in this issue

Where Have All the Teachers Gone?
Education in Crisis

The Teacher Education Partnership Commission
Recognizing that our country is in the midst of what has been called "Tidal Wave II" or the "Baby Boom Echo," the Maricopa County Community College District is taking a major role in Maricopa County, the state and the nation in an effort to assist community colleges involvement in easing the teacher shortage and elevating the teaching profession with well-prepared and quality teachers.

The District's efforts first began this past fall when Chancellor Fred Gaskin with the assistance of Dr. Anna Solley (Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Student Development) established a Teacher Education Partnership Commission in Maricopa County. The Commission is composed of education, business and government leaders. Its major purpose has been to address the preK-12 teacher recruitment, preparation and retention issues in Maricopa County and to respond as a partnership in the establishment of programs and services.

The Community Forum
The Commission sponsored its first community forum, "Where Have All the Teachers Gone? Education in Crisis," on March 6 at the La Sala Ballroom of Arizona State University West. The forum addressed four major issues in the K-12 teacher shortage - teacher recruitment and retention; respect for teaching as a profession; current initiatives and programs and information on the Teacher Education Partnership Commission. Ideas were solicited from forum participants on the issues of teacher recruitment, preparation and retention. Over 200 business, education and community leaders attended.

The Commission plans to use the information gathered at the forum in developing programs and activities to address the recruitment, preparation and retention of teachers and to plan future community forums. For additional information on the forum, check out www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/events/tepc0301/.

Other Action Taken by the Maricopa Community Colleges:

Dr. Gaskin recently met with Dr. Rod Paige, Secretary of Education, at an American Association of Community Colleges gathering in Washington, DC. "Dr. Paige praised the development of the Teacher Education Partnership Commission and encouraged Maricopa Community Colleges as well as all community colleges to assume a leadership role in the preparation of teachers," Dr. Gaskin said.

Any number of community colleges in several states now have teacher education programs. The Maricopa Community Colleges, for example, have been very instrumental in preparing students for careers in education in partnership with state universities, school districts and community organizations. Glendale Community College is developing a partnership with Arizona State University West who will begin delivering the upper division education courses for the BA in Elementary Education degree on the Glendale campus beginning in the fall 2001. A similar agreement is underway with the main ASU campus and South Mountain Community College.

 

"It is clear, that there is definite need for a voice for community colleges. Community colleges with teacher education programs need a common ground, a place to gather and share information and a common voice." --Dr. Anna Solley

Other Maricopa Community Colleges' partnership efforts have ranged from introductory education courses to structured and articulated 2+2+2 programs as well as activities and services funded by federal grants.

In California, there are currently thirty-three such programs, in one stage or another of development, with more to follow. Programs also exist or are under consideration in Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Virginia. No doubt there are others, but currently there is no way to know for certain. There is no clearinghouse or repository for information; there is no registry or listing of such programs and the people who direct them. There is no conference or convention at which they come together. Indeed, when those involved in these programs attend national conferences on teacher preparation, they usually find no programs devoted to their needs. At one recent national teacher education conference, the director of a community college program found herself to be the only person from a community college in attendance.

Even though all of this is going on in community colleges around the country, those at the state and national levels who make and influence policy, who provide budget money, who award grant money from both public and private sources, are often uninformed. They are unaware of the crucial role being played by community colleges in teacher preparation. Because of that, community colleges are not getting their fair share of resources, of recognition and of influence in the development of policy with regard to teacher education.

"It is clear," Dr. Solley said, "that there is definite need for a voice for community colleges. Community colleges with teacher education programs need a common ground, a place to gather and share information and a common voice."

The Maricopa Community College District and Cerritos College (Norwalk, California) propose the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) which could become all of those things.

For more information on the Teacher Education Partnership Commission and its activities, contact Dr. Anna Solley.