In attendance:

Table I:

Leslie Ricklin, Professor, Social Studies Education, ECSU

Joe Stefon, Principal, Mahan School, Norwich Schools

Meg Smith, Librarian, ECSU

Hari Koirala, Professor, Math Education, ECSU

Mary Lou Keables, University Coordinator, ECSU

Bernadette Quercia, Teacher, Fischer Elementary School, Thompson Schools

Dan Rothermel, Professor, Reading/Language Arts, ECSU

Table 2:

Patricia A. Kleine, Dean, School of Ed. and Professional Studies, ECSU

Scott Fain, Principal, Stanton School, Norwich Schools

Ginnie Francois, University Coordinator, ECSU

Richard Reynolds, Professor, Foundations, ECSU

John Fortunato, Teacher, Windham PreSchool

Ann Gruenberg, Professor, ECE/Special Ed., ECSU

Dick Curland, University Coordinator, ECSU

Karen Dibala, Teacher, Porter School

Table 3:

Sudha Swaminathan, Professor, ECE/Math/Science, ECSU

Karen Stoudt, Teacher, Center Elementary, Willington Schools

Amy Schack, University Assistant-CARE, ECSU

Millie Ramsey, Teacher, Porter School

David Stoloff, Professor, Ed. Dept. Chair, Ed. Tech., ECSU

Jeff Trawick-Smith, Professor, ECE, ECSU

Dean Toepfer, Superintendent, Canterbury Schools

Table 4:

John Adamo, University Coordinator, ECSU

Jacqueline Bowman, Professor, Science Education, ECSU

Goldie Liverant, University Coordinator, ECSU

Martha Krug, Teacher, Windham Preschool

Linette Branham, Educational Issues Specialist, CEA

Jed Katch, Professor, Educational Psychology, ECSU

Trent Alexopoulos, University Coordinator, ECSU

Table 5:

Krystyna O'Connell, Teacher, Moosup Elementary, Moosup Schools

Shirley Ernst, Professor, Reading/Language Arts, ECSU

Marc Barry, Principal, Moosup Elementary, Moosup Schools

Bob Horrocks, Professor, HPE, University Senate President, ECSU

Jim McKenna, Superintendent, Lebanon Schools

Edith Mavor, Graduate Coordinator, ECSU

Mitch Sakofs, Professor, Director of Educational Experiences, ECSU

Patrick Proctor, Superintendent, Windham Schools

Joe Morris, Principal, Putnam Middle School

Buffet Luncheon (sponsored by Dean Kleine, School of Education and Professional Studies)

Greetings from Dean Patricia A. Kleine

Introductions – David Stoloff and all of the participants

Short presentations, which were videotaped, on the conceptual framework of the Education Department at Eastern Connecticut State University

Constructivism – Hari Koirala

Whole Language/Literacy – Shirley Ernst

Diversity – Jeffrey Trawick-Smith

Educational Technology Infusion – Sudha Swaminathan

Special Education Inclusion – Ann Gruenberg

Review of the Comments Arranged by General Themes from a Survey of Eastern Connecticut Educators’ Impressions of ECSU Teacher Education Graduates – September 1999
 

Table Discussions – notes follow

Joe Stefon, Principal, Mahan School in Norwich discussed the 2^nd year of the Professional Development School relationship with ECSU. He likes that Jacqueline Bowman spends one day a week working in the school. He commented that people in higher education need to be connected to public schools, it gives a needed perspective.

Also, part of this collaboration is taking on more student teachers. Student teachers help teachers reflect on their own practices. There is lots of reciprocity of ideas.

Along with the collaboration has come funds that have allowed the principal and staff to engage in different kinds of projects.

Mr. Stefon meets with student teachers regularly to give them feedback.

Potential of Collaborations

Dan asked if teachers and principals in the field might come to our classes to present. Joe felt it is important to have teachers to get out of their buildings. He has voluntary focus groups after school to discuss key issues. Dan asked how these connections might be made and discussed staff development and continuing professional competency. Joe noted that you have to have the school environment for these initiatives to exist.

ECSU graduates are seen to be up-to-date in trends in education and school collaborations, open to criticism, hard working and willing to strengthen their areas of improvement, problem-solvers, flexible, self-reflective.

The preparation programs would benefit from more background on the legal responsibilities in special education and on teaching children with challenging behavior, more field experiences, greater emphasis on classroom management strategies, study of Spanish, and more discussion on developing skills to improve the effectiveness of instruction.

The framework is not given to student as an absolute. It is a grounding in theory - an emphasis for training.

Students struggle with placements in schools where the emphasis may not be compatible with framework training.

Need for:

Introductory seminar for students so that they understand how the key focuses are represented in their training - portfolio development.

Help students to understand how to be advocates for teaching that is best for learners and understand the political structure of education.

Some of the framework is perhaps dates and needs to be rethought as far as name or other research, i.e.: whole language may be a dated term, technology infusion is far thinking.

Programs should focus more on preparing new teachers with a firm understanding of state testing - CMT, CAPT. Diversity issues must also be stressed in teacher education programs and in schools. Teacher Education preparation should emphasize the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching and the Connecticut Competency Index.

The clear message from the group was this: they want to develop formal, collaborative associations with Eastern. All spoke in terms of establishing PDS and PDC models that cultivate a cohesive framework for collaboration; fundamentally they sought broader and deeper involvement with the ECSU School of Education that would provide benefits to their students and faculty as well as to the students and faculty at Eastern.

Complementing the discussions centered on PDS/PDC collaborations, the group also discussed the Techies in the School initiative. All thought it was a great idea, and all expressed a need to better support teachers and office operations in the areas of software and hardware. Most schools were hard wired for Internet access. Most had hardware sufficiently powerful to run most software in use in their schools. Some expressed needs beyond the skill levels I would think Eastern students possess, e.g., CNA or CNE certifications or skills.

Lastly, I inferred from the conversation that the leaders in these districts are willing to structure their budgets in order to engage Eastern more fully. Two examples of this fact are: Lebanon structured their budget to accommodate 10 interns and Putnam allocated money for Techies in the Schools. To a large extent, these monies remain untouched this year.

The bottom line seems to be this: The individuals at the table expressed interest in establishing fuller and more formal relationships with the ECSU School of Education.

Closing Reflections (1:50)

Tours of Curriculum library and Aero*Space and Environmental Education Resources Center – 2 pm

Please contact David Stoloff if you have any questions or comments on these notes.

Next meeting of the Teacher Education Community Advisory Council is scheduled for Thursday, May 4, 2000 from 12-2 in the Smith Library at ECSU, room 204. Please RSVP to David Stoloff, (860) 465-5501, email: stoloffd@ecsu.ctstateu.edu if you are planning to attend.