2015 NASDTEC Annual Conference in Beautiful Portland, Oregon

Portland Court Square

Portland Court Square

It’s a pleasure to be back in lovely Portland Oregon for the second time. I spent one night here last year on a drive from Reno to Seattle, but am here a little longer to attend the 2015 Annual Conference of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification.

NASDTEC has been holding its annual conference for 87 years, for with 1000s of companies networking in trade show booths and displays in a stadium-sized hall, but this will be a particularly significant meeting. The theme of the conference is “Elevating the Profession,” and the sessions all focus on the measures that can and should be taken to improve the practice of teaching.

In the final session on Tuesday, June 9, a NASDTEC Task Force will roll out the teaching profession’s first Model Code of Educator Ethics. This is the culmination of a multi-year research and drafting process, and represents a significant step forward towards the goal of making teaching a true profession.

Other highlights of the conference include:

  • “Inside the Beltway: A Federal Update” — Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Or.)
  • “Framing the Education Continuum to Elevate the Profession” — Mary Vixie Sandy, Executive Director, California Commission on Teaching Credentialing
  • “A Special Update from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards” — Peggy Brookins, NBCT, Executive Vice President, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
  • “The Role of Assessment in the Preparation of Educators,” W. James Popham, Professor Emeritus, University of California at Los Angeles
  • “Accelerating Excellence from the Get-Go,” Ellen Moir, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, New Teacher Center
  • “Developing a ‘Learning to Teach’ Continuum,” Linda Darling-Hammond, Chairperson, California Commission on Teaching Credtialing and Professor, Stanford University School of Education
  • “Developing Teacher Leadership: An Essential Element of Schools of the Future” Mark A. Smylie, Professor Emeritus, College of Education, University of Illinois at Chicago and Visiting Professor, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
  • “Model Code of Educator Ethics (MCEE) Rollout and Discussion with Members of the Task Force,” moderated by Katherine Bassett, Executive Director, National Network of State Teachers of the Year and Anne Marie Fenton, Director, Assessment Division, Georgia Professional Standards Commission

[docembed url=”https://www.dropbox.com/s/txe3q2lp2ch0baj/2015_Annual_Conf_Agenda_2.pdf?raw=1″ viewer=”google” width=”100%” height=”500px” download=”all” ]

Share this!

Leave Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *