of hours debating educational policy and funding. What makes it so challenging to figure out what adequate school funding should be?

Years ago, I frequently heard the expression “Walk a mile in my shoes” as a way to encourage people to understand the perspectives of other people. And so, I decided to bring a slightly different twist to that idea.

In a guest blog, Peter Cincotta, President of the Maryland Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and Curriculum Specialist for Secondary Mathematics for FCPS, argues that school should be about learning, not about grades. We spend too much time focused on grades and not enough on the learning process.

Our children follow and are impacted by national conversations just like we all are. How we engage in debates reflects our values. What are we modeling for our kids?

With the growth of online courses and the video gaming industry researching how to teach academic skills, will we still need teachers in the future? Absolutely!

Guest blog by Mark S. Kavanaugh, 1997 Teacher of the Year. Teachers are powerful voices in our community. Dr. Alban has invited past and present Frederick County Teachers of the Year to share their thoughts about their profession. Mark Kavanaugh, 1997 Frederick County Teacher of the Year, shares his reflections on the challenges and rewards of teaching.

In a recent conversation with community leaders, I posed this question, and the resounding response was “No.” Is that an old paradigm or a new paradigm?