Come to Philadelphia in 2006!
ATE's 2006 Summer Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 29-August 2, 2006. Theme for the Summer Conference will be "Reinventing the Educational Landscape: Renewing Hope, Heart and Vision for Teachers, Learners and Communities."
For over 200 years Philadelphia has played host to international figures and great Americans who were reinventing the landscape first in politics, now in education. Join ATE Conference attendees in Philadelphia where fundamental assumptions will be challenged and bold new ideas gain support for charting a course of educational excellence for all.
The 2006 ATE Summer Conference is designed to provide opportunities for participants to address the conference theme, "Reinventing the Educational Landscape: Renewing Hope, Heart, and Vision for Teachers, Learners and Communities" by sharing papers and presentations about Research, Practice, Policies and Model Programs. Proposals are sought that will help participants examine educational issues by focusing on questions that address one of the six strands.
--What does it mean to reinvent education for teachers, learners and communities?
--What are current educational practices, issues or constraints that encourage or hinder the involvement of teachers, learners and communities?
--What knowledge, skills and dispositions do teachers, learners and communities need to have to be effective educators?
--What are some examples, models or stories of teacher education programs that involve teachers, learners and communities?
--What are some model cases where school student excellence is a result of teachers, learners and communities?

Conference Strands

Strand One: Communities as Classrooms
Community Influences in classrooms
Community opportunities for learning and teaching

Strand Two: Technology as a Tool for Reinventing the Landscape
Using virtual images for teaching and learning
Technology as hope, heart, and vision
Ways to support teachers in their use of technology

Strand Three: New Ways of Collaboration
Consortia and how they support collaboration
Partnerships such as PDSs and other school-university, school-school partnerships, and international networks
Business and education as partners
Collaboration that changes the educational landscape

Strand Four: Diversity in the Teaching Force
Best practices in recruiting and retaining diverse teachers
Successful diverse schools and classrooms
Rural communities: Hopes and visions

Strand Five: Creating Pathways to Teacher Licensure
New program approaches that reinvent the landscape (includes Teach for America, field- based/internship programs, Transition to Teaching, "Grow Your Own," and other post-baccalaureate programs)
Common and uncommon features of alternative routes to licensure

Strand Six: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) as a Change Agent
Assessment, accreditation, alternatives, and standards in response to NCLB
Definitions of "highly qualified" and their impact on reinventing the landscape
State responses to NCLB: Meeting expectations
Benefits and challenges of NCLB: Reshaping the landscape

Keynote Speakers
Keynote Speakers for the Philadelphia Summer Conference will include:

Dr. Lindamichellebaron

Dr. Lindamichellebaron is a former New York City public school teacher. She earned her Master’s Degree in Reading and her Doctorate in Cross Categorical Studies from Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. She is currently a Professor in the Teacher Education Department at York College in New York City.
Dr. Lindamichellebaron is an author and poet. Her books include "The Rhythm & Dues, For the Love of Life, and Anthony Ant and Grady Grasshopper." Her poems are featured in a number of poetry anthologies as well as on stage in the recent musical and dance production, "The Groove That Got the Move of Us." Dr. Lindamichellebaron lives in Hempstead, New York, where she was recently honored with the official designation Village Griot (storyteller).

  Mr. Paul G. Vallas
Paul Vallas was appointed in July of 2002 as Chief Executive Office for the School District of Philadelphia.  Mr. Vallas in implementing sweeping district-wide reforms in Philadelphia, duplicating many of the approaches that changed Chicago’s Public School System from one of the worst in the nation to a nationally recognized model for educational reform.  Vallas’ reforms are creating safer schools, better-trained teachers, a unified curriculum, more support for students with special needs and a fiscal plan that improves the financial health of the district.  his approach is one of inclusion because parents, staff, community organizations, religious institutions and the city of Philadelphia all deserve a say in their schools.

  Congressman Chaka Fattah
Congressman Chaka Fattah is a nationally recognized lawmaker serving in his sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.  He represents the Second Congressional District of Pennsylvania.  He is the highest-ranking African American elected in Pennsylvania and a member of the Powerful Appropriations Committee.  His constant legislation and attention to education at the K – 12 level and higher education are noteworthy.  Through his leadership as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) tens of thousands of students from Philadelphia received millions in grants and loans to attend college.  He has spearheaded such legislation as GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and CORE Philly which is designed to double the number of high school graduates as well as the number of children attending college.  Fattah played a large role in the success of the Read to Lead program, the College Retention Program, Project GRAD and recently introduced the Student Bill of Rights, a proposal that requires states to certify that there is equity in access and opportunity for quality education for all students.

SUMMER CONFERENCE FEATURED SESSIONS

State of the ATE Commission of Quality Leaders for Novice Teachers

Join members of ATE’S Commission to discuss current issues associated with quality leaders for novice teachers (e.g. student teachers) and provide insights on additional courses of action for members of this commission. Input is welcomed on questions such as: What differences do quality leaders make in the lives of novice teachers and children? And “What are the characteristics of quality leaders and what types of experiences should they have?” Come and learn what the commission members have investigated thus far and share your experiences.

