31 Betsy Rogers 2005 <p>TLN member Betsy Rogers, a 20-year teaching veteran from Alabama, was named National Teacher of the Year in 2003. Betsy spent her year as National Teacher traveling the country and talking with educators about her belief that the best way to close the equity gap is to put the strongest teachers in the weakest schools. After finishing her tour, she decided to practice what she preached, choosing to work at Brighton Elementary School, the &quot;neediest school&quot; in Jefferson County, Alabama, where she's engaged as a curriculum leader and coach. Betsy reflects on her experiences at Brighton in a weekly blog at the Education Week website. Her honesty and her willingness to question her own readiness to make a difference in this high-need school make for powerful reading. (May require free registration)</p><p>Rogers, B. (2005). Teacher of the year blog. Retrieved from Edweek 18 Apr 2008. Link: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/brogers/</p> http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/brogers/