Grant Wood AEA worker to represent agency in Seattle

SEATTLE - A Grant Wood Area Education Agency employee is among 15 people visiting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation this week in Seattle.

Emily Thomson has been with Grant Wood AEA since 1999, and since 2010 has been leading mentoring of new teachers through the agency's Induction Consortium.

The agency received a grant from the non-profit New Teacher Center in 2013 to expand the consortium's efforts.

The consortium works by partnering experienced teachers - such as Carrie Klein, who is on leave from the Marion Independent School District - with new teachers. Klein works with 15 who are in their first and second years of teaching, and meets with them for 60 or 90 minutes each week.

'Our conversations are focused around student achievement and what the teacher might need for support,” Klein said.

Thomson said Grant Wood AEA's goal is to sustain the consortium after the New Teacher Center grant expires, 'so we can continue to serve our districts well.”

The Gates Foundation also partners with the New Teacher Center on several projects, Thomson said.

'The Gates Foundation has a real interest in education,” she said. 'They really want to learn from what's working on the ground.”

Thomson said she believes she will be a member of a panel speaking in front of different stakeholders from around the country.

'I'm hopeful that from the conversation there will be a recognition for how much support and resources is required to support teachers and coaches,” Thomson said. 'We have worked very hard to build out systems of support.”

Thomson said she considers the chance to visit the Gates Foundation 'a tremendous opportunity to be a voice for beginning teachers and the importance for induction.”

'I'm very flattered and honored to be part of that conversation,” Thomson said.

She said she's not sure she will actually meet Bill or Melinda Gates, but laughed she has been 'encouraged to get pictures if they are.”