From the State Board of Education

by Kathleen N. Straus, President, State Board of Education

The State Board of Education has revised and released administrative rules for teacher education to reflect recent changes in state law. Refinement of these rules is just one piece of Michigan’s efforts to improve an already excellent teacher force. With the new Michigan Merit Curriculum in place, educators are being held to higher standards of performance. This edition of Leading Change offers the most current snapshot of our efforts to ensure that Michigan’s teacher preparation efforts lead to the most effective mentors for our students. To view the new rules, visit www.michigan.gov/mde and click on “Teacher Certification.”

Among the new rules for teachers, educators applying for the renewal of a provisional certificate, or initial issuance of a professional education certificate after July 1, 2007, are required to have completed a three-credit reading course as prescribed in the law. Another rule change will permit the first three-year renewal of a provisional certificate based on nine—formerly ten—semester credit hours in a planned program at an approved teacher preparation institution.

It’s up to a strong, fully prepared teaching force to prepare Michigan’s students for success on achievement tests. The Michigan Department of Education’s Teacher Preparation Policy Study Group (TPPSG) will provide recommendations about state policies associated with teacher preparation and instructional approval this coming April 2007 (see page 11).

Finally, I want to welcome the newest member of the State Board of Education, Casandra Ulbrich. Casandra serves as a Senior Director of Development at Wayne State University (WSU), raising funds for a number of university initiatives and scholarships. In addition, Casandra is a founding partner of Williams Clark Communications, LLC, a certified women-owned business, specializing in media and public relations. She earned an associates degree from St. Clair County Community College, a bachelor of arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and a master’s degree in Communication from Wayne State University. She is currently completing a doctorate in Communications, also from Wayne State University.

It’s an exciting time to be in, as well as entering into, the field of education. As we move forward we must never forget that if children equal our future, then teachers provide the equation to get them there.