Teacher Preparation needs alumni on board

Pat Hoffman, left, & Teacher Prep administration.

Esther Letven, Hoffman, & alumni Jerilynn Nettesheim.

When Patricia Hoffman, director of Teacher Preparation and Professional Development, spoke to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Alumni Association board of directors Tuesday, Nov. 8, she knew she was speaking to an important audience. After all, more 250 educators in southeastern Wisconsin are UW-Parkside alumni. And thousands more have participated in professional development offerings such as Chiwaukee Academy.

"We really have brought the two areas of focus together around one single mission," Hoffman said. "Not only the development of excellent educators, but the continuous support of educators throughout our region. You're never done learning, and we want to be that one-stop shop. That's why our alumni outreach is so important."

Hoffman described the process of building a teacher preparation program to meet the needs of educators in the 21st century. Design teams, made up of eight to 10 persons, are responsible for everything from how to connect with community partners, to the learning pedagogy.

One design team is charged with the important task of assessment. "We have to be able to prove that we are doing the job, and doing it well," Hoffman said. "It's a key requirement for program approval by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction."

Most all of the design teams include educator alumni. "(Alumni) have a huge sense of commitment," Hoffman said. "They want to be proud of the program, and they want to contribute to our development."

Hoffman previously served as assistant superintendent for the Burlington School District. She said it didn't take her long to appreciate the power of UW-Parkside alumni. "Every place I go, I meet people who are UW-Parkside," she said. "We really have a huge potential for friends out there."

And if Hoffman has her way, she'll get all of those friends back to campus. "With the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities and the Student Center, it is a whole new look to this university," she said. "I tell our alumni, 'You should come home again, because you won't believe what we've done with the place.'"

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Story Status: Archived
Publish date: 11/15/2011

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