BASA Member Update 1.17.2020

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Nominations Open for TORCH Recognition for Educators The Ohio Department of Education now is taking nominations for the Teachers of Ohio Representing Character and Heart (TORCH) recognition. The TORCH program honors five teachers each year who model strong personal character and concern for their students, colleagues and communities. Nominations close Jan. 31. The 2019 Ohio Teacher of the Year and 2019 Ohio Teacher of the Year finalists will evaluate nominations and select this year’s TORCH honorees by late March. TORCH program criteria, guidance and nomination materials are available here . Spanish Visiting Teacher Program Applications Now Open The Ohio Department of Education is accepting applications from schools or districts interested in taking part in the Spanish Visiting Teacher Program for the 2020-2021 school year. This program places visiting language and immersion content educators from Spain in Ohio schools for up to five years. It also allows Ohio schools to offer quality instruction in Spanish from native speakers while promoting rich cross-cultural exchange. The Department uses the information district applicants provide to recruit highly qualified teachers from Spain in mid-April. Teachers in the pool of candidates have passed initial screenings by the Spanish Ministry of Education. These candidates also must qualify for Ohio’s Visiting International Teacher License in the areas in which they will teach. The Department sponsors the required J-1 visa authorized by the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program. To learn more about program requirements and apply, interested school and district administrators can visit the Department’s Spanish Visiting Teacher webpage . The application deadline is Monday, March 30. The Department will hold an informational conference call for schools and districts that want more information about the Spanish Visiting Teacher Program and its requirements. The call is Friday, Jan. 31, at 9 a.m. and will last about 90 minutes. Contact Ryan Wertz by Jan. 29 to register for the information session.