This June marks the end of my term as NJACTE President. It has been a great experience getting to know our members and share in the collective work we do for educator preparation in the State of New Jersey. In addition to our lively monthly meetings, our three annual events serve as an anchor for our activities, which gives us a solid foundation on which to grow and advance our ideas.
Every fall we have our Convening on Diversifying the Teacher Workforce, which has blossomed into a three week hybrid event, attracting presentations from across our membership. This event shows our communities just how important diversity is to the future of the teaching profession, not only in New Jersey, but nationwide. Every spring we have our Day of Assessment, which began as an in-person event, and then with the pandemic, moved to a virtual format that now attracts folks from colleges and universities from across the country and beyond. At the end of each academic year, we have been fortunate to be able to continue the tradition of providing sponsorship to support an event to celebrate the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE)’s Distinguished Clinical Intern Award recipients.
In thanks to the national office with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), we have enjoyed ongoing professional development through the Fall State Leader’s Institute, the Annual Convention, and Washington Week. And, we are not alone – there is also the Northeast Region of the Advisory Council of State Representatives, of which our own Past-President, Dr. Stacey Leftwich is the Chair. This group allows us to connect with our fellow state affiliates, to share best practices and ideas for engaging the membership.
As the year comes to a close, I want to thank each of you for your energy and enthusiasm. I often reflect on the saying, “Think Globally, Act Locally.” Our work does just that. By focusing on our own campuses and the commonalities across New Jersey, we are putting our efforts to good use that has a ripple effect to our region and to the other state affiliate groups. With that, I want to welcome our new President, Dr. LaChan Hannon; our new President-Elect/Treasurer, Dr. Kate Spence; and our new Secretary, Ms. Lisa Abreu Morel. Onward!
Submitted by:
Dr. Amy Kline
President, NJACTE
Associate Dean, Seton Hall University