Member Spotlight: Amy Ginsberg Previews #AACTE24 Learning Lab for Increasing Educator Diversity
As the AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting quickly approaches, Ed Prep Matters will highlight presenters of Featured Sessions and Learning Labs. These accomplished experts represent a diverse spectrum of thought leadership in the field of teacher education, bringing a wealth of knowledge, experience, and groundbreaking insights to the forefront. Get ready to be inspired by members in the field, each poised to elevate and shape the future of educator preparation.
Learning Lab: Leveraging Innovation and Partnerships to Increase Educator Diversity
Investments in educator diversity initiatives continue to show measurable success. The plight to diversify the educator workforce requires federally funded programs that support innovative and sustainable solutions. This session will highlight the most recent federal effort, the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers for Excellence Program inaugural grantees, and the innovative projects and partnerships that are underway at minority-serving institutions to develop educators to meet the current and future needs of a diverse K-12 student population.
In this member spotlight, Amy Ginsberg, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education at William Paterson University discusses her presentation in this Learning Lab and what attendees can look forward to in this engaging conversation.
Ginsberg joined William Paterson University of New Jersey as dean of the College of Education in 2018, after over twenty years at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, where she had served as dean of the School of Education, associate dean, department chair, and tenured faculty member. A licensed psychologist, Dean Ginsberg has focused her clinical work on developmental issues of young adulthood, identity development throughout the lifespan, and adjustment to disability. Her research has centered on faculty development in blended and online learning, school violence prevention and intervention, and the relationship between psychology and stuttering.
What is the focus of your session for the AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting?
The session, Leveraging Innovation and Partnerships to Increase Educator Diversity, which takes place on Friday, February 16, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., will highlight a recent federally funded effort, the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers for Excellence Program, through conversation with a panel of five education deans who are inaugural grantees. My colleagues and I will discuss the innovative projects and partnerships that are underway at minority-serving institutions to develop educators to meet the current and future needs of a diverse K-12 student population.
Why do you think this topic needs to be addressed?
There is little debate about the need for an expanded and more diverse educational workforce. Bringing together administrative leaders in education from five public, minority-serving institutions from different parts of the country – Maryland, Texas, Hawaii, Colorado, and New Jersey – which are making important strides with support from this federal funding, provides fertile ground for shared learning and applicable takeaways for a broad audience. I hope representatives of all types and contexts of institutions will join in what I expect will be a very fruitful discussion.
What was the process of developing the session topic and material?
We met each other for the first time over Zoom just a few weeks before the session and began to share what each of us is doing as Hawkins inaugural grantees. We listened to one another’s innovative practices and began to think about areas of commonality. In preparation for the session, we will be sharing materials with the session moderator who will generate questions to maximize the impact for the audience.
What thoughts do you hope attendees will take away from your session?
My hope is that participants will bring back to their institutions ideas for furthering efforts to prepare and retain a diverse teacher workforce and will seek federal, state, foundation, and/or private funding to support this important work.
Tags: Annual Meeting, diversity, equity, member spotlight
