Mescalero Teacher Appointed to PED Council

Mescalero teacher appointed to state PED council
Julie Carter jcarter@ruidosonews.com
Posted: 08/17/2010 07:39:18 PM MDT



(Ashley Ivins met with Senator Jeff Bingaman on a recent trip to Washington, D.C., where she...)
A July 29 letter from the New Mexico State Secretary of Education confirmed Ashley Ivins as a full council member of the Public Education Department's Math and Science Advisory Council for a term of four years.

Ivins began this school year teaching Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Physical Science at Mescalero Apache Schools.

"I am humbled and honored to serve on the New Mexico Public Education Dept. Math and Science Advisory Council," said Ivins.

"The Council is made up of very respected people in Math and Science - Toney Begay, the director of the New Mexico MESA Program; Ray Nance a 2009 SSP Fellow and innovative teacher; and representatives from higher education, Sandia National Labs and Intel, just to name a few. It is a great honor for me to represent classroom teachers in the goal of improving education for the students of New Mexico during the next four years. "

"The MSAC Council is responsible for creating a strategic action plan for the direction of Math and Science Education in New Mexico and how as a state, we can achieve the goals in the strategic planning," Ivins explained. "Currently the Council is focused on making New Mexico a national leader in math and science through better teacher preparation, increasing the numbers of math and science teachers, improved teacher professional development, adopting instructional materials that foster inquiry skills and problem solving, improving school laboratory facilities, and creating partnerships between schools and career scientists, engineers and corporations in the state."
Ivins taught for six years in the fields of Science, Agriculture, Special Education and Technology at Lake Arthur High School, Artesia Junior High, Hatch Valley Middle School, Carrizozo Schools and Mescalero. She has a Bachelor's of Science in Agriculture Education and Master of Arts in Curriculum Instruction. She is in the process of securing her Master of Arts in Science Teaching from New Mexico Tech and Administrative Credentials from New Mexico State University as well as applying to several Doctor of Education programs.

"Part of what I hope to do as part of the MSAC is to promote NM MESA (Math, Engineering, Science and Technology Achievement) and the inception of other programs like it," Ivins said. "I think it is so important for students to have experiences beyond the classroom to generate interest in math and science and get them thinking about careers. MESA is a great program that provides funding and opportunities for students to participate in extra-curricular STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities. I am excited to bring the program to the students of Mescalero Schools because I know it is a program that works. Through MESA I have had students learn not only about math and science but also engineering, business, marketing, robotics, creativity and technical writing."

Statistically MESA students are more likely than the state or national average to go to college and major in STEM fields. Based on a 10-year longitudinal study, 78 percent of NM MESA students attend college, more than twice the 30 percent average for New Mexico and the 34 percent nationally.

Of those, 86 percent of the NM MESA students obtain a B.S. or higher with the average for New Mexico to achieve that is 26 percent and nationally at 29 percent.

Currently more than 5,000 New Mexico students are enrolled in MESA from 40 school districts and 111 schools.

"In addition to getting kids to graduate high school, go to college, graduate from college and many go into the STEM fields, we draw those average students who would not normally be attracted to Math or Science, said Betty Chancey, the Southeast Region Coordinator for NM MESA.

"Kids find out these subjects can be fun as well as rewarding. We provide STEM enrichment through field trips, competitions, community service, tutoring and college visits, etc."

Chancey said Ivins is one of the best teachers and MESA advisors she has had the privilege of working with. " She has the enthusiasm needed to get kids motivated and involved," Chancey said. "I am not sure how she does everything she does. She has an enormous amount of energy when it comes to helping kids. NM MESA is proud to have her as an advisor for the Mescalero Apache Schools MESA program."

"I'm very excited to have the support of the superintendent, Ms. Saenz and the principal Mr. Cavazos as well as the Mescalero Apache Schools Board of Education who are interested in students at MAS having access to the best education possible," Ivins said. "And I will also be co-advising the NM MESA program with math teacher Eleanor Pedraza."

Ivins said her return to Mescalero Apache Schools has been wonderful.

"I feel very welcomed by the administration, staff and students and I am looking forward to improving student achievement with my excellent team members," she said.