I'm happy to be back!

It's been ages ago since I last posted...9 years! I'm excited to let you know that I switched from teaching special needs students to teaching multi-lingual learners since last year. It has been an amazing life transforming experience for me. I will share more details in later posts!

Donate to #FirstBook2Philippines on #GivingTuesday

This year, on December 1st, the world will come together for one of the biggest philanthropic days of the year, #GivingTuesday. We want to celebrate this day by asking you to give to our #FirstBook2Philippines Outreach Project. 

Next Tuesday, December 1st, consider giving kids in Hurricane Haiyan affected areas in the Philippines the books they need to succeed in life. Every $40 gives a kid 10 brand new high quality books needed to support literacy skills. SUPPORT, SHARE & DONATE to #FirstBook2Philippines , here's the link to our campaign website https://firstbook.fundly.com/fundraising-for-book-outreach-Philippines   

 

#FirstBook2Philippines Participates in #GivingTuesday

What is Giving Tuesday?

Often stylized as #GivingTuesday for purposes of hashtag activism, it refers to the Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a movement to create a national day of giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season. 

Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season (Black Friday and Cyber Monday).

SUPPORT, SHARE & DONATE to #FirstBook2Philippines , here's the link to our campaign website https://firstbook.fundly.com/fundraising-for-book-outreach-philippines

#FirstBook2Philippines Memorial Donation

The reason #WhyIGive is because it gives me a sense of purpose in life, I feel a sense of inner satisfaction as a person and as an educator nurturing the unlimited potential of our kids. I'm excited to start my #FirstBook2Philippines fundraising campaign and I hope you will join me in sending 40,000 books to public schools in Hurricane Haiyan affected areas in the Philippines! 

Today is Veteran's Day and I honor the brave men and women who sacrificed their life to protect this country. The fallen will never be forgotten...they are the reason why we are free.

A gift or memorial donation is a fitting tribute to someone special. This #VeteransDay, you have the opportunity to honor a special person by making a memorial donation that will help send 40,000 books to students in Hurricane Haiyan affected public schools in the Philippines. Tell your friends and family about our fundraising campaign #FirstBook2Philippines !

#FirstBook2Philippines on #HurricaneHaiyan 2nd Anniversary

In the event of #HurricaneHaiyan, people from across the globe have worked in solidarity with Central Philippines & Filipino #charity organizations to rebuild & rehabilitate our communities—not just the brick and mortar but also the cultural institutions, community & non-profit organizations. I am proud to play our part with our recently launched fundraising campaign for #FirstBook2Philippines project, inspired by the progress that we made so far, and excited for what is yet to come! Today is Haiyan's second anniversary and we reflect on the tragedy caused by the strongest hurricane ever.

 

Make your gift to our students in Tacloban NOW! https://firstbook.fundly.com/fundraising-for-book-outreach-… SHARE!

 

 

#FirstBook2Philippines Launching at The Philippine Embassy w @FirstBook

 

Listening to the successful projects of our community leaders, I am even more inspired to take action and make a huge impact in the lives of our children in Haiyan affected areas back home.

Initially, in October 2013, when I first talked to Tom Moran, the person who leads the First Book partnership for American Federation of Teachers, after a friend from AFT introduced me to him, I thought of doing this in a depressed area in my hometown in Bicol Region. After the hurricane hit Central Philippines in November 2013, I believe the kids in Tacloban area need us more than ever.

How do we transform this negative experience into a positive one so that these children will end up better, stronger, and resilient persons? How can we help replace hundreds and thousands of damaged books in schools and libraries in Central Philippines?

This is where YOU can come in to help us…

I would like to ask our philanthropists, humanitarians, and all of YOU who wants to help to donate to our fundraising campaign. Your $20 will purchase 5 brand new books for our students, 10 books for $40, and 100 books for $400. We have a fundraising campaign website which Katie & Emily will present to you in a minute, and we also have donation forms for those who would prefer to do it cash. I believe that when we all come together, we can meet a very ambitious goal of $150K in 150 days for 40,000 books to send to our students in Tacloban. Please help us promote our campaign via newspapers, television ads, social networking tools like Facebook, twitter, Instagram, blogs.

I know you are asking, “How do we ship 40,000 books to the Philippines?” ForEx Balikbayan Box agreed to a 40% discount for shipment as part of their charity services, and my good friend, Benjo Basas, who leads the Teachers Dignity Coalition on a National level has been working with us to make the logistics smooth to make sure the books will get to the hands of our students in July 2016 on time for the beginning of a new school year.

TO DONATE, here's the link: https://firstbook.fundly.com/fundraising-for-book-outreach-philippines

I am hoping that these books will provide some comfort and maybe, in some small way, change a life. I can't wait to make this happen! Special thanks to our Ambassador’s wife, Mrs. Cuisia, for her full support of this project, and all of our community partners, maraming maraming salamat po! 

 

#DCPSRising & @anacostiahigh Representing!

Last Wednesday, my Journalism students represented our school, Anacostia SHS, very well during the Conversation with News4 anchor Jim Vance and Chancellor Henderson on State of DC Public Schools. They eloquently interviewed her 15 minutes prior to the event and were given special press seating at the front row! I'm so proud of them!

Here's our class website if you want to see the video clip: http://www.anacostiaindians.org/apps/classes/show_class.jsp?classREC_ID=709916

 

#Philantropy #Charity #GiveBack

The continued support of our family, friends, brothers & sisters has been incredible! Please continue to spread the word about our Book Outreach Project, Philippines. Six weeks to go before our launching event! #philanthropy #charity #giveback 

I Am a Teacher and #IAmMyUnion

Humbled & honored to be featured on the front page (with Pope Francis above the fold) of this week's Manila Mail's Special Report. 

