| |
AILACTE E-news: March & April 2012
Starting in my new role with AILACTE, I want to first state how exciting it is to be in teacher preparation in 2012, especially in an election year! Exciting? How often in the past history have teacher preparation programs been under such scrutiny? From my perspective, “Great! Bring it on! As independent liberal arts teacher education programs we have a lot of success to share.”
Coming off a very successful 2012 AILACTE Annual Meeting and Conference, I am emboldened with what to say to those that criticize our profession. In Chicago I met colleagues who are leading the way in Teacher Performance Assessment, I heard from undergraduate students who are engaged in significant research, and I witnessed colleagues pushing the boundaries of late 20th century paradigms that needed to be stretched.
As an organization we need to be presenting our strengths. We have commissioners from AILACTE institutions on the new NCATE CAEP Commission on Standards and Performance Rating, we have strong representation on AACTE standing committees, and recently I have had dialogue with the president and vice president of NCTQ, in which I extolled the benefits of a liberal arts prepared teacher. As you engage in more public arena, please pass that news on to us at AILACTE. With the upload of our new website, soon, we will have the opportunity share the news of the organization, at national, regional and state levels.
Within the next month we will go live with our new website. I’m excited about the possibilities this more dynamic website will have. You will be able to stay current with not only news, but also with trends. One key piece will be the White Papers section, accessed by membership only, in which you will be able to read position papers, research reports, and shared data among AILACE institutions.
On the horizon, the AILACTE Executive Board has discussed using the website to help store data about common questions, e.g. “What is the average teaching load for student teaching supervision among AILACTE institutions?” “What percentage of AILACTE institutions have added graduate programs still linked to a liberal arts focus?” We are looking for members to step forward and assist us with these projects. Collectively we can become stronger by the sharing of our research and data and pooling together data that informs those outside our organization of the strength of what AILACTE institutions are doing. In fact, you may already have ideas on data you would like to know.
It has become apparent in this election year that teacher preparation programs are under scrutiny. In an election year, it is politically safer to go after institutions of higher education, and especially teacher preparation programs, than teachers. In my own state there is “political-posturing” about asking the Virginia Department of Education to classify teacher education programs as high, medium, and low performing programs. (Assuming there are surely some at each level?)
Recently, in another state I was visiting, I picked up the local paper to read that we would better off in education if we did away with teacher preparation programs. I can choose to live in a culture of fear, or a culture of advocacy. I choose advocacy. I hope you’ll join me, the AILACTE Executive Committee, and our colleagues in choosing during the next year to become an advocate of what we are doing well! Participate in day-on-the-hill activities at state and national levels. Share the positive research data with us through the AILACTE website, so others can share it within their state or region. Educate those-with-agenda with the truth we live with daily. Increase the dialogue with the critic, but don’t back away.
Sincerely,
Mark Hogan
President
|