The Magic of Collaboration

Join the members of the Philadelphia School District who have developed intimate partnerships with multiple groups and institutions. They will describe through authentic examples how as array of people cooperatively share different points of view, affiliations, skills and experiences that transform the landscape of education into a unified vision. The collaborative process create creates limitless opportunities for teachers, learners and communities through a powerful prism.

Professional Development Schools: What Do they Really Accomplish?

The panel will discuss what it takes to build and more importantly sustain a Professional Development School Partnership. They will examine the impact of a PDS on the quality of their graduates as well as on teacher retention. And, from the accountability perspective does a PDS impact student achievement.

Teacher Diversity: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color

The declining number of teachers being prepared for the school classrooms is a national crisis. The panel addresses the issues of recruitment and retention from two perspectives. The Governors’ Commission on Training America’s Teachers and the School District of Philadelphia’s efforts to provide recommendations and implementation strategies through a short term high Intensity Teacher Diversity Campaign. Final reports from both groups are due in July, 2006.

ATE’s Leadership Academy’s Progress Report

Research, practice, policies and model programs that focus on the conference theme of Reinventing the Educational Landscape: Renewing Hope, Heart and Vision.

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS

Say Farewell to Film: Discover the World of Digital Cameras and Digital Imaging
David McCarthy, University of Minnesota, Duluth
½ Day Session – Morning
Includes demonstrations with hands on experiences exploring a wide range of applications in which digital cameras can be used to enhance teaching and learning. Cameras will be provided or bring your own digital camera.

Discover the World of Non-Traditional PowerPoint Presentations

David McCarthy, University of Minnesota, Duluth
½ Day Session – Afternoon
PowerPoint has several creative non-traditional uses that frequently are overlooked. Participants will discover how this multimedia tool can be developed and used in a variety of non-traditional formats such as jeopardy games, the millionaire game, exams, and/or training modules for classroom use.

NCATE: Strengthening Institutional Responses for Accreditation

Donna Gollnick, Vice President, NCATE
9:00 – 3:00

SUMMER CONFERENCE SELECTED ACTIVITIES

Norris Square: Tour of Flower Gardens and Murals
Tuesday 2:30 – 5:30 Abandoned tracts of land and vacant lots at one time owned by drug dealers are now turned into vibrant gardens and murals that lionize the living ordinary people in the largely Latino inner-city neighborhood.
$15.00 (Limited to 40 persons)

Riverboat Cruise and Dinner
Monday 5:00 – 8:00
The Delaware River boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey provides a scenic view of the sky lines of Philadelphia and Camden. The cruise takes you from urban to rural in a few miles.
$60.00

LFTE Golf Tournament
Tuesday 2:00 – 6:00
Remember this is a fundraiser. Women and duffers are encouraged to join the LFTE regulars. Bring your clubs or rent them there.
18 holes of golf with cart, $40.00

The Hotel
Philadelphia, the city where American democracy was born, is brimming with energy and big-city sophistication. Soaring above the Delaware River, the stately Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing in historic Society Hill is the city’s newest hotel and the only Philadelphia hotel located on the waterfront. The 22-story tower features spectacular and commanding views of the ever-changing river scene and the impressive downtown skyline. Experience four-diamond service and superb food, enhanced by the warm atmosphere of Philadelphia’s Old City charm.
Room rates for the 2006 Summer Conference will be $149 for a single or double room.
The Philadelphia International Airport, located eight miles from the hotel, offers a range of transportation to downtown, including subway, taxi, bus and shuttle service as low as $8.00.

Click here to download a pdf of the hotel registration form.

Make Philadelphia a Family Destination
The beautiful, modern, and yet historic city of Philadelphia provides the backdrop for the 2006 ATE summer conference. The conference will be a multifaceted event that offers unique opportunities for professional development, a collegial sharing of new ideas and the showcasing of Educational Practices.
The Summer Conference Planning Committee suggests you make the professional experience part of a larger family vacation. Come early to Philadelphia and stay late. Take advantage of the rich historical, cultural and recreational opportunities that Philadelphia and the surrounding Delaware valley have to offer. Walk in the foot steps of Ben Franklin, talk with members of the Continental Congress as they debate the issues of the day, see and hear the story of the Liberty Bell. From Society Hill to the house where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and back again to Penns Landing. There is a plethora of original historic buildings along a walking path just awaiting your arrival. Philadelphia is also home to numerous museums.
After you have completed your walking tour of Independence National Historic Park you may be ready for a stroll through the Italian Market, the Reading Terminal Market or the Rittenhouse Square district. Your other days can be filled with visits to the ethnic neighborhoods and their gorgeous murals and beautiful gardens, or a trip to Valley Forge National Historic Park, Longwood Gardens and Woodmere Art Museum, all of which are within a half hour drive of center city.