Meet Ms. Kathleen Young, Teacher at Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus

Ms. Kathleen Young, teacher at Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus was recently asked to speak at national annual conferences in the past and has had the pleasure of presenting at the State conference on a number of occasions - most recently this past November with colleagues from the Catskill region. Ms. Young and the group presented a session focused on “quick tools” to use in Physical Education. Ms. Young also presented a Q and A session for prospective National Board candidates in the fields of Physical Education and Health Education. While attending the NYS Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance statewide annual conference. Ms. Young was able to learn more about physical literacy, the latest developments in State and National Physical Education standards, best practices in Physical Education, the latest technology advances for Physical Education classrooms, the newest research in kinesthetic learning and brain development, and a range of other topics.  

More about Ms. Young and her career as an educator:

In 1984, Ms. Young graduated from St Francis College in Brooklyn with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education K-12 and began teaching in New York City. Ms. Young earned a master’s degree in Health Education from CUNY Brooklyn College a few years later. After moving to Orange County and doing the substitute teacher circuit, Ms. Young taught in Greenwood Lake UFSD for several years and in 2006, was hired by NECSD to be a Physical Education teacher specifically teaching Aquatics.

“Our high school Aquatics program has changed drastically since I got here 13 years ago. We currently offer an Aquatics course which focuses on learning strokes, swimming as fitness and other aquatic activities, as well as a Lifeguard Training class where our students can earn their American Red Cross Lifeguard certification. I have certified over 20 students each year as lifeguards since the program’s inception. This spring we are introducing our first after school learn to swim program through the Empire State After School program.” Ms. Kathleen Young, National Board Certified Teacher at Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus

In 2013, Ms. Young achieved National Board Certification and shortly after became a trained Professional Learning Facilitator who supports National Board Candidates through the rigorous process. Ms. Young is also an adjunct professor at Empire State College through the National Board program. At this time, our district currently has about 20 teachers pursuing National Board Certification and Ms. Young is very proud to be able to support their endeavors.

Because of Ms. Young’s work with National Board candidates, she was one of seven teachers from various areas around the state, chosen from over 1900 National Board Certified Teachers, who was asked to tell their tale. Ms. Young wrote an article that was part of the publication called “Regional Stories from the Field” which, in part, tells of her journey from teacher to teacher leader and the impact she has had in that role.  

Ms. Young is currently active in several professional organizations including SHAPE America (a national professional organization for her focus area) and NYS Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (the state organization for her focus area).

Ms. Young is currently part of the NYS Physical Education Learning Standards Committee.  Working with NYS Education Department, this group of invited professionals who are K-12 teachers, college professors in teacher preparation programs, researchers and published authors in the fields of physical education, kinesiology, movement learning, and curriculum are reviewing and revising the current NYS Physical Education Learning Standards. These standards should be available for the first round of public comment in the late spring or early summer of 2019 and will impact the direction of Physical Education for the next 25 - 30 years.

Ms. Young is a member of the NYSUT Subject Area Committee for Health, Physical Education and Family and Consumer Sciences, tackling myriad statewide issues that impact learning in the field. Most recently, Ms. Young was part of a group of Health and Physical Education teachers that presented on the recently passed NYS law that mandates Mental Health education in schools and what that means for teachers in the classroom.  

“Every day, I am a teacher, mentor and role model for my students. Without my students, none of the rest would be possible.” Ms. Kathleen Young, National Board Certified Teacher at Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus

Ms. Kathleen Young is joined by seven active National Board Certified Teachers and a total of 23 National Board Certified Teachers who are active, inactive, or retired throughout the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Achieving national certification as a National Board Certified Teacher is extraordinarily difficult. Candidates typically spend 200-400 hours of their own time having their teaching assessed against rigorous standards through an extensive series of performance-based assessments, including teaching portfolios, student work samples, videotapes and thorough analyses and reflection of the candidate’s teaching and student learning. The process involves written exercises that probe the depth of the candidate’s subject area knowledge as well as their understanding of how to teach those subjects.

ATTENTION: Are your scholars or colleagues doing something great? Please contact the district Communications Team at communications@necsd.net. We’d love to visit your class or event and/or post your pictures and recap to highlight the amazing accomplishments throughout our district!