Jerry Parks earned B.S., M.A., & Ed.S degrees in education from Eastern Kentucky University, and completed additional graduate work at the University of Kentucky. He became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2002, and has received numerous "Teacher of the Year" honors at the local, state, and national level. He is a member of the USA-TODAY All-American Teacher Team, was recently inducted into the National Teachers' Hall of Fame. He is a regular speaker at National Middle School Association conferences, and has served as a Regional Coordinator for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the state of Kentucky. He is currently instructor of social studies at Georgetown Middle School in Georgetown, Kentucky. Dr. Parks' other works include. "So, You Want to Become a National Board Certified Teacher?" "Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate: A Facilitator's Guide" "Teacher Under Construction: Things I Wish I'd Known," "Helpl! My Child is Starting Middle School!" "With Joseph in the University of Adversity: The Mizraim Principles"