Dove Nation is Dominating

Great achievements are happening at Dove Academy!

Four educators are being recognized for their hard work and dedication during the past five years. Paul Ezel, Jodi Austin, Anne Hartland and Katie Leib were recently recognized by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA) for their growth and achievements made during Dove’s participation in MAPSA’s TEAMS program. TEAMS, which stands for Teacher Excellence and Academic Milestones for Students, is a grant program created through MAPSA and the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Incentive Fund and works to bring reform and innovation into schools through performance-based models.

Jodi Austin, Anne Hartland, and Katie Leib received the Quantum Leap Award, given to teachers who grew at least two tiers for observation.

Paul Ezel received the Presidential Award for Professional Practice, which is awarded to individuals who achieved a perfect 4 during their observation. “Out of the 2,000 plus teachers observed, only sixteen achieved this.” Slone continued, “it’s a pretty fantastic representation of understanding and delivering on best practice strategies.”

Congratulations to Dove and the Dove family!

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AWARDS

Every year, multiple times per year, teachers are observed. It’s that time when our educators must put all their lessons, planning, and credentials on the line and essentially face the “test of teaching.”

The TEAMS model works to increase overall teacher quality through various goals. Professional Learning Communities were created to communicate and innovate within the school culture by increasing student achievement, increasing the number of retained educators, establishing PLCs, filling void leadership positions, adopting working plans and budgets for long-term success, and ensuring school leaders and staff are proficient in all aspects of school operations. 20 Detroit-area charter schools were chosen for this exciting opportunity, and Dove Academy was one of them.

During the TEAMS Symposium, which is the wrap-up of the five-year TEAMS grant, awards were distributed based on the data and metrics collected.