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

 

President's Report
TEA Annual Meeting
October 25, 2007

Over the Past Year
As I prepared my report I thought of listing the meetings that I had attended. After all I did that last October. Then I realized that the list would be long and questionably meaningful. You have already had access to notes about most of these meetings as I shared them via TidBits. I attended at least six professional conferences, including three national conferences. I attended each of the six State Board of Education meetings. I testified at three hearings on Chapter 49-2. There were PAC-TE obligations and meetings with legislators and PDE. Finally, PAC-TE held a Task Force Meeting on Program Approval.

The Task Force Meeting on Program Approval was an effective forum for gathering input. Participation by organizations involved with teachers and education was exceptional. It was held in late September and brought together a diverse group that was able to make some meaningful recommendations about enhancing this process. Specifics were shared with the PAC-TE Board. This process proved to be a meaningful way to develop consensus.

This has been a busy year and leaves us now waiting anxiously for the guidelines from PDE so we can implement Chapter 49-2 which was finally published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin in September. This may be the most difficult part of this process of dramatic modifications for teacher preparation in our state. At best, it will require patience as we await the careful development of the specifics. Our peers are being included in the process and we trust that their input will result in definitive direction for our modifications.

Hot Topics
Future consideration will be PAC-TE's potential role in training of team members and chairs for Program Approval. Also to be considered is the need for professional development on IDEA and other issues related to special education for higher education faculty who are not specifically trained in this area. This seems appropriate since the 270 hour requirement for "adaptations and accommodations for diverse learners" may be delivered as integrated content in multiple teacher education courses.

Other Concerns
Special education and the "highly qualified" designation continues to be a concern. We await the development of guidelines from PDE. We need a resolution so that we can graduate students with a special education certification that is highly qualified.

  1. MEETINGS
    1. Center for Teacher Quality - Albuquerque, November 1-4

    2. State Board Meeting, November 20-21

    3. PAC-TE Conference call board meeting, January 12
    4. State Board Meeting, January 17-18
      PMSA Planning Meeting - Lewistown, January 18

    5. PaTTAN Leadership Training, February 5-6

    6. ATE National Conference - San Diego, February 17-21

    7. Meet Congresswoman B. McIlwaine, February 5
      PMSA - Harrisburg - Presentation Chapter 49-2

    8. State Board Meeting - Harrisburg, March 21-22

    9. Chapter 49-2 Senate Hearing - Harrisburg, March 28

    10. PAC-TE Board meeting - State College, April 12

    11. PAC-TE Spring Conference - State College, April 13

    12. Program Approval Visit - Reading, April 23-24

    13. Chapter 49-2 House Hearing - Harrisburg, May 4
      PAC-TE TEA Proposal Reviews - State College

    14. State Board Meeting - Harrisburg, May 16-17

    15. Student Teacher Conference - Slippery Rock, June 15-16

    16. PAC-TE Summer Retreat - State College, June 21-22

    17. State Board Meeting - Harrisburg, July 18-19

    18. IRRC Hearing on Chapter 49-2 - Harrisburg, August 16
      Lunch with Terry Barnaby

    19. State Board Meeting - Harrisburg, September 18-19

    20. PAC-TE Conference Call board meeting, September 21

    21. PAC-TE Task Force meeting - Harrisburg, September 24

    22. Panel on Chapter 49-2 - Slippery Rock, October 19

    23. Telephone meeting with Terry Barnaby, October 23

  2. FUTURE PROJECTS
    1. Program approval
    2. Cooperate with PDE in training for program approval
    3. Professional development on special education

  3. OTHER CONCERNS
    1. PDE and Guideline Development

    2. Special education and HQ

Submitted by:
Clythera S. Hornung
PAC-TE President