The Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators

A State Unit of the Association of Teacher Educators
and The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

 

Summer Leadership Institute
Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR)
Washington, DC June 18-20, 2007

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)
Day on the Hill
June 21, 2007

The Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR) met in Washington, D.C., for the annual summer leadership institute. Approximately 40 state representatives were in attendance. A three-day schedule of meetings was conducted and focused on the following issues in order of length on the agenda and standing of importance:

  1. Significant and often spirited discussions were held regarding the recent vote taken at the AACTE annual meeting for the passage of Resolution 54. Resolution 54 calls to the membership to reaffirm AACTE's strong commitment to national accreditation with a single accrediting system guided by a common set of principles for teacher preparation programs. Sharon Robinson, President and CEO of AACTE delivered the opening presentation as well as provided background information about the development and growth of the two accrediting bodies, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accrediting Council (TEAC). No resolution to the issue was reached. AACTE appeared to conclude that they could work with two accrediting bodies but must insist on all accrediting bodies working under the same guiding principles.

  2. A significant amount of dialogue was held regarding the dues structure required by AACTE. There was concern that we had discussed this same issue last summer and no resolution had yet been reached. After careful consideration of the concerns presented by state representatives during the first day, the Membership Dues Committee from AACTE prepared a resolution to the presented to the board that will be implemented in time for a vote at the AACTE 2008 Annual conference. Elements of the resolution include the following:
    • Affordability of a dues by small, under-resourced teacher education units and institutions
    • More transparency for AACTE revenues and expenditures
    • A range of services and values provided to state affiliates and member institutions
    • Support for both NCATE and TEAC consistent with Resolution 54

  3. ACSR was joined on the third day by other members of AACTE to participate on the AACTE Day on the Hill. 150 participants were briefed on the budget proposals that were currently under consideration in the legislature. Most emphasis was placed on Title II Higher Education Partnership Grants, the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the Higher Education Act, and strengthening existing legislation for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teacher shortage. To support the AACTE message, I had meetings with the following legislators:
    • Senator Arlen Specter
    • Senator Bob Casey
    • Congressman Joseph Pitts

 

Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Jane S. Bray
Dean, School of Education
Millersville University of Pennsylvania

 

psl 7/2007