Four City School District of Albany teachers have been accepted into the prestigious New York State Master Teacher Program.
Congratulations to Craig Ascher, Tina Cardettino, Allison Griner and Allen Landman. Ascher and Griner both teach grade 8 science at William S. Hackett Middle School. Cardettino and Landman both teach at Albany High; Cardettino teaches living environment and Landman teaches computer science.
They are among 221 educators around the state selected for Master Teacher Program, which recognizes high-performing teachers of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. The master teachers are selected for their ongoing work in STEM education and their commitment to deepening their knowledge about their area of study, their students and their teaching strategies.
Throughout their four-year participation in the Program, Master Teachers:
- Receive a $15,000 stipend annually;
- Engage in peer mentoring and intensive content-oriented professional development opportunities throughout the academic year;
- Work closely with pre-service and early career teachers to foster a supportive environment for the next generation of STEM teachers; and
- Attend required regional meetings at their SUNY campus, participate in and lead several professional development sessions each year
Several district STEM teachers are in the program or have completed it. They include Kristin Bonds, Brent Cady, Andre Castagna, Jeffrey Chiu, Erin Erickson, Ashley Finke, Melissa Hirt, Eileen Ragone, Shannon Stevenson and Margot Wyan.
