MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
March 2011
Hello Colleagues. I hope most of you have had, are having, or are about to have a break and during that time you will relax and regroup for the rest of the semester. I have three pieces of news and a call for manuscripts. If you haven't gotten your profile in, please send it to me.
Welcome New Members !!! We are so glad you have decided to join us! We hope you will have lots of opportunities to work together and share your ideas and nominate your colleagues for awards. Bob Ziegenfuss, President-Elect, did a great job on our membership campaign. Cal Meyer, our treasurer, shared that we have 11 new members and two new institutional memberships. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your regional director or any of the board members .
Celebrating the Legacy of the Middle School and Envisioning Its Future. There is a link to the registration form for this May Symposium which will be held in Milledgeville, GA , on the www.napomle.org webpage. The following statement is part of the flyer. “ Leaders in teacher preparation institutions from around the nation, state department officials, and other key national figures in the field of middle level education will participate. The conference will seek to groom a new generation of leaders, build support for middle level teacher preparation, offer examples of forward-looking programs, and provide opportunities to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and where we need to go in teacher preparation .” If you have any questions contact Joanne Previts or Dan Bauer at Georgia College and State University. We hope you are able to join us to celebrate our past and our future.
NMSA Update. I spoke with Betty Greene-Bryant (Interim NMSA Director) about the fall conference and about the impending search for a new director. Betty is passionate about advocating for middle level professors, principals, teachers, and future teachers. She shared that she and Doug Herlensky have been busy working with the conference team to plan a great conference including innovative opportunities such as round tables and planning areas. In our conversation she offered the following:
“I am a big proponent of higher education folks participating throughout the conference. If we do not support our professors and encourage young people to get involved we will not have an organization.”
To that end Betty and Doug have arranged to provide us with a dedicated room at the conference where we can meet and collaborate. As professors, I shared we are so appreciative of what she and Doug are doing to advocate for us.
The conference planning committee will be sending an update next month. We will also highlight the state conferences that have taken place. Have a relaxing, productive spring break!
Respectfully,
Nancy Ruppert , President, NaPOMLE
The winter 2011 issue can be found at