Teaching is a very complex job. Because there is so much to do, we tend to pair our strengths and our interests and press forward to do the best job we can with the resources we have. But sometimes, we can press for change. Professional Development Schools, as indicated in the NCATE PDS Standards, are key vehicles for developing educational advocacy that can lead to policy change at the local, state, and national level.
Our goal is to assist public school educators and university faculty who have an interest in advocacy to gain the tools they need to be successful advocates while learning what kinds of teachers engage in such work and what kinds of training is necessary to help teachers be successful. Our agenda will be your agenda. Activities will include: one (1) preliminary agenda-setting session; teacher engagement in research projects, of your design, to investigate the viability of agenda items; one (1) agenda-setting session to put new knowledge to use; and one (1) training session on sharing your agenda with decision makers and the public.
If you are a teacher who is interested in advocacy and would like to become active in advocating for improvements in teaching and learning at any level of education, we invite you to join us by participating in our research effort.
A team of faculty from the College of Human Resources and Education at the West Virginia University and the College of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is inviting teachers with an interest in education advocacy to join us over the next year in a combined training and research activity.
Between September 2009 and May of 2010, we will meet at West Virginia University approximately three (3) to five (5) times to discuss collaboration, agenda setting, and advocacy around education issues. Our meetings will take place on Saturdays. The first session is going to be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the West Virginia University in Allen Hall. Subsequent meetings will be scheduled by group consensus.
If you are interested in joining us or learning more, please contact Dr. Adriane Williams at Adriane.Williams@mail.wvu.edu.
First Agenda Setting Session
Saturday, September 26, 2009
West Virginia University
Allen Hall, Room TBD
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
