AACTE Selects 2020 Annual Meeting Proposals
AACTE’s Committee on Meetings & Professional Development met in the national office, July 29-31, to plan the 2020 Annual Meeting. During the busy three days, members of the committee utilized feedback from AACTE’s pool of reviewers to create a rich and diverse program from submissions received through AACTE’s Call for Proposals. We asked Committee Chair Kimberly White-Smith to tell us more about the power and timeliness of the upcoming conference:
“In the wake of the murderous attacks, rooted in white supremacist ideology, against communities of color in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton, the theme of ‘Disrupting Inequities: Educating for Change’ is even more relevant today than a year ago when AACTE’s Meetings & Professional Development Committee first assumed the charge and created space for research and practice that promotes systemic change. Accepting the title of educator imbues each of us with a responsibility to use our knowledge, skills, minds, and hearts to walk beside the communities that we serve. It is imperative to support and uplift these communities during such tragic times.
Education is one of many tools used to transform the status quo. The 2020 Annual Meeting strands were specifically developed to explore the ways that education can be used alongside other key strategies to move the needle on equity. The intention is to demonstrate how advocacy, practice, and research can co-exist and support the movement of re-envisioning education in our country. Content presented at the Annual Meeting will further support our work in each of these areas:
- Equity and Inclusivity in Preparation and Practice
- Activism and Innovation for Transforming Democracy
- Establishing a Sustainable and Diverse Profession
- Clinical Practice and Community Engagement
Part of the difficult work in planning the 2020 Annual Meeting is selecting the member proposals that will be presented. This year, we received over 100 more proposals than last year. AACTE’s members, and our profession overall, are clearly excited about sharing their work publicly, as well as learning from each other how we can strategically engage the issues identified in the call for proposals from multiple vantage points. With a finite number of spots on the program, there were many more high quality proposals than we could possibly accept for the final program. However, we believe those that have been selected will open spaces and create opportunities at the conference for folks to engage in these critical conversations that need to be addressed within our profession.”
Don’t miss out on participating in this important discussion and call to action within our profession. Registration for AACTE’s Annual Meeting, February 28 – March 1, 2020, is now open. We hope to see you in Atlanta!
Tags: AACTE governance, Annual Meeting
