Valdine McLean (NV) and Lisa M. Suarez-Carabello (OH), two exemplary secondary STEM teachers, shared their successes in the classroom and provided recommendations to policymakers on how to address the critical shortage of effective STEM teachers. Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University provided an overview of how other nations invest in the preparation of their STEM teachers in order to sustain a competitive economy. And Robin Willner of IBM provided an business perspective on the critical need for effective STEM teachers to educate our nation’s future workforce. Sharon Robinson, president and CEO of AACTE, will serve as moderator. View testimony of speakers here. View speaker biographies here.

AACTE released a publication, “Preparing STEM Teachers: The Key to Global Competitiveness”, which highlights 50 teacher preparation programs across the country dedicated to increasing the number of effective K-12 STEM educators.

AACTE hosted its annual "Day on the Hill' on June 14th and 15th, 2006 to renew the voice of teacher preparation on Capitol Hill. Some 65 deans and faculty members from 25 states and 43 AACTE institutions participated in the events. Following a preparatory briefing, AACTE members attended a congressional reception for Members of Congress and their staffs. A briefing the next morning on "Teacher Education Reform: Impact of Federal Investments," focused on the effectiveness of P-12, SCDE and state agency partnerships. At the briefing a new AACTE publication was released, entitled, "Teacher Education Reform: The Impact of Federal Investments: Selected Profiles of Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Funded by Title II of the Higher Education Act." Both Capitol Hill events were standing-room-only. AACTE participants then visited congressional offices to urge reauthorization and funding of the Higher Education Act as well as the inclusion of colleges for teacher education in STEM programs. A closing meeting among AACTE members and staff was held to debrief and plan for the future. See photos."

2006 Panalists Included:

• Tygere Charles
  Kindergarten Teacher, Rice Creek Elementary School, Columbia, SC Mrs. Charles has been a teacher for five years, teaching kindergarten through second grade. She received her bachelor’s degree in English language and literature and a master of arts in teaching from the University of South Carolina, where she was in the program supported by a Title II Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant. A member of the Professional Development School Network and of the South Carolina Reading Association, she received the Ingenious Innovator Award for use of technology and virtual manipulatives in the classroom.
• Travis Holden
  Algebra and AP Statistics Teacher, Southgate High School, CA Mr. Holden is completing the Transition to Teaching program at California State University, Dominguez Hills. With an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a master’s in business administration, Mr. Holden left the private sector to become a teacher. Inspired by his wife, who is an elementary school teacher, and the difference his education made in his life, he discovered his passion in teaching.
• Patricia Tate
  Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Osborn School District, AZ Patricia Tate has been a leader in teaching and learning in her hometown of Phoenix, AZ, for 30 years. With a master’s degree in special education from the University of Arizona, Ms. Tate developed a passion for science education, creating a collaborative-teacher model which was expanded to nine inner-city Phoenix school districts through a $15 million National Science Foundation Urban Systemic Initiative grant. In 1997, Ms. Tate received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Education and was named as an Arizona Teacher of the Year Ambassador. She works extensively with Arizona State University in implementing its Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant, funded under Title II of the Higher Education Act.
• Virginia Pilato
  Director of Certification and Accreditation, Maryland State Department of Education Dr. Pilato leads Maryland’s Redesign of Teacher Education initiative, which is a part of the statewide network of professional development schools. She also directs state compliance with Title II of the Higher Education Act and oversees the preparation of highly qualified new teachers as required by the No Child Left Behind Act. Past president of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, Dr. Pilato holds a Ph.D. in reading from the University of Maryland.
• Sharon Robinson
  President and CEO, AACTE
  Dr. Robinson is a distinguished national leader in education and at the forefront of promoting teacher quality and equity for all of the nation’s diverse learners. Former president of the Educational Testing Service’s Educational Policy Leadership Institute and former assistant secretary of education for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Dr. Robinson took the helm at AACTE in 2005. She also has held a variety of leadership positions at the National Education Association and the National PTA. Her many awards include the Girl Scouts’ Women of Distinction award and the Teacher for America Award. Dr. Robinson holds a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Kentucky.

Reforms in Teacher Education: No Child Left Behind meets the Higher Education Act
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) hosted a forum, Reforms in Teacher Education: No Child Left Behind meets the Higher Education Act, on Capitol Hill Wednesday, June 15, 2005. The briefing focused on the merits, accomplishments, and challenges of professional education development within the framework of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the impending Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization.

Speakers included:

• Sharon P. Robinson, president of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, provided an overview of the issues.
• John Webb, director of the program in teacher education at Princeton University, summarized the work of an AACTE initiative, Making Private Deliberations Public. Operating with the understanding that quality teacher education occurs in many types of institutions, this initiative has yielded nine (9) papers focusing on schools, colleges and department of education (SCDE) approaches to standards, assessment, subject matter knowledge and the organization of programs in context.
• Russell French, center director at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, spoke on why SCDE's need to conduct scientifically rigorous research and orchestrate data collection in a useful and meaningful way. He introduced an upcoming AACTE publication, Research Guidelines for SCDE's and discussed a congressionally mandated study of teacher education as points of reference in his comments.
• Robert Yinger, dean of the School of Education at Baylor University (TX), highlighted several higher education-PK-12 and community partnerships that focus on quality teacher preparation.
• Les Sternberg, dean of the College of Education at the University of South Carolina, shared the significant benefits that SCDE's have garnered from Title II-HEA support. As chair of AACTE's Combined Governmental Relations Committee, he offered a number of recommendations that will enhance quality educator preparation nation-wide given additional resources and support.

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