Since this global economic crisis is certain to affect virtually every one of us, it's imperative that we examine the effectiveness and the reach of various services our federal, state and local governments offer. We must identify those services which are cost-effective and achieve the goals for which they were instituted.

The Cayuga-Onondaga Teacher Center serves the teachers of nine local school districts, CCC, preschools and private schools throughout the area.

Its resources are available to nearly 60 county and community agencies and programs. I am amazed at how cost-effective this organization was.

With the budget of $223,000 from the state, they are able to fund the salaries of one full-time and four part-time employees, rent, operational costs, programming, supplies and materials.

As a result of ongoing research, we are constantly learning new things about how the brain works, how people learn.

This information is critical to teachers. Teachers, like doctors, do not stop their professional development when their undergraduate and graduate work is done.

Our students come to us with an ever-increasing number of needs - academic, social, emotional, physical.

Our teachers need constant professional development to learn new ways of meeting those needs.

The Cayuga-Onondaga Teacher Center helps address these professional development needs. Teachers who need information about ADHD, differentiated instruction, autism, response to intervention, literacy instruction, developmental issues and needs of many groups and conditions, uses of technology in instruction, etc., can get the necessary information either through professional presentations or from the many other resources available.

The Teacher Center also makes use of using teachers to teach teachers. Teachers have a wide range of talents and abilities. The Teacher Center provides a venue for teachers to share their knowledge.

It truly is a grass roots organization. All of the services the Teacher Center provides, whether it is educator training, laminating, poster-making, access to technology, or other community services, has but one goal - to help teachers provide the very best instruction and support for our greatest natural resources - our children.

Please support the efforts of our Teacher Centers. When you train one teacher, you are training hundreds of students.

What could be more cost-effective than that?

Ann Payne

Auburn

Payne is an educational consultant