Education Policy Studies Teacher Leaders Conference
Teacher Leaders and the Crisis in the Teaching Profession: Global Perspectives/Rural Realities
Wed, March 15, 2023
https://psu.zoom.us/j/5161302329
Overview:
Concerns about “teacher shortages” have a long history in the U.S., but since the pandemic, these have taken on a new urgency with many organizations sponsoring summits on how to address the teacher shortage. We wish to take a different perspective that looks at the current situation (not enough teachers for the positions open, persistent difficulties in recruiting teachers of color, and the striking decline of college students deciding to enter into teaching) as emblematic of a larger crisis for the teaching profession that is occurring worldwide. Globally, many nations face “teacher shortages” but also have seen the erosion of social support for teachers and schools. Rural schools, in particular, may feel the effects of this crisis in more severe ways. This conference focuses on how teacher leaders might offer a way to address the crisis in the profession and in particular, provide key leadership in rural areas.
Goals:
Bring together rural teachers and administrators with academic researchers, reform advocates, and policymakers to:
- 1) identify the areas or issues most critical to recruiting and retaining teachers during this crisis;
- 2) identify new forms of collaboration between local school districts and institutions of higher education;
- 3) envision new ways that districts and universities can engage with and support the activities of teachers as leaders within their schools and communities.
Draft Agenda:
(Greens Restaurant Opens at 7 am)
9:15 am – 10:45 am Panel Discussion of “Crisis in the Teaching Profession”
A panel consisting of two student teachers, 3 current teacher leaders, and one teacher educator will respond to materials from national surveys that indicate a crisis in the teaching profession. Panelists will provide their own concerns and ideas about how teacher leadership might address this crisis. The moderator will ask three questions:
- We all got Santoro’s article “Good Teaching in Difficulty Times.” Did you resonate with that article, or do you think that talking about a “crisis” in the teaching profession is overstating the situation?
- Looking forward, what do you see as the biggest difficulties ahead in your teaching career?
- Given your experiences for far, where do you think teachers, parents, principals, and professors could come together and agree on what is important for teachers to succeed?
Panelists:
Stephanie DeLuca, Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development Coordinator, Brentwood SD
Jessica Fellin, Finalist, PA Teacher of the Year 2021; Assistant Principal Penns Valley SD
Jacqui Fisher, PSEA Student Association Board Member
Alicia McDyre, Coordinator of PK-4 and 4-8 field experiences, Asst. Prof. Penn State
Beth Patten, 7th Grade Social Studies, Kutztown Area SD
Emma Wolf, PSEA Student Association President
10:45 am – 11:00 am Break
11 am – 11:45 am Response/Reflections from Policy Makers and Reform Advocates
Panel members will respond to the concerns raised by the first panel and reflect on the issues that teacher’s raise. They will also provide the concerns that policymakers and advocates have around challenges facing the teaching profession.
Panelists:
Eric Hagarty, Former Acting Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Education
Heather Peske, President, National Council on Teach Quality
Sherri Smith, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators
Amy Morton, Executive Director, Educational Policy and Leadership Center
Zakiya Stewart, Pennsylvania Policy Manager for Teach Plus
Chris Clayton, Assistant Director for Education Services- Pennsylvania State Education Association
Ed Albert, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch Break Initial discussions
1:15 pm – 2:30 pm Expert Presentation on Teacher Shortages
Three scholars who have done extensive work in the area of teacher shortages (Richard Ingersoll, Ed Fuller, and Axel Gehrmann) will respond to the concerns presented by the morning panels and present additional data on aspects of “teacher shortages” that they think will likely impact the profession.
Richard Ingersoll, Professor of Education and Sociology at Penn GSE - Click for the PowerPoint Presentation
Axel Gehrmann, Professor of Education and Director of The Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research at the Technical University of Dresden - Click for the PDF Presentation
Edward Fuller, Professor of Educational Leadership at Penn State and Director of the Penn State Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis - Click for the PowerPoint Presentation
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Group Breakout sessions
Pre-determined groups, including teachers, administrators, and researchers will identify what they see as the main issues currently facing the teaching profession in terms of recruiting and retaining new teachers. They will consider the data presented and their own personal experience. One rapporteur/reporter per group will support the summary of main issues.
3:30 pm – 3:45 pm Break
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm Consensus Building around the Problem
Using board papers from each group, this general session will attempt to achieve consensus on what the most important issues are, and then discuss what stakeholders need to be involved in coming together to address these issues.
