By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



MORRIS—School’s out for the summer but Bryan Elementary School is in session for two weeks, with teachers as the students.

Bryan Elementary is hosting the 2007 Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) summer institute.

A program of the Alabama Department of Education, the purpose of AMSTI is to “improve math and science teaching statewide,” according to the AMSTI Web site.

Almost 300 teachers from six school systems — Bessemer, Midfield, Fairfield, Birmingham, Jefferson County and Shelby County — are taking part in the two-week event.

Teachers and guest speakers packed the school’s lunchroom Monday morning for the event’s opening ceremonies.

Among the special guests was Alabama Gov. Bob. Riley.

Riley began at the school by visiting classrooms where teachers had already started their math, science and technology workshops.

Followed by an entourage of about a dozen people, Riley also visited with Bryan Elementary principal Debra Campbell in her office.

Administrators then called all of the teachers together to hear Riley speak.

“What you are doing today is going to affect this state for the next generation,” Riley told the room full of teachers.

In order for Bryan to host this year’s institute, 85 percent of the school’s teachers had to agree to take part in the event, according to Campbell.

Bryan teachers and administrators began the application process two years ago to host this year’s AMSTI workshops.

“Test scores are so very important, and this is a way to improve them,” said Campbell. “This is a spark to get the students interested in math and science.”

“Kids are not like they were in the 1960s, and we can’t teach like they did in the 1960s,” said Bryan third-grade teacher Robin Brower. “We have to teach children to think.”

Shelly Chumley, also a third-grade teacher at Bryan, said that she is attending the two-week institute not only as a teacher, but as a parent. She said she wants the best for her children and for all children in the community.

“We’re preparing them for jobs that don’t exist yet,” said Chumley.

Bryan first-grade teacher Karen Williams said she likes the AMSTI program because it is a new way of teaching and integrating math and science.

“The emphasis has been on reading for so many years,” said Dana Singletary, also a first-grade teacher at Bryan. “Now the emphasis is on math and science also. It makes our schools better.”

“Students benefit from joint efforts like this,” said Dr. Phil Hammonds, superintendent of the Jefferson County Board of Education, at the opening ceremonies.

Hammonds talked about the several new Jefferson County schools that will be rebuilt with 1-cent tax money collected in the county in 2005. The Jefferson County Board of Education’s share is more than $400 million.

He added that the new schools are not the key to a good education.

“We remind ourselves every day in this school system, and are reminded by teachers every day … that what is even more important is what happens in the buildings.”

The AMSTI institute at Bryan Elementary is one of 16 locations for the program this summer.

In order for a school to become an AMSTI school, math and science teachers at the school must attend two weeks of training for two consecutive summers, according to a press release.

In return, they are provided all of the math and science equipment and materials needed for hands-on activities in their classrooms.

They also receive follow-up training and classroom support as they implement the new teaching methods learned at the training sessions.