Message From The President

Dear NACCTEP Members and Friends,

If you joined us last weekend, in San Diego, you probably will join me in saying, "Wow! What a weekend!" The 9th Annual NACCTEP Conference was amazing!
Whether you joined us for the Friday Forums, Welcome and Networking Reception, Breakfast Session, breakout sessions, Student Panel, or closing Roundtables, every segment proved to be memorable in its own right.

Coming from New Orleans, where conference session attendance often competes with surrounding visitor attractions, my first thought was, "Ah! San Diego - warm weather, sunny days, and beautiful beaches! Those will compete for session attendance!" For those of you unable to join us, the weekend was one of the coldest on record for the area with snow in the surrounding mountains and as far north as San Francisco. The sunny, warm weather did break-through on our last day there, but session attendance remained high throughout the conference. Everything was great! READ MORE

Director's Note

Dear NACCTEP Members,

What an incredible conference in San Diego! I was overwhelmed by the energy and exchange that took place during our ninth annual conference. I thank San Diego Mesa College for being such a great host. Their student volunteers did a phenomenal job assisting with conference operations. READ MORE

Reflections of a First Year Teacher – Part 4

Melissa Rose Nelson, a former National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs Scholarship recipient, has agreed to write a series of articles for this year's Newsletter documenting her experiences as a first year teacher. This edition contains Part 4, a look at her first semester as a new teacher. (See her previous articles in the September and December 2010 editions.) READ MORE

"New federal legislation allows states to classify teaching interns as 'highly qualified' teachers and regularly assign them to schools with mostly poor, minority students. The measure, which remains in effect until the end of the 2012-13 school year, was signed Dec. 22 by President Barack Obama as part of an unrelated federal spending bill" (Chea, 2011). READ MORE

The 9th Annual NACCTEP national conference was a huge success. While students have always been welcome to attend the conference, this is the first year that students were invited to take an active role and to submit proposals for a conference session. The conference theme was Making Waves in Community College Teacher Preparation Programs, and the intent was to have students share their experiences and make connections with fellow education majors and teacher educators nationwide. The NACCTEP Executive Board invited two students, Graham Dawkins and Scott Philips, to share their thoughts about their conference experience. What follows are the questions and answers the students provided. READ MORE

Nearly every individual is an Early Childhood teacher. It may not be in a classroom setting; but whether you are a classroom teacher, parent, sibling, aunt/uncle, caretaker, grandparent, or employer, it is very likely that you touch the life of at least one infant or young, pre-school child.

A number of individuals, over the past several years, have commented to me, "Oh, well, your specialty is Early Childhood." Actually, by formal education and professional experience, it is not. It is an area in which I have learned to appreciate both its critical nature and its complexity. READ MORE

Historically, Dr. William H. Holtzclaw founded Hinds Community College - Utica Campus (HCC-UT) as a Normal Institute to train young men and women of color to become teachers. Dr. Holtzclaw knew that teaching, the quintessential profession, was the pipeline to move people and therefore, important to improve the quality of life for rural communities. This legacy was necessary to embrace because it served as the focus of the Teacher Education Preparation Program's goals, objectives, and initiatives on the national dilemma of having African American males in the classroom. READ MORE

Tecolote Canyon Day at Mesa College: A Successful College-Community Partnership

By Don Barrie, Lina Heil, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA

As the chill of winter recedes and spring approaches, San Diego Mesa College (Mesa College) is preparing to celebrate its fourth annual Tecolote Canyon Day event. Tecolote Canyon Day is a campus- and community-wide celebration of nearby Tecolote Canyon, which borders our college on two sides. In collaboration with representatives of the various neighborhoods surrounding Mesa College, our goal is to create an ongoing college-community partnership focusing on outreach, education, and the preservation of Tecolote Canyon. READ MORE

All National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) members are invited to nominate Executive Board candidates.
All nominees must be a member of NACCTEP, active in teacher education, and have institutional support to serve for the term of office. The NACCTEP Operating Procedures includes a description of the duties for each position. The Operating Procedures may be accessed HERE.

Open Positions 2011-2012

President Elect: must be willing to make a three-year commitment to the organization, one year as President Elect, one year as President, and one year as Past President; past experience on the Executive Board required

Treasurer: two-year term; past experience on the Executive Board required

Member at Large: two-year term; three positions open

Process for Nominations

Each nominee must submit a packet to the NACCTEP office at 2411 West 14th Street, Tempe, AZ, 85281. The packet will include: letter of intent/statement of candidacy which will be posted on the NACCTEP website if selected by the committee; biographical information; a recent photo; and a supporting letter from the institution reflecting financial support for traveling to Board meetings and the national conference.

All packets must be received by Monday, April 4, 2011. The packets will be forwarded to the members of the Nominating Committee by Friday, April 8, 2011.

To best serve the organization, the Nominating Committee will confirm the slate of candidates by Friday, April 22, 2011. Candidates will be notified of selections by Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

Ballots will be emailed to all NACCTEP members by Monday, May 2, 2011.

The new Board will be announced Thursday, May 19, 2011.

The National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) is proud to offer two $1,000 scholarships to students at member colleges who are studying to become teachers. In these difficult economic times, we understand that students continue to need financial assistance to help them realize their dreams. We are dedicated to helping two students on their way to becoming educators.

Click here to find out more about this scholarship opportunity.

Scholarship applications, and all associated documentation, are due by Friday, April 22, 2011.

The goal of this scholarship program is to provide graduates with a smooth transition between the two-year teacher education associate's degree programs and finishing their bachelor's degree online. As part of the program, WGU will provide both graduates and staff members of a NACCTEP member institution the following benefits:

• An application fee waiver (a $65 savings).
• Eligibility to apply for the WGU NACCTEP Teacher Education Scholarship - WGU has agreed to fund 20 annual scholarships, each valued up to $2,000, which are disbursed at $500 per six-month term for up to four terms.
• This scholarship is available only for graduates and staff members who want to earn one of WGU's teaching degrees.

Details can be found by clicking here.