Volume 2 - Number 1 |
NAAC: Making a Difference in the Lives of Children At no other time in America's history have children been faced with predicaments of poverty, hunger, homelessness and the lack of equal opportunity as they are today. The National Association for Alternative Certification (NAAC), is one of the major organizations dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children in the form of quality education. NAAC, by bringing together educators and interested community members from across the country, endeavors to involve individuals and groups that are willing to take risks in attempting to provide quality education for all children. Through nontraditional means of preparing teachers to teach in a multitude of school environments, and by providing scholarships, funding sources, and innovative programming, NAAC tirelessly forges forward in an attempt to provide a better life for children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to develop as informed, contributing members of our society. Through its affiliates nationwide, the National Association for Alternative Certification prepares thousands of teachers in critical areas of need to serve all children, and in particular, chose children who live in poverty. Currently, there are over 17 million children below 16 years of age in the United States living in poverty. A great majority of these children are born of minority parents, live in depressed pockets in different regions of America, and receive an education delivered by adults who have lit~de or no preparation as teachers. In response to the needs of these and ocher children, NAAC works to recruit, prepare, and certify teachers unable to become certified d~rough traditional programs in institutions of higher learning. In effect,
alternative educator preparation programs make a difference in the lives of children by preparing bright, energetic educators who are highly committed to improving the lives of others and are prepared to the make adjustments necessary to meet the varied cultural and educational needs of children. NAAC, together with its highly motivated membership and with those of you who are not afraid to challenge the convention in the interest of our children, will continue to move forward to make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of our children. By exploring the unknown, by daring to challenge outdated educator preparation programs, and by insisting on quality and equality of education, we shall succeed. Voices From The Fieldby Sean Gaston and Victoria Yee On April 12-15, 1997, National Association for Alternative Certification held its Seventh Annual Conference, "Alternative Certification: Successful Practices, Successful School", in Norfolk, Virginia. As fortune would prevail, we were chosen to present our experiences as second year Special Education District interns with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). In having to recall the last two years of intern experience, we dug deep into our memory banks and decided that the most logical place to begin. . .would be in the beginning. We have many more experiences to come, in our third and final year. Our first topic involved learning experiences. Prior to entering the LAUSD intern program, we must meet the district's pre- employment requirements. These requirements entail a bachelor's degree with a 2.7 GPA, passing the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), passing the PRAXIS Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers (MSAT, which replaced the NTE General Knowledge Test), and being selected to a classroom position. Once we completed these requirements, we began our quest in becoming knowledgeable educators. Our orientation experience was, without a doubt, a firm foundation for inexperienced educators to use as a springboard in becoming effective teachers. We participated in two orientations, the first being in August of Year One, focusing on general education; the second being in August of Year Two, focusing on special education. These orientations thoroughly equipped us with the tools to begin the school year (and encounter the whites of our students' eyes). The second topic to share featured how applicable our education is in transferring our learning to our students ' learning. Our instructors are relevant practitioners in their own classrooms. They utilize the same approaches that are taught to us. In addition, we are provided with a wonderful network of support, consisting of mentors, coaches, and peers that we found throughout the diverse representation of alternate certification programs. Our third topic involved the assessment process. The LAUSD intern program utilizes the portfolio process. The portfolio is evidence of fulfilling the competencies required by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This process is invaluable, because it has prepared us with presentation skills that transfer into the creation of our professional portfolio. A considerable part of our success lies in how we are viewed by our colleagues at our own individual school sites. We have been recognized as role models for our students, a resource for school staff, appreciated by parents, and respected by peers. We have been recognized as role models for our students, a resource for school staff, appreciated by parents, and respected by peers. Ultimately, our goal as interns is to provide our students with the highest caliber of education possible. Our goal is embodied in the word "success". The affluence of an excellent program, such as Los Angeles Unified School District's Intern Program, creates effective teachers, thus, the attainment of successful students. As interns, we were excited and honored to have been chosen to share our experiences with the LAUSD Intern Program to such an elite group of leaders in the field of alternative certification. We departed Norfolk, Virginia, enriched with positive experiences and stimulating ideas. Having these positive experiences has inspired us to share with others the goal of alternative certification, that being, to continue meeting the demand of producing effective educators for our nation's education system. Sean and Virginia are currently interns in the California School District under the supervision of Ms. Carla Smith. 1997 INTERN SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
**CONGRATULATIONS **
Amina Fola, 7 th / 8 th Grade Teacher Sellers Middle School Garland, Texas
Fernando Yanez, 5 th Grade Teacher E. Morris Cox Elementary School Oakland, California Where to From Here?by David Keltner, Board Chair The NAAC of the future should be prepared to assist all school districts, state departments of education, and yes, even college and university teacher preparation programs. Our organization should be able to provide sample curricula to agencies interested in establishing or expanding alternative teacher education programs. We should advance new research on the nature and effectiveness of these programs and be able to assist candidates with making informed choices on what preparation programs best meet their needs. Can we do this? Yes, of course we can. Leaders will come forth to set the vision for our organization and we will be proud to belong to a group dedicated to improving education for all children. I look forward to sharing the realization of this vision with you. Watch Us Grow !by Vicki Harding, Membership Chair Thanks to the efforts of Mary Lewis from Los Angeles Unified School District, the number of interns has risen dramatically. Our total membership is now over 250 and growing! The recent increase in members has come from California and Texas. What are the other 48 states doing? We should all be encouraging membership, especially since the Board of Governors voted to keep the annual dues at only $25 until the year 2000. It is appropriate that Mary Lewis is spearheading the membership effort as she is assuming her new position as chair of the annual intern scholarship awards. She will energize the committee and insure that information is disseminated in a timely manner. This will permit as many interns as possible to be recognized for their efforts to become teachers via alternate routes to certification or licensure. Watch our website for upcoming information and application deadlines. Anyone interested in becoming a member of NAAC should contact Vicki Harding at P.O. Box 9543, Alexandria, VA 22304-9543 or see the NAAC web site at http://www.alt-teachercert.org. Louisville Here We Come !by Kathryn Wallace, Program Chair The Eighth Annual : Conference NAAC will be held in Louisville, Kentucky on May 7-9, 1998, at the Galt House Hotel. A special invitation is extended to attend the conference to all who are interested in alternative teacher education. This national conference brings together educators, researchers and students from diverse specializations and areas to address critical issues related to alternative pathways to teacher certification. Participation in the conference is an opportunity to explore effective and innovative strategies for preparing and certifying educators for the new millennium. Call For PapersProposals for presentations at the 1998 NAAC Annual Conference may be submitted individually or jointly up to four people. The proposal should include three copies of the following along with two (2) self-addressed stamped envelopes:
2. Double-spaced, word-processed abstract, not to exceed 250 words; 3. Three-sentence description of your presentation for inclusion in the conference program.
Proposals for presentations and all associated materials must be postmarked no later than midnight, October 15, 1997. Please address all inquires and information requests to: Allene White Gold Minority Educator Recruitment 1024 Capital Center Drive Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 (502) 573-4606 News & Notes
APPLICATIONS FOR INTERN SCHOLARSHIPS
NOTE: Applications will be accepted beginning 11/1/97 and not after 2/1/98 NAAC NEWSLETTER is a biannual publication of the National Association for
Alternative Certification. Beginning with Vol 2 #2 issue, the newsletter will be published
in the fall (October) and spring (May) and made available in print to members and online
at http://www.alt-teachercert.org Sally Hunt Anthony Scheffler
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