The Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher EducatorsA State Unit of the Association of Teacher Educators
and The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Executive Director's Report
October 29-30, 2008
As I approach the ninth anniversary of my appointment as PAC-TE's Executive Director, I would like to take the opportunity to provide my perspective on a number of organizational components and activities.
Last February, PAC-TE was once again recognized with an award from the Association of Teacher Educators in the category of Articulation with the National Office. Thanks once again to Mary Dupuis for submitting an exemplary application on PAC-TE's behalf.
The Association of Teacher Educators, one of our two national affiliates, will hold its annual conference in Dallas from February 14-18, 2009. PAC-TE members are strongly encouraged to join ATE and to attend the national and summer conferences sponsored by the organization.
Past President Clythera Hornung was successful in writing, submitting and funding a proposal to the Leadership Fund for Teacher Education. The $1,000 grant to be matched by PAC-TE funds will be used to plan workshops for teacher educators to develop competencies for teaching students with exceptionalities.
The PAC-TE Board of Directors has experienced dramatic changes in profile due to two term limits of John Criswell, Jim Nolan, Fred Savitz, and Theona Waxbom, all of whom rendered outstanding service to the organization. They have been replaced by Linda Norris (IUP), Jacqueline Edmonson (Penn State), Lew Strouse (Carnegie Mellon), and John Butzow (IUP, retired). Each of these successfully elected individuals shows evidence of evolving into extremely competent and dedicated board members.
An era of organizational fiscal prosperity and accountability for PAC-TE came to an abrupt, but temporary, disruption with the June 2008 resignation of long-time treasurer Susan Criswell. Dr. Criswell performed at an extremely competent and diligent level as treasurer. She has been replaced on an interim basis by past-president Clythera Hornung who has stepped in and function in yeoman fashion. Perhaps if the U.S. Governor had provided the type of oversight over financial institutions as these two women have provided for PAC-TE, a bailout program nit not have been needed.
The PAC-TE-PERA partnership, now in its third year, is, from my perspective, functioning very well. I am pleased to work with PERA's leadership toward the best ends of both organizations.
Attendance at PAC-TE conferences continues to be very good, largely thanks to the timely and inviting programs put into place by the planning committees. Kathy Ruthkosky and Beverly Melenyzer have both been terrific and successful chairs of the spring and fall 2008 conferences and have been supported by hard working planning committees.
The spring 2009 conference is scheduled for Friday, April 17, at the Penn State Conference Center in State College. The program is yet to be determined. There is also a possibility that the Pa. Department of Education might conduct a conference session on Thursday, April 16, thereby making it more convenient for individuals to attend both sessions while keeping travel to a minimum.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to Terry Blue for the work he has done in identifying this year's slate of candidates for election to PAC-TE positions.
In addition to serving as interim treasurer, Clythera Hornung also chaired the Teacher Educator of the Year award committee along with Fred Savitz, Kathy Ruthkosky, and yours truly as members. Thanks to Cly and the committee for their thoroughness and objectivity in working through this process.
Membership in our organization is a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that institutional memberships were at an all-time high in 2007-08 with 73 institutional members. Early indications for 2008-09 are that the same number should be achieved by the end of the calendar year. Conversely, individual membership were at a nine-year low of 116 in 2007-08. Individual membership payments for 2008-09 thus far are no better than at the same time last year. The good news is that the number of new individual members is encouraging. The organization must try some new initiatives designed to increase individual membership if PAC-TE is to remain a viable force in support of quality teacher education.
As I begin my tenth and final year as PAC-TE's executive director, let's continue to work together to have our organization at the forefront of promoting high quality teacher preparation. Liz Murrary in her work, From Homeless to Harvard said it very well: "You already make a difference. It is a matter of choosing the difference you want to make."
James R. Flynn
Executive Director