A ZEST FOR TEACHING; EDUCATOR'S WORK LEADS TO AWARDS, CLASSROOM FUN.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

In Mary Bonenfant's classroom at Parthenia Street Elementary School, preschoolers are never bored, cranky or tired. They're too busy learning.

During their 2-1/2-hour stay in Bonenfant's classroom, pupils fly from one activity to another. At one table, they practice counting to 10 by pasting lima beans on green paper pea pods.

In another corner of the room, they cut up carrots and plant the tops in paper cups after reading a story about the orange vegetable and, as if that's not enough, the entire class gathers later to re-enact the story of ``The Three Little Pigs'' replete with reproductions of the straw, wood and brick houses.

``I don't want to move from this class,'' said Christina Garcia, who postponed moving out of the area so that her son would not miss a day of Bonenfant's class. ``She's so great.''

The Simi Valley resident also is one of 46 teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District - and 12 in the San Fernando Valley - who recently won the prestigious certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Just a year ago, only one LAUSD teacher was certified, Myra LeBendig.

But that changed dramatically last year after United Teachers Los Angeles negotiated a contract that gives teachers a 15 percent salary increase plus a one-time $10,000 bonus from the state of California for becoming nationally certified.

UTLA president Day Higuchi said teacher compensation made the difference.

``The difference between the number of national-certified teachers we had in this district before the 15 percent salary increase incentive and the number we have now - with 200 more candidates applying for National Board certification for the 1998-99 school year - speaks volumes about the level of teacher compensation in general and the connection of compensation to quality,'' Higuchi said.

Yet Higuchi said he doesn't consider the 15 percent increase incentive merit pay - something the teachers union steadfastly opposes.

``It's pay for knowledge and skills,'' Higuchi said. ``It's not based on test scores or anything like that. It's based on a very difficult assessment of whether or not you're an accomplished teacher as seen by the eyes of some very critical and demanding teachers.''

UTLA and members of eight other bargaining units are asking for a 4 percent pay raise on top of a 2 percent salary increase this year. The median teacher salary in LAUSD is $44,500.

For Bonenfant, the reward goes beyond financial gain. National certification means she exemplifies the highest teaching standards in the country - a boon to her students, many of whom speak Spanish at home.

``I took a big risk,'' said Bonenfant, who had to pay a $2,000 application fee out of her own pocket. ``There was only one teacher in LAUSD who had (national certification), and I know from experience there's a lot of outstanding teachers out there. I was willing to take the risk and try. That was my most motivating factor.''

To receive certification, teachers must undergo a grueling process in which they must document knowledge of their subject matter through extensive portfolios, videotapes and samples of student work. They also must complete a series of written exercises that examine the depth of their knowledge as well as their understanding of how to teach their subject matter to students.

To receive certification, Bonenfant submitted six 10-page portfolios, two videotapes and endured a six-hour exam of written essays.

One of her requirements was to hold a large group discussion - with 4-year-olds. She met the challenge by having her preschoolers discuss, then assemble a dinosaur's nest out of a child's wading pool, butcher paper and papier-mache eggs.

``It's not an easy task, but you have to give it everything you've got,'' she said, laughing.

From January through April, Bonenfant worked on her application at home, carving out time on evenings and weekends and eschewing get-togethers with her two teen-age daughters, Rebecca and Heidi. Bonenfant worked 400 hours documenting her work based on samples of student work.

``She's not only an exemplary teacher but an exemplary human being,'' said Principal Marcia Jackman, who noted that Bonenfant also mentored 11 new teachers while seeking national certification. ``She really sees where (the children) are and where she wants to take them, and she devises the best way to take them there.''

Garcia, a parent volunteer, said she is impressed by the variety of Bonenfant's classroom activities. She said her 4-year-old son, Niko, enjoys school so much that he comes home singing everyday and has recently asked for a computer - not toys - this Christmas.

``I didn't know preschool was this exciting,'' said Garcia, who has worked as a teacher's aide in a kindergarten classroom. ``You walk in the room and see the teacher is involved and the children are involved.''

Danna Barker, a student teacher working with Bonenfant, said she goes home exhausted at the end of the day.

``You look around the classroom - she's got them doing something everyday,'' Barker said. ``She draws them in, she gets down to their level.''

For Bonenfant, a teacher since 1977, there's no other way to reach her students.

``It seems like we're just playing, but it's all leading somewhere,'' Bonenfant said while completing a three-week unit on farms.

During the past few weeks, students have been learning about common plants and animals found on farms. That has meant planting beans and carrot tops in plastic cups, working on computer programs, puzzles and games with farm themes and reading stories featuring farm animals such as ``The Three Little Pigs.''

And parents, who are required to attend monthly meetings at the school, recently learned how to make stick horses out of yarn, wool and heavy-duty plastic pipes. During class, the children straddle the handmade horses in a play area made to look like a farm, complete with a bale of hay.

``It's so rewarding, the kids love it,'' Bonenfant said. ``The reward is work.''

HONORED TEACHERS

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, 12 San Fernando Valley teachers have achieved National Board certification, a grueling process in which candidates must document knowledge of their subject with teaching portfolios, student work samples and videotapes. Below are teachers who meet the highest standards of their profession:

Barbara J. Blakley, Riverside Drive Elementary School

Mary T. Bonenfant, Parthenia Street Elementary School

Paige Kendrix, Francis Poly/North Hollywood Cluster

Bernice Krieger, Pacoima Computer/Science/Math Magnet

Barbara Yvette Le Winter, Valerio Street Elementary School

Dana A. Logan, Sunland Elementary School

Adrienne M. Mack, Birmingham Journalism Magnet

Mary K. Olson, Kennedy High School

Stacy L. Sinclair, Millikan Middle School

Cheryl R. Snider, Taft High School

Viviane K. Wallick, Grant High School

Mary J. Whiteley, Strathern Street Elementary School

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--2--Color in Bulldog Edition) Teacher Mary Bonenfant, center, works with pupils in her classroom at Parthenia Street Elementary School in North Hills.

(3--Color--Ran in Bulldog Edition only) Mary Bonenfant won certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

David R. Crane/Daily News

BOX: HONORED TEACHERS (see text)