By LeAnn Campbell

Teachers with graduate degrees ideally should see their work put to good use, not watch it mildew in a drawer. For 14 Joplin High School teachers, that application ideal is happening. The research and projects they have completed to earn a master’s degree through a new program will directly benefit Joplin students.



This degree program fulfils a dream of Dr. Kerry Sachetta, Joplin High School principal. Even before Dr. Sachetta came to Joplin six years ago, he thought there should be a way to “marry” teacher in-service work and graduate credit. Northwest Missouri State University at Maryville had already had the same idea and had started a new program in teacher leadership.



Dr. Sachetta is a strong advocate of developing leadership in teachers, both in informal and in formal roles. “We want teachers to have a broader view of the goal of education and understand school improvement more,” he noted. With that in mind, he worked with Northwest to implement the master’s degree program in Teacher Leadership for the Joplin R-VIII school district.



The program is open to any Joplin R-VIII teacher who has taught at least three years, makes the required score on the Graduate Record Exam, and completes an interview with Northwest.



Fourteen students make up the first Cohort (the name given to the class), which was begun two years ago (2006) and will graduate this July. A second Cohort began last fall (2007); plans are underway for a third group in the fall of 2008.



Dr. Sachetta limited the first Cohort of master’s applicants to high school teachers. Because he wanted to work with the teachers and instructors to slant the program toward the work they were already doing, he felt it best to begin with a group who were all in the same building.



Dr. Debbie Fort, principal at Irving Elementary in Joplin, took on the task of coordinating the program through Northwest. In addition to teaching some of the classes, she assists with technical details, such as enrollment.



Adjunct professors plan projects of interest to the teachers. The professors like the personalized program because they can go to the principal and say, “This is what I’m doing with these teachers. How can this help you in your program?”



One Joplin teacher described the result as real world application. And, in fact, it works so well that Northwest considers Joplin the most successful of its teacher leadership programs.



The capstone of the program is the research projects based on Joplin’s school improvement issue.



Ten teachers researched Joplin High’s new Eagle Time program. Eagle Time occurs four days a week when teachers keep students in class from 2:35-3:00 for extra help and to monitor their grades. To research Eagle Time, teachers in the Cohort individually researched different areas (for instance, while one studied sophomores, another would study freshmen in special education). These “sister projects” allow teachers to see a wide array of segments of the student population.



Teachers have two incentives to enroll in the program. Many want to pursue further education and grow, and they need a master’s degree to advance to Stage 3 on the career ladder. Dr. Sachetta sees a bonus of the program in the personal growth of teachers. The first Cohort have become informal leaders in the building, and four or five have accepted chairmanship positions in their departments or on a steering committee.



Andy Ritter, who teaches gifted students, spoke enthusiastically of the opportunities to grow in the program. Cohort members watched each other teach and then went into the community to places such as the Sheltered Workshop. “It made me see the level of professionalism and made me appreciate as educators the concern they have for their student population,” he said.



Ritter also learned to see things through the eyes of administrators, “things that take place in the building, that require decisions.” Because Dr. Sachetta is a strong advocate of teacher involvement, Joplin teachers are gaining a voice in those decisions.



Kristi McGowen, another teacher in the first Cohort, likes the bonding and teamwork. Working on a master’s degree while teaching fulltime requires sacrifices on the part of the family, and she gave it some thought before enrolling. She says the convenience of Northwest bringing the program to Joplin was a big motivator.



After being accepted into the program, the teachers form a Cohort and make their own choices about what days and hours to meet. Another advantage is books—Northwest furnishes books, and teachers can buy or leave the texts for the next group.



Teacher Leadership excites Dr. Sachetta. “I think it’s as good a use of professional development as you can get. We exist for the kids,” he said. The master’s degree projects have a real world application, and Joplin R-VIII students are the beneficiaries.





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The teachers meet every week for the two years required to complete the program. They get together with their calendars and plan the meeting times that work for them.



Course study requires many hours of research and project work, including Internet and computer work. The teachers have been able to help each other with the technical aspects, as some research has required a lot of navigating through links.



They are not, however, required to establish any resident credits at the Northwest Campus. Northwest provides the curriculum and their adjunct teachers teach the classes. The R-VIII teachers in the program see the advantage of having the adjunct teachers who are still in the classroom and understand the needs.