Dear NACCTEP Members,
The future we face at our community colleges is growing more and more challenging. We all have to devise creative strategies to meet the needs of our students, especially those who are entering the field of education. States are slashing education budgets across the country in the wake of this unprecedented economic downturn, and teachers are not immune from legislators’ red pens.
That is why the role NACCTEP fills is more important than ever. We must continue to recruit new members, market our efforts to our communities, and advocate for increased funding for teacher education. In spite of the challenging economic times, teaching remains one of the most important career fields in our country, and there remains a strong demand for teachers in mathematics- and science-related fields. We must encourage prospective educators to enter these fields.
Many state governments have recognized the great need for STEM educators. In my home state of Georgia, the Legislature passed a bill in this session that would pay first-year science and mathematics teachers the same rate of pay as a teacher with five years of experience. This kind of aggressive and progressive action is what we need to increase the number of teachers in STEM-related fields.
NACCTEP members learned about progressive approaches to education at the 7th annual NACCTEP conference, held in Reno, Nevada, from March 13-15. If a common theme could be identified from the myriad of sessions conducted throughout the weekend, it would have to be “innovation.” Experts and educators from a broad cross section of our field hosted a wide variety of discussions, all of which had one goal in mind: utilize creative and innovative strategies, including strengthening partnerships with other agencies and schools, in order to improve the education environment for our current and future educators, and their students. Each and every session was packed with valuable information.
All in all, the conference was a wonderful experience, and energized and empowered each attendee to carry the NACCTEP message back to our communities. My best wishes to each of your institutions as you prepare to conclude spring term and send very well-prepared students into the next phase of their college education or to begin their careers as productive employees. |
