Due to a national and statewide shortage of teachers (an anticipated two million new teachers needed in the next ten years in the public school systems) (Recommendations 3), the Virginia Community College System launched its efforts last year toward assisting Virginia’s senior institutions in the recruitment of and preservice training for VCCS students planning careers in PK-12 education.  Dr. Arnold Oliver, Chancellor, not only endorsed VCCS colleges’ efforts last year by instituting two Co-Faculty-in-Residence positions, an Executive Committee, and a statewide teacher-preparation Task Force of one representative from each college he has also decided that their efforts need to continue into the 2000-01 year.

Last August of 1999, the Chancellor issued the following charge to the VCCS PK-12 Teacher Preparation Task Force:

 

·         To share existing and to develop new strategies for recruiting pre-service students.

·         To collect, study, and disseminate ways to strengthen introductory content courses for pre-service students (which then benefit all students enrolled in the courses).

·         To exchange information about and promote on VCCS campuses various pre-service activities available to VCCS students (such as Teaching Apprenticeships, student VEA chapters or other pre-service organizations, and classes which provide students with classroom/field service/observation opportunities).

·         To make recommendations regarding models for preparing pre-service students for success on the Praxis I test (required for licensure and admission to most teacher education programs in Virginia) and to supply the Educational Testing Service with a mailing list of persons on each campus responsible for Praxis materials.

·         To develop guidelines for advising students interested in teaching as a career at colleges offering the associate degree in education as well as those without this degree.

·         To collaborate with colleges of education and disciplinary faculty at four-year institutions in Virginia in order to provide smooth transfer of pre-service students.

·         To present teacher preparation information/discussion sessions at VCCS peer group meetings.

·         To distribute information regarding State Department of Education teacher licensure requirements to VCCS colleges.

·         To prepare and begin to implement individual college action plans for involvement in teacher preparation initiatives at all VCCS colleges.

·         To plan and implement a VCCS-sponsored statewide teacher preparation colloquium for two-year and four-year college faculty, counselors, and administrators.  Purposes of the colloquium were to provide dialogue on cross-institution challenges in teacher preparation and to feature national speakers on teacher preparation including representatives from the National Science Foundation.                                                                           (Recommendations 5-6)

 

Deborah Neely-Fisher, a biology faculty member from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and Wanda Smith, an English faculty member from Eastern Shore Community College, shared the Faculty-in-Residence position and along with Susan Wood, professor of mathematics at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and Carole Ballard, a counselor at Tidewater Community College, directed the Task Force’s efforts during the year.  Lonnie Schaffer, former Director of Educational Planning at the VCCS office, supported the Executive Committee and Task Force.

Areas of focus for the Task Force included:

 

·         Curriculum Planning and Development

·         Praxis Preparation

·         Recruitment and Collaboration

·         Colloquium

 

With assistance from Virginia senior colleges and universities, the Virginia State Department of Education’s Teacher Licensure Division, and the National Science Foundation, four subcommittees worked during the year to make recommendations “to leverage the resources of the Virginia Community College System to facilitate and encourage all of Virginia’s community colleges to participate in collaborative PK-12 teacher preparation activities” (Recommendations 8).

 

Perhaps the greatest result of the first year’s efforts is the decision by the Chancellor to continue the endeavor and to provide opportunity for VCCS schools to resume their work in the key areas of teacher preparation, recruitment and retention of future teachers, curriculum planning and collaboration with four-year institutions.  Another result includes a system-wide effort to prepare students for the Praxis I exam so that they pass the exam and complete general education requirements before transferring. 

This first-year effort has also provided improved articulation between VCCS colleges and the senior institutions; in fact, the Task Force membership for this year will include those senior colleges and universities as well as the VCCS colleges.  Also, the colloquium held in April in Richmond was most successful in bringing together for the first time the two- and four-year colleges and in providing dialogue between the participants concerning the role of VCCS colleges in helping to prepare its future teachers.

With the continuation of the Task Force this year under the leadership of Susan S. Wood, J. Sargeant Reynolds, and the assistance of Teresa Galyean, part-time Faculty-in-Residence from Wytheville, efforts will continue to carry out the recommendations from last year’s efforts.

Works Cited

 

Virginia Community College System.  Recommendations to the Virginia Community College System Concerning the Role of Virginia’s Community Colleges in PK-12 Teacher Preparation.  Richmond:  VCCS, 2000.