Teacher of Year Sean McComb Makes the Case for Optimism

By Suzie Boss, Journalist and Author

Sean talks with student Juliette German at Patasco High School. Photo credit: Charlie Herndon of Baltimore County Public Schools CommunicationsThis interview was first published by Edutopia in December 2014.

National Teacher of the Year Sean McComb is at the halfway point of his whirlwind journey, which has taken him all across the country to meet with fellow educators, policy makers, and even President Obama.

Along the way, he has been sharing insights gained from eight years in the classroom at Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts in Baltimore, Maryland. He teaches in a program called AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) which addresses the needs of students who are much like a younger version of himself. We caught up just before the holidays, when he was looking forward to some down time with his baby son before hitting the road again.

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10 Top AVID Blogs from 2014

As we prepare to ring in the New Year, we want to be sure you don’t miss these great blog posts from 2014. The bright ideas in these blogs will help you start your 2015 off right! Happy New Year and happy reading!

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Q&A Corner: AVID CEO, Sandy Husk

This interview originally appeared as part of the America’s Promise Alliance Q&A Corner series.

When America’s Promise Alliance’s Evelyne Santiago first interacted with AVID, she was a student at Santa Monica High School, where AVID played a prominent role in her ability to attend college. Dr. Sandy Husk has been the CEO of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) since January 2014. Recently, Evelyne was able to ask Dr. Husk a few questions about herself, her work, and AVID at the last Alliance Trustees’ meeting.

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10 Ways to Infuse Your Final Exam Reviews With WICOR

By Craig McKinney, AVID Elective Teacher and Staff Developer

It’s everyone’s favorite time of the year: the time when we all get to put aside new learning and focus our efforts on helping the students get prepared for the joy that is better known as final exam week. In our haste to finish the semester, we should, of course, never forget the importance of AVID’s WICOR strategies (writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading), so I am compiling a little color-coded list to help you plan your review activities:

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Four Questions For: Dr. David Conley

By Rob Gira, Executive Vice President

Dr. David Conley is an expert in the field of college and career readiness, having written several books and numerous articles on the topic. Conley is a professor of Educational Policy and Leadership in the University of Oregon's College of Education. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Educational Policy Research (CEPR) at the University of Oregon and the president of EdImagine Strategy Group. These questions were excerpted from our radio interview with Conley. For the entire program, go to AVID College Ready Radio.

Conley will be a featured presenter at our 2014 AVID National Conference!

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