Teacher Leaders and the Crisis in the Teaching Profession: Global Perspectives/Rural Realities Panelists and Guest Speakers
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 | ZOOM Here
Profile
Gerald LeTendre
Organizer, H.L. Batschelet Chair of Education (EDLDR)
Dr. Gerald K. LeTendre is the Harry Lawrence Batschelet II Chair of Educational Administration at the Penn State University and directs the Educational Leadership Program. He served as editor of The American Journal of Education and was head of the Department of Educational Policy Studies from 2008-2016. He has published on a broad range of topics in comparative and international education and conducted research on how information and communication technologies -- specifically social robots -- are changing teacher work roles and professional development worldwide. His books include Improving Teacher Quality, Promoting and Sustaining a Quality Teacher Workforce and The International Handbook of Teacher Quality and Policy. He is currently working on a new book that examines teacher policies in Nordic and East Asian nations.
YouTube: Teacher Education: Meeting the Challenge of Quality Preparation and Teacher Shortages
Profile
Peggy Schooling
Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership; Executive Director PA School Study Council
Dr. Peggy Schooling is a Professor of Practice at the Pennsylvania State University. She serves as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania School Study Council. She served as an Associate Professor of Education at Immaculata University and was the Graduate Curriculum Director at Wilkes University. She has promoted competency-based education for school leaders through various funded programs. Her research examines how district and school leaders affect change and significantly more effective leadership preparation.
Panelists:
Stephanie DeLuca, Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development Coordinator, Brentwood SD
Jessica Fellin, Finalist, PA Teacher of the Year 2021; Assistant Principal Penns Valley SD
Jacqui Fisher, PSEA Student Association Board Member
Alicia McDyre, Coordinator of PK-4 and 4-8 field experiences, Asst. Prof. Penn State.
Beth Patten, 7th Grade Social Studies, Kutztown Area SD
Emma Wolf, PSEA Student Association President
Profile
Eric Hagarty
Former Acting Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Education
Eric Hagarty is the former Acting Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania. A passionate advocate for education in the commonwealth, Eric has championed some of the most critical initiatives benefitting our commonwealth's teachers and learners during the Wolf administration, including securing historic increases in education funding.
In his previous roles as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Tom Wolf and Chief of Staff at the Department of Community and Economic Development, Eric was deeply involved in issues and advocacy relating to education, infrastructure, health, human services, and transportation for the commonwealth and state agencies. A coalition builder at heart, Eric has spent his career engaging with vested partners, state employees, private industries, charitable organizations, and school leaders to implement policies and drive critical funding to support Pennsylvania's schools, workforce, and communities.
Profile
Heather Peske
President, National Council on Teach Quality
Dr. Heather Peske is the President of the National Council on Teacher Quality(NCTQ). She comes to NCTQ from her role as Senior Associate Commissioner for Instructional Support in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE) where she implemented policies and programs across teacher development, educator preparation, and curriculum and instruction that drove historic improvements for students—including record graduation rates, the highest rating NAEP performance, and dramatic increases in higher-education participation and success. After starting her career as an elementary teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Peske served as Director of Teacher Quality at The Education Trust and later as the Vice President of Programs at Teach Plus. Over her three decades in education, she has been named a "Future Chief" by Chiefs for Change (2021), a Broad Academy Fellow (2019), and a recipient of the Governor Paul Cellucci Award for Leadership and Mentoring in State Government (2017). Dr. Peske earned her master's degree and doctorate in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She graduated with her bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with magna cum laude honors.
Profile
Amy Morton
Executive Director, Educational Policy and Leadership Center
Amy C. Morton has served in local, state, and national education roles over the past 39 years. Amy works with Pennsylvania educators and policymakers as a System Design Specialist for the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) and serves as one of their national facilitators. In addition, she serves as the Executive Director of Pennsylvania’s Education Policy and Leadership Center. Amy spent several years working for the PA Department of Education, including Executive Deputy Secretary under Governor Corbett, Deputy Secretary for K-12 Education under Governor Rendell, and Bureau Director for Curriculum under Governor Ridge. Amy led the Capital Area Intermediate Unit as Executive Director after serving as Curriculum Specialist, Director of Education Services, and Assistant Executive Director. Her career began as a high school social studies teacher after graduating from Dickinson College in Carlisle. She earned her M.S.Ed. from McDaniel College and her Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from Shippensburg University. As an adjunct professor, Amy has taught curriculum courses for Penn State York, York College, Wilkes University, and Wilson College. She and her husband reside near Harrisburg, PA.
