Top teachers, principal headline Education Summit

The School of Education will host its fifth annual Education Summit March 23-24 with the theme What Makes an Effective Teacher?

This year’s keynote speakers are Dustin Weaver, 2017 Ohio Teacher of the Year; Teresa Cianchetti, 2016 Ohio Teacher of the Year; and Jeff Fisher, 2015 Ohio Principal of the Year.

Weaver will kick off the conference with the keynote address at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in Gundlach Theatre., followed by brief presentations from Cianchetti and Fisher. On Friday, March 24, the trio will be featured in breakout sessions with education majors and a panel discussion at 10:15 a.m. in Wickham Great Hall. The campus community is welcome to attend any of the Ed Summit events.

A high school English teacher, Weaver returned to his alma mater, Chillicothe High School, about five years ago to address community problems that negatively impact children. He demonstrates his commitment to student success by working with students during lunch and planning periods to improve performance on college entrance exams, creating an English lab course aimed at closing achievement gaps for struggling students and an online course for non-traditional students. He oversees a grant for the Chillicothe Cadets, an organization that increases self-esteem, interpersonal and professional skills and connections to the school and the community. Weaver regularly mentors first-year teachers and collaborates with Ohio University—Chillicothe to help improve new teacher self-efficacy and retention. He recently completed his second master’s degree, in secondary English education at OU.

Cianchetti, a 30-year teaching veteran, teaches first grade at Suffield Elementary School in the Field Local Schools in Mogadore. Before teaching first grade, she was the K-12 visual arts teacher in her district. She currently serves as a mentor in the Resident Educator Program, a local professional development committee member and a teacher leader, assisting colleagues in developing learning objectives for students.

Fisher has been the principal at Chillicothe High School since 2010. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Ohio University, which recognized him with its Outstanding Educational Administration Student Award. When he became principal, he was the youngest in the state to hold that position. He has spearheaded the implementation of a number of programs that helped his high school earn state and national recognition.

The summit, co-sponsored by Heidelberg’s School of Education, the Swinehart Family Endowed Chair in Education and Heidelberg’s Partners in Academic Coaching for Excellence (PACE) Program, strives to engage pre-service and in-service teachers with leading and distinguished educators in the major issues, trends and teaching practices within the profession.