TARIAT expands to include local K12 teachers
TARIAT kicked off with a slight change this year, featuring a pre-conference event and a workshop format on Friday morning. On Thursday, this first-ever pre-conference event for TARIAT commenced with a keynote speech by Trevor McKenzie accompanied by Emily Fisher, the 2023 Coconino Teacher of the Year from Marshall Elementary School, and Allison Mitkowski, the 2023 Arizona Rural Teacher of the Year from Williams High School.
Keynote speeches were also provided on Friday by Rebeckah Peterson, the National Teacher of the Year from Tulsa, OK, and Efrain Casillas, the AEF Arizona Teacher of the Year from Porfirio H. Gonzales & Desert Oasis in Tolleson, AZ. The afternoon saw several breakout sessions with AEF Ambassadors of Excellence (refer to attached slides for details). Notably, Taryl Hansen created visually captivating images (see TARIAT 2024 IMG) during the talks on Friday, capturing the essence of various conversations, with plans to display them in the COE for all to admire.
The legacy of Jim Manley, along with former dean Dan Kain and others, ensured the continuity of this remarkable event, now in its 24th year. The knowledge and strategies gleaned from TARIAT will be integrated into our College Assembly meeting in the fall. A special thanks to the remarkable co-chairs, Josh Meibos and Annie Watson, chief event planner Jordan DiMuro, as well as Selita Mitchell and Veronica Franyutti, and the entire committee (Daniela Robles, Monique Martinez, Melissa Sadorf, Gayle Blanchard, Ali Conant, Tracy Koepke, Heather Lindfors-Navarro, Michelle Novelli, Katelyn Zirkus, Sarah Kondratuk, Theresa Fuller, Donna Lewis, Kim Graham [AED Exec Dir.], Robyn Hansen, Cindy Bublitz, Chris Aungst, and Shadow Armfield), along with Jon Capozzoli and Jude Fulkerson for their tireless efforts (refer to slide 45 for details).
Gratitude is extended to sponsors, including the Bement family, the AZ K12 Center, COE, and the Arizona Education Foundation.
