14 area educators earn Master Teacher honor

The program recognizes those who go above and beyond district expectations.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown City School District has its first Ohio Master Teachers.

The district has 14 teachers who have earned the honor under a program developed by the Ohio Educator Standards Board in response to legislation mandating the creation of the designation and the criteria that must be met to achieve it.

Those granted the designation hold it for five years but can re-apply for the recognition.

A number of Youngstown’s Master Teachers are also National Board Certified Teachers, the highest credential awarded in the teaching profession.

The program’s purpose is to recognize and honor teachers who go above and beyond district expectations, said Karen Green, administrative assistant to the superintendent. It also creates a resource of teacher leaders to advance the profession and encourages high quality teachers to be in the classroom, she said.

Those achieving the designation must demonstrate that they have achieved five criteria: consistent leadership; focused collaboration with others; distinguished teaching with a focus on pupils and environment; distinguished teaching with a focus on content, instruction and assessment; and continued professional growth.

The district’s Master Teachers for 2008-09 are:

Genevieve Bodnar: Reading recovery specialist at Harding Elementary School. She has 28 years’ experience and was the district’s first National Board Certified Teacher in 1996. She has a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in educational technology.

Kalliope (Kelly) Brew: Instructor in the teacher preparation tech program at Choffin Career and Technical Center. She has 19 years’ experience and both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education.

Patricia Lyden: Kindergarten teacher at Paul C. Bunn Elementary School. She has 24 years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in early childhood education.

Lisa Mook: Special needs pre-school teacher in the Autism Unit at McGuffey Elementary School. She has 11 years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in early education of the handicapped.

Rachel Seelye: Hearing impaired inclusion teacher at Paul C. Bunn Elementary School. She has eight years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree in deaf education and a master’s in early childhood special education.

Kelly Swiger: Fourth-grade teacher at Harding Elementary School. She has 15 years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in middle school math/science curriculum.

Holly Welch: Biotechnology instructor at Choffin Career and Technical Center. She has eight years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree in education with a teaching and career tech certificate and a master’s in educational administration.

Cynthia Bruno: English teacher at Chaney High School. She became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2001. She has 28 years’ experience and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in English.

Catherine Cochran: Mathematics teacher at Chaney High School. She became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2001. She has 34 years’ experience and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education.

James Cochran: Mathematics teacher at Chaney High School. He was certified as a National Board Teacher in 1999. He has 32 years’ experience and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in math.

Jeanne Constantino: Multi-handicapped teacher at East High School. She received her National Board certification in 2001. She has 15 years’ experience and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education.

Geraldine Dewitt-Tichnor: Ninth-grade special education teacher at Chaney High School. She received her National Board Certification in 2003. She has 20 years’ experience and a bachelor’s in education and master’s degrees in both special education and curriculum and instruction.

Bonita Gauding: Multihandicapped teacher at McGuffey Elementary School. She received her National Board Certification in 2001. She has 26 years’ experience and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education.

Jennifer Walker: English teacher at East High School She received her National Board Certification in 2002 and is the Youngstown Teacher of the Year as well as the Ohio State Teacher of the Year. She has 13 years’ experience, a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in secondary English education.