Profile
Zakiya Stewart
Pennsylvania Policy Manager for Teach Plus
Zakiya Stewart is the Pennsylvania Policy Manager for Teach Plus and leads Teach Plus’ Pennsylvania Teaching Policy Fellowship. Before coming to Teach Plus, Zakiya worked at the School District of Philadelphia as a hiring lead for the budgeting and staffing of academic coaches and lead teachers. She also led projects in operations and recruitment for 45 schools, including 15 high-needs schools. She facilitated joint-venture partnerships with emerging and executive leaders in political and business sectors in compliance with federal communications regulations and legal agreements to clear assets for teachers working in marginalized communities in the United States, United Kingdom, Egypt, Brazil, and Canada through the Discovery Learning Alliance. Zakiya led research and development strategies for the expansion plan of the year-old launch of Discovery Education that helped hundreds of school leaders and teachers collaborate through blended learning and leadership programming.
Profile
Chris Clayton
Assistant Director for Education Services - Pennsylvania State Education Association
Dr. Christopher M. Clayton serves as a Director of Education Services for the Pennsylvania State Education Association. He is responsible for supporting over 180,000 educator members on issues involving assessment, teacher certification, student achievement, pedagogical best practices, and research in teaching and learning. He earned a Ph.D. in Language and Literacy Education and Ed. S. in Education Leadership, Administration, & Policy at The University of Georgia, along with a Master's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Regis University in Denver, CO. He was a National Board Certified Teacher (2008, 2018) before starting with PSEA, served as a high school English and I.B. Theory of Knowledge teacher and coach for over ten years in Southern California and Washington state before becoming a district administrator and Director of Curriculum & Instruction in a large metro-Atlanta school district with 138 schools and over 100,000 students.
Profile
Richard Ingersoll
Professor of Education and Sociology at Penn GSE
Dr. Ingersoll is an expert on America’s elementary and secondary teaching force. His research examines teaching as a job, teachers as employees, and schools as workplaces—from a teacher’s pre-employment training through their last day in the classroom. Dr. Ingersoll is widely published, nationally recognized, and frequently quoted in the media. He has received numerous awards for his teaching, research, and writing and has given hundreds of keynote addresses, speeches, and presentations to diverse audiences, including teachers, researchers, educational leaders, and policymakers at the national, state, and local levels.
YouTube: The Myth of Teacher Shortages
Profile
Axel Gehrmann
Professor of Education and Director of The Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research at the Technical University of Dresden
Axel Gehrman directs ZLSB at the Technical University of Dresden and is one of Germany’s leading scholars in the field of teacher education and teacher professional development. He is the author of several books in German on teacher education and professional status.
YouTube: Teacher Education: Meeting the Challenge of Quality Preparation and Teacher Shortages
Profile
Edward Fuller
Professor of Educational Leadership at Penn State and Director of the Penn State Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis.
Ed Fuller is a Department of Education Policy Studies professor in the College of Education at Penn State. Dr. Fuller also serves as the Director of the Penn State Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis (PCEEPA) and Associate Director of Policy for the University Council for Educational Administration. His research interests include educator (teacher, principal, and central office administrator) quality, distribution, mobility, turnover, and career pathways; educator preparation; school improvement; evaluation; and charter schools. The Center also focuses on providing analyses of education policies in the Commonwealth and across the nation.
Profile
Ed Albert
Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools
Dr. Edward Albert has been in education for over 44 years. Serving as a classroom teacher, building principal, curriculum specialist, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He has a wealth of knowledge in education. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools.
Profile
Beth Patten (she/her)
7th Grade Social Studies, Kutztown Area Middle School
Beth Patten is the social studies department chair at Kutztown Area School District. She devoted her early teaching career to National History Day, where she served as the Kutztown Area Middle School advisor from 2005-2010 and 2013. She earned her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and B.A. in History and Communication Studies from the Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. She received her principal certification from the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. She served on Hindu American Foundation Teacher Advisory Council, and as a facilitator in Princeton, New Jesery’s Not In Our Town, an inter-faith and interracial racial justice group. She is a teacher consultant through the Philadelphia Writing Project at the University of Pennsylvania. She was a policy fellow through Teach Plus Pennsylvania 2021-2022 cohort. She is a founding member of peace.love.kutztown, a non-partisan community group dedicated to inclusion and community unity, and a board member of Kutztown Strong, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing youth substance abuse.