Dear NACCTEP Members,
Welcome to the 2010-2011 academic year with all of its rewards and challenges. To our new members, “We are happy to have you aboard!” To our returning members, “Thank you, again, for your continued good work and support of the organization!”
During this time of year, many note that teaching is the profession that makes all other professions possible. You may not know the name of the person who constructed your house or who assembled your car, but you certainly remember the name of your first grade teacher! Teachers create memories that last a lifetime and NACCTEP is actively building partnerships and promoting community college teacher education programs to ensure that future generations will remember the names of their teachers as well.
A number of studies have noted that more than 50 percent of our current U.S. teachers attended a community college for at least part of their education. Many of our mathematics and science teachers elected to take their mathematics and science classes at community colleges. These studies’ results obligate our institutions to provide not just good -- but great-- educational experiences for our teacher candidates.
NACCTEP engages in a working partnership with the National Science Foundation to promote STEM education and community college grant programs. Realizing that many Early Childhood teachers – if not most – begin their experiences in community colleges, NACCTEP also works closely with Head Start and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Its partnerships with the American Association of Community Colleges (as an Affiliate Council) and the League for Innovation in the Community College (NACCTEP founding partner) help to provide greater access to “cutting edge practices” for our members. And its outstanding working relationship and partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education helps to foster good working relationships to support better articulation between two-year and four-year teacher preparation programs.
NACCTEP conferences are great places to initiate friendships, connect with, and support the work of outstanding community college teacher educators, and learn more about world-class practices which members can bring to their campus or share with other campuses.
Decide today to become an active member of this organization! Mark your calendars NOW for the annual conference in San Diego, California. Encourage colleagues who have not participated in the conference before to come and see what they have been missing. They will be glad that they did! teacher education. These are truly exciting times to be a community college teacher educator!
Even more immediately, stay tuned to NBC on September 27th.The network's program developers are working on a project to include a focus on teacher education. These are truly exciting times to be a community college teacher educator!
In the meantime, I wish the best for all of you during this upcoming school year! It should be a great year to be a part of NACCTEP!
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