Professional Development

Organizations Offer Opportunities

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) 2008 Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, December 4-6. Marcia Ritter, CFCS, Chair, National Coalition for Family and Consumer Sciences Education reported upon the convention's numerous activities and highlights. "Everyone in their teaching career should attend at least one ACTE national convention," Marcia said. "It provides hundreds of choices of workshop sessions along with the amazing Career Tech Expo and cutting-edge keynote addresses. It makes you proud and energized."

During the four activity-packed days Marcia attended such workshops as Working Together: Your Millennial Students and Other Generations, and AchieveTexas: Best Practices for Local Implementation. She assisted the NATFACS Legislative Committee in presenting a session entitled Building Legislative Support. And, she joined her colleagues in viewing the film Pressure Cooker, an inspiring documentary profiling the lives of high school seniors from northeast Philadelphia.

Especially notable was Dr. William Daggett's general session keynote address. The conference brought the announcement of the formation of the Institute for 21st Century Leadership. Created by the combined efforts and resources of Dr. Daggett's International Center for Leadership in Education and ACTE, the Institute will draw upon Dr. Daggett's philosophy of rigor, relevance, and relationships to "provide a framework for integrating academic and career-related instruction in all curriculums." The Institute's leadership development approach was designed with these four focuses:

• Create a culture to support change.
• Be driven by research and data.
• Provide tools, strategies, and training to support teachers in delivering a rigorous and relevant curriculum to all students.
• Network with high-performing schools to learn about their successful practices.

Educators can opt for different memberships in the Institute, customizing their membership to meet their specific needs. For more information, visit www.LeaderEd.com.

The National Coalition for Family and Consumer Sciences Education has announced that it is seeking proposals for the development of authoritative and persuasive reports, or white papers, focusing on the following areas:

• Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Recruitment and Retention
• Financial Literacy
• Nutrition and Obesity Issues
• Collaboration between Secondary and Post-Secondary Programs

The proposal submission deadline is March 1, 2009, with awardees announced on March 15. Final editions must be submitted by May 30, 2009. Stipends of $500 will be awarded through the ACTE Opportunity Fund Grant. For more information, e-mail Marcia Ritter at marciafacs@sbcglobal.net.

The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) has announced that it is expanding upon its current Credentialing Center by adding the Pre-Professional Assessment and Certification (Pre-PAC) program. Eleven general career areas, including Early Childhood Education, Nutrition, Culinary Arts, Family Services, and Broad Field Family and Consumer Sciences are currently targeted for development by early 2010. Said the AAFCS in its official announcement, "With the growing emphasis on assessment and accountability in secondary and postsecondary education, including requirements for Perkins funding for Career and Technical education, AAFCS believes it is important to move forward by adding to the association's products and services, a portfolio of standards-based assessments and industry-recognized certifications to support pre-professional level family and consumer sciences career areas and programs of study." For more information, go to www.aafcs.org.