Kendall Junior/Senior High School (JSHS) technology teacher Jeff Decker is currently enrolled in the NYS Master Teacher Program (NYSMTP). He is the first Kendall Central School District (KCSD) teacher to be selected for this program. Run by the State University of New York (SUNY), the NYSMTP is a professional network of more than 1,400 public school K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers throughout the state. Master Teachers share a passion for their own STEM learning and for collaborating with colleagues to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders (https://www.suny.edu/masterteacher/). Decker is part of the 61% of Master Teachers who teach high school students, and KCSD joins 60% of school districts in NYS that have a Master Teacher on their faculty.
He started his four-year fellowship as a Master Teacher in January. He attends a five-hour session once a month at SUNY Geneseo, where guest speakers present on different STEM topics. The presentations are followed by networking lunches where Decker talks with other technology teachers to find out what their students are working on. “I’m really enjoying the monthly sessions,” he said. “At Kendall, there’s only two technology teachers, myself and Jack Keenan, so we feel like we’re on an island. In the NYSMTP, I’m able to branch out as a technology teacher and really learn from my peers in other districts.”
KCSD is part of the Finger Lakes component of NYSMTP, and the territory ranges from Orleans County to the Southern Tier. As part of the fellowship, he receives a yearly stipend to cover travel costs, and he takes part in professional development communities that include visits to other schools to watch their classes in action. Decker must also maintain 50 hours of professional development each year to remain in the program. This includes participating in an online group of technology teachers called “The Heart of STEM.” He meets with them for two hours a week after school. “These teachers are sharing some great ideas for engagement with students,” he said.
Decker began his application for NYSMTP in 2020, but the normal six-month process was stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic. To qualify for the program, he had to be a certified NYS public school K-12 STEM full-time teacher for at least four years and rated as an effective/highly effective teacher on his Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR). He took a specialized exam in his field and submitted several letters of recommendation. The process included a six-hour Zoom interview, where Decker presented to a panel of evaluators on an advanced STEM topic, and participated in a group discussion and question and answer session. A self-proclaimed introvert, he said the lengthy interview was the most nerve-wracking part of the process for him. After completing the application process, he was accepted into the program at the end of 2022.
Kendall students will benefit from the host of new ideas and learning tools Decker plans to bring back to the district. “This program has reinvigorated me after 17 years of working for the district, especially after coming out of the teaching period during the pandemic,” he said. “No one else has participated in the NYSMTP at Kendall, so I hope my involvement motivates others to achieve this, too.”
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