Fall 2023 NYSATE/NYACTE Conference

Envisioning the Future of Educator Preparation:

Fostering Belonging, Equity, and Excellence
 

The many changes in the education system implemented during and after the pandemic have demonstrated that educators are extraordinarily resilient and creative. In a matter of days, with everything shut down and a pervasive atmosphere of fear, educators across the state were able to pivot to remote instructional modalities that went far beyond content delivery. Educators and schools found new resources for teaching, new ways to connect with students, new ways to work with families, and new ways to collaborate with each other. Through all of this, educators acted with compassion and grace. We all have stories to tell of the students and families whose lives we touched in important ways as the country was reeling from the effects of the pandemic and its aftermath.
 

The field of education is now at a point of inflection, where we are looking at the changes in the profession that are here to stay and considering how best to prepare for the future. In 2021, UNESCO published a paper, Futures of Education: A New Social Contract, that places teachers at the center of the new vision for education: “Teachers are key figures on whom possibilities for transformation rest. They, in turn, must recognize the agency of their students…… Supporting teachers’ autonomy, development, and collaboration is an important expression of public solidarity for the futures of education” (p. 80).

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In order to meet the responsibilities of the present and those that are to come in the future, it is essential that all aspects of society collaborate to support educators, students, and their families. The theme of this year’s NYSATE/NYACTE Annual Fall Conference reflects the need to support educators with a focus on belonging, equity, and excellence.

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• Technologies for remote and simulated learning bring many advantages, but, as we have seen, they can also result in feelings of separation and isolation. As a community of educators, it is vital that we leverage a combination of in-person and remote approaches to build a sense of belonging, create a welcoming school climate, support professional growth, and remain responsive to the changing needs of educators and students (e.g., Jones et al. 2021 Wallace Foundation).

• Many recent studies (e.g., Matheny et al., 2022, Center for Education Policy Analysis) have exposed inequity in various aspects of the educational system and challenged the structural frames that perpetuate it.  All over the country there are educational practitioners and researchers who are looking at policy and advocacy changes, restructuring of racist and classist systems, and promoting model programs that break down barriers for the advancement of all students.

•  Teacher quality has a tremendous impact on student outcomes (e.g., Chetty, Friedman, & Rockoff, 2011, National Bureau of Economic Research) and we strive to prepare excellent teachers. In this work, we are supported by research on evidence-based practices in content area instruction, ways to incorporate context-based and culturally embedded pedagogies, building teacher and student agency, and addressing the social and emotional needs of today’s students.
   

Schools continue to be center stage in heated local and national debates, as educators at all levels face challenges to curricula, materials, and pedagogies. From classrooms to school board meetings, stakeholders are grappling with how decisions are made, whose voices are included, and what counts as research or knowledge. These conflicts highlight fundamental questions about the purposes of education and the roles of educators, as well as what it means to engage in civic participation and discourse.
 

For our 2023 conference, we welcome proposals that ask critical questions and provide hopeful solutions to the challenges of the future. How can we strengthen our existing communities and build new ones that support and enrich the work that we do? How can we stay current in our knowledge and thinking as we prepare the citizens of the future? How can we draw people into the profession so that they can share their gifts with future generations? How can we engage with individuals outside of the field of education in partnerships that place education at the center of the community? 
 

Suggested topics include:

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• Bringing back joy in our teaching profession – fostering ways in which educators support and renew each other.

• Teacher sustainability – mentoring and supporting educators to keep them in the profession through collaborations across EPPs and P12 districts.

• Fostering belonging – successful approaches for educators and students in remote and in-person learning environments.

• Equity-centered pedagogy – preparing educators to work with culturally and linguistically diverse learners, students who have experienced hardship and trauma, and students with a variety of learning needs, using personal, narrative, and technology-based resources.

• Strategies for implementing antiracist, social justice pedagogies and practices.

• Censorship in P-16 environments, including book banning, censoring teacher speech, curriculum restrictions, and dismantling of DEI support.

• Alternative models of educator preparation – residencies, internship models, individual pathways, fully online programming, micro-credentials, etc.

• Teacher recruitment – strategies for recruiting, supporting, and retaining diverse candidates, teachers, and faculty.

• Maintaining excellence – responses to external and internal pressures regarding curricula, materials, and pedagogies (e.g., book banning, challenges to critical race theory, teacher surveillance, etc.)

• Innovative practices that help prepare and support educators in and for challenging times.
   

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION

TYPES OF PROPOSALS

Individual Paper Presentation: An individual paper presentation provides an opportunity to share research and/or practice focused on the conference theme. Please note that presenters can expect to be grouped with at least one other paper for individual paper sessions (45 minute sessions/20 minutes per paper).

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Panel Presentation: A panel presentation allows multiple individuals (2-3) who have already linked their work to present together (45 minute session). Please note that presenters may only present as part of one panel presentation in order to ensure there is access to this format for as many different presenters as possible (45 minute session).

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Roundtable Presentation: A roundtable offers opportunities to obtain insights and suggestions from colleagues in an informal, interactive format. Please note that the conference program will include Roundtable-only time slots in order to increase attendance at Roundtable sessions. There will be two presenters at each roundtable (20-25 minutes per presentation).

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Special AV Note: Please note that all presenters must provide their own computers and projectors. The conference planners can provide screens and a cart with cables. The hotel rents AV equipment to individuals as well as to the organizations who plan the conference, though the cost of renting this equipment is high.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Please fill out this Google form to propose your session. Your proposal will include the following elements (please note the character limits for some sections):

1. Names of presenter(s);

2. Name of school/college affiliation, preferred address, preferred telephone number, and e-mail address of each presenter;

3. Presentation title;

4. Proposed format for the presentation;

5. Brief summary of the presentation suitable for inclusion in the conference program (350 character limit); and

6. Submit a structured abstract according to the following prompts:

   • Purpose and focus: What was your research question or problem of practice (900 character limit)?

   • Research and/or theoretical foundation: How does your work connect to literature in the field (900 character limit)?

   • Relevance to the conference theme and significance to the field: How does your work connect to the conference theme and conversations in the field (900 character limit)?

   • Reference list (most recent APA format)
      

**Please note that each proposal will be blind reviewed by two individuals and is rated based on its connection to the theme of the conference and on the relevance and rigor of the work and research presented within the proposal. Due to the limited space available, conference organizers may request an individual paper or panel presentation shift to a roundtable format. The assigned presentation format will be indicated in the acceptance letter.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

Proposals must be submitted electronically using the following link:
NYSATE-NYACTE 2023 Fall Conference Proposal Form

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The deadline for submitting proposals is May 1, 2023.

Authors will be notified by email by July 2023.

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Direct inquiries to:

Dr. Gina Riley                                                           Dr. Rene S. Parmar

E-mail: griley@hunter.cuny.edu                              E-mail: rene.parmar@lehman.cuny.edu  

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Check the NYSATE (www.nys-ate.org) and NYACTE (www.nyacte.org) websites for the most current information about scheduled keynotes and conference sessions.