Interim Director Welcome

Dear NACCTEP Members:

In an effort to be more environmentally friendly this Newsletter is being sent to you in an electronic format. We hope that you will take advantage of this format by forwarding the Newsletter to colleagues and students.

For this edition, I would like to focus on an ongoing struggle. As the Executive Board and I have interacted with numerous groups and associations over the past year, one item continues to surface. I am still surprised by the number of individuals who are unaware of the role community colleges play in teacher education. As we share information about what we do, they are always impressed by the diversity of our programs and the number of practicing and future teachers that we reach.

NACCTEP recently had the opportunity to write an editorial for the SouthEast Education Network (SEEN) magazine. SEEN Magazine is a resource for adult professionals dedicated to educational development, products, services, and travel. The editorial, The Crucial Role of Community Colleges in Teacher Preparation and Professional Development, highlights the evolving role of community colleges in teacher preparation, the benefits of attending community colleges, the variety of programs and delivery options, and partnership and articulation efforts. In particular, NACCTEP is promoted as an important voice for community colleges in national discussions about teacher education, and as a resource for current and developing program faculty and staff.

While we are very aware of what we do, we need to continue to share our successes and tell our story. We need to work with others outside of our “groups”. We must continue to share information and explore working partnerships internally and externally. It is through these efforts that partnerships are created, programs are implemented, and teachers are developed.

Sincerely,

Ray A. Ostos
NACCTEP Interim Executive Director

*As a footnote, the new addition to my family, Madeleine Mae, finally arrived on September 17th.