Director Welcome

Dear NACCTEP Members:

While I have had the privilege of serving in an acting capacity for the past year, I am pleased to introduce myself as the new NACCTEP Executive Director. I will continue to work diligently with the Executive Board to support the membership and further expand the community college role in the recruitment, preparation, retention, and renewal of diverse PreK-12 teachers.

One of the important roles of NACCTEP is to provide information, resources, and data. Next month, there will be two new publications available for members to download on the NACCTEP website, www.nacctep.org. The first is the 2008 NACCTEP Member Profile Survey, which was created to profile the numerous and diverse member teacher education programs at NACCTEP member institutions. The report outlines program options, student demographics, and articulation, and collaboration efforts at member colleges, as well as identifying current issues and trends. The second publication is the recently updated 10 Myths & Realities About Community College Teacher Education Programs brochure. This document has been very popular with our members and educational partners, and the new edition was recently featured in the Community College Week January 26, 2009, issue.

NACCTEP has worked closely with members to update the application and selection process for the NACCTEP National Scholarship program. The 2009-2010 scholarship application is now available online at www.nacctep.edu. Please encourage your students to apply for these $1000 scholarships. Applications will be accepted through Friday, April 24, 2009.

On another note, NACCTEP is fully aware of the current economic crisis as it continues to affect us personally and professionally in many ways. The impact on many community colleges has been detrimental. While community colleges are having their budgets cut, student enrollment is on the rise in many states. Colleges are trying to meet the needs of additional students with less resources and personnel.

Although each state and college has their own issues, there are talented, informed, and visionary educators out there devising solutions. One thing that NACCTEP can provide is a forum to share information and ideas. The next Policy Brief will contain articles focusing on current budget issues and identifying how colleges are coping with those issues. There will also be a summary of discussions from the NACCTEP conference’s Regional Roundtable Sessions on March 14, 2009. NACCTEP welcomes any articles you would like to share with your colleagues. These articles can include those you find already published as well as those you would like to write about how your institution is rising to the challenge in these difficult times. Please email information to Kelly Dooling at kelly.dooling@domail.maricopa.edu.

I look forward to working with all of you.