Starting July 1, Phil Rogers, formerly the Executive
Director of the Kentucky Education Standards Board, replaced
Roy Einreinhofer who held the position for twenty-four years as the new The National Association of State
Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Executive
Director. In the days leading up to his
job change, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take with Phil
about his time at the Kentucky Standards Board and the future of NASDTEC.
Valerie:
Hi Phil, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me.
Phil:
No problem, I thank you for this opportunity to get the word out about NASDTEC.
Valerie:
Before we get to your new position, as you leave the Kentucky Standards Board, what lessons will you take to NASDTEC?
Phil:
Partnerships. The Standards Board in Kentucky is not part of the Department of Education, but works in partnership with the Kentucky DOE and Council on Post-Secondary Education. It has proven very effective to have all three sitting at the table (including deans and school district leaders). One of the most important things we've learned is that in order to produce good teachers, we need to create one system by working together and looking for ways to build partnerships. For example, the state legislature holds policy levers that impact colleges of education and school districts. So, by working together, we create a more unified system that agrees on those skills new teachers need to have in order to be ready for the classroom.
Valerie:
With that, where do you see NASDTEC in the foreseeable future?
Phil:
The NASDTEC executive board made it clear that they have a vision that goes beyond its current focus. As I'm sure you're familiar, right now, NASDTEC offers the Clearinghouse, which is a searchable database that tracks teachers who have lost their license so they can't cross state and territory boundaries and teach. NASDTEC also facilitates the Interstate Agreement among states to support increased mobility of teachers across state borders. These require us to have an understanding of the requirements of different states and territories in order to facilitate. Though these are important services, the executive board is looking to expand its focus beyond education and certification to participate in the broader national conversation on education.
Valerie:
What would the expansion of NASDTEC involve?
Phil:
NASDTEC wants to expand its current relationships beyond preparation and certification in order to make sure that there's a very effective teacher in every classroom. As we see it, this involves working even more closely with CCSSO and NCATE in order to address issues related to online instruction and ensuring that our members, who are all involved in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards make sure they work that implementation into their preparation programs and into their decision making processes regarding preparation and certification. The focus has to be on moving forward. We're taking strides on learning how to evaluate good teaching. We have made positive steps towards accountability. The research, practice, and clinical work will serve to drive our understanding of what good teaching is and how that progresses over a person's career.
Valerie:
In terms of defining good teaching, what is NASDTEC role in this work?
Phil:
Well, as you probably know, NASDTEC has been around since 1928. We were involved in the creation of both CCSSO and NCATE. Unfortunately, in recent years, we've lost some positioning, yet, we represent professional standards boards and commissions and state departments of education in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the U.S. Territories, Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario that are responsible for the preparation, licensure, and discipline of educational personnel. In addition, our associate members include other Canadian provinces, institutions of higher education, and representatives of other constituent groups with an interest in the preparation, continuing development, and certification of educational personnel. This is the group that has a lot of conversations which help make decisions. NASDTEC wants to be in position to assist in moving these issues forward. We primarily want to help states understand the relationships between teacher preparation programs, state agencies, K-12 schools and begin to work as one system, whereas now they function in silos. The states have the regulatory levers to make it all happen. Teacher preparation creates better teachers through partnerships with districts, helping them to focus on the core in their clinical experiences. As we see it, learning to work together and create new partnerships with groups like the National Conference of State Legislators, SHEEO, the National Governor's Association, and others. By working together we can continue to move forward. All of these elements exist within the membership. The Dean of the college of education ought to be just as nervous about results of state tests as the local superintendent. Teacher preparation programs need to be accountable for the teachers they produce and through the process of creating valid and reliable multiple measures, both districts and teacher preparation programs can better assess what is good teaching.
Valerie:
How do you see SCEE members participating in this vision?
Phil:
Well, most of our members are also members of SCEE, and SCEE along with CCSSO have been very helpful. SCEE is seeding the conversation on the policy level, so we think that the work SCEE is doing synchronizes well with NASDTEC. We plan to meet with the Chiefs as a participant and listener to the conversation. In addition, when Gene Wilhoit retires, we intend to maintain the same close relationship and partnership with the new CCSSO Executive Director.
Valerie:
Is there anything else you would like to mention before we conclude?
Phil:
Yes, NASDTEC is holding its Professional Practices Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 17 - 19 and we're holding our Annual Conference in Austin, Texas June 9 - 12, 2013. We're also preparing to launch a new membership based website where people can join and find out the latest information.
If members have questions regarding the information shared here, please feel free to contact Phil Rogers directly: philrogers@nasdtec.com or visit the NASDTEC website: http://www.nasdtec.com.
Comments
No one has commented yet.