It's more than just a long weekend. This Labor Day, and everyday, I stand up for my Union! I am a TEACHER and #IAmMyUnion (thanks to my lil guy for taking the photo before I went to the gym!). 

*Manila Mail is a Filipino newspaper in Washington DC.*

Ready For A Big Change #NBCTstrong

It's official, a new job assignment! 

I will miss working with such a highly motivated team of educators at Jefferson Academy Middle School, my home for 12 years! The lessons learned from being a new teacher in 2003 to becoming a Founding Team Member in 2011, helping and watching it grow from being a "struggling  school" to now a "rising school", are priceless! 

I'm extremely excited to move on to the next chapter of my life joining an amazing team of educators at the historic Anacostia High School. I can't wait to meet & greet my students! Special thanks to my Master Educators, Doran Gresham & Bregeneve Ocansey, you're the best!

 

We Will Soon Be #NBCTstrong

During one of our sessions at our Back-To-School Union Leadership Institute last Tuesday, I couldn't help sharing my wonderful experiences passionately with my colleagues as a National Board Certified Teacher to encourage more great teacher leaders to go through the process of becoming an accomplished teacher. I was surprised when most of them appeared to not know about it or have not heard about it until I brought up the topic. After my short discussion, the teacher beside me expressed that he has been actively looking for a board exam for teachers, something similar to what his wife has been through to become a professional medical practitioner, and was glad to hear me talk about it.

 

I was impressed with his persistence and determination when he emailed me first (before I was able to do it as promised) to show his excitement about getting started! I would like to share our correspondence (his name altered) because I believe it is significant, and that I have shared with him information that will be disseminated to teachers soon.

 

*******************************

Today at 8:52am

 

Hi Maria!

 

It was a pleasure meeting you at that PHENOMENAL WTU conference. I am super excited about beginning my NBCT journey. Thank you for your support in advance and I hope we get a chance to discuss the future of my NBCT journey soon.

 

P.S. Your blog is super amazing!

 

 

Today at 8:59pm

 

Hi Kobi,

 

Thank you for your kind words!

 

It was great to know that you are interested in becoming National Board Certified, I can't wait to have our system of supports here in Washington DC started for you and the rest of our future DC NBCTs! We will soon be launching the DC NBCT Network to help our NBC candidates with tools and resources to certify. We will also increase the use of technology: Podcasts, Facebook, blog, webinars, NBCT Link, SKYPE, phone conferences, monthly newsletters with active links, and DC NBCT Network updated website as a means to communicate and support NBCTs and candidates. Additionally, our WTU President and I will be having a meeting with the CEO of our DC Teachers Federal Credit Union on Monday (August 10) at 10am to negotiate for a 0% interest loan/ financial assistance as part of their membership services. There will also be PD grants available for you to take advantage of to help with the costs of NBC application.

 

These we do in our NBCT Network because we believe in teachers like you, and we know that with the National Board as our tool, and our union as our voice, we can elevate the teaching profession, retain and reward accomplished teachers and be the best school district in the country!

 

In the meantime, I would like you to look at these resources to give you an idea of the process and supports currently in place:

 

-  http://www.boardcertifiedteachers.org/ where you will find the instructions and information on how to start the process of getting board certified.

- https://public.nbpts.org/pilot/ where you can apply for a pilot/ test drive of the certification in your content area so you know how it works before getting into the actual process, no cost to you (free), and you earn your PLU credits.

- https://www.youtube.com/user/nbptsstaff/videos?shelf_id=2&view=0&sort=dd NBPTS videos that show what people say about National Board Certification to inspire you and to give you additional information from the experts and other educators.

 

You will soon receive an NBCT Needs Survey, which will be sent to other teachers too, to get a feel what DC teachers need to get certified successfully. Please let me know what else I can do to assist you, keep me posted and I will do the same! Have a great weekend!

 

Sincerely,

Maria Angala, NBCT

NBPTS Academy 2015 in Phoenix AZ #NBCTstrong

I felt so energetic with a new sense of direction after I came back from the recent NBPTS Academy in Phoenix AZ which was attended by more than 170 network leaders from 30 states in the US. The most valuable aspect of the NBPTS Academy was the inspiration created from meaningful collaboration and sharing of successful work from network leaders in other states/ school districts. 

 

I started the DC NBCT Network with a small group of NBCTs here in DC in 2010 and because of the political and organizational barriers, our plans of launching the network, organizing and mobilizing was halted. After I saw the unbelievable NBCT data for Washington DC a few months ago (we have 51 NBCTs, which is 1% of 4,000 DC teachers and only 1 certified last year) I knew I had to do something. Together with our allies, we can increase the number of our National Board Certified Teachers because I strongly believe that we have more than 1% great teachers in DC who can help elevate our teaching profession. This is our profession and it is time for our  teachers to be in charge of it! 

 

I went to the NBPTS Academy in Phoenix, AZ last July 19 without a clue if we were moving to the right direction with all the efforts that we have already done to encourage other Washington DC teachers to pursue accomplished teaching and enact the mission & vision of NBPTS. 

 

At the NBPTS Academy, I not only connected with wonderful like-minded NBCTs and teacher leaders who are having the same challenges. I also learned about different ways and strategies on how they were able to overcome them and succeed! I left Phoenix AZ on July 21 with a feeling of great accomplishment for our baby steps, an action plan that I strongly believe will work, and a group of amazing educators who are giving me the strength to carry on no matter what. 

 

Here are some of the highlights of my stay: