I want to invite you and your institution to participate in a special database on the MACTE website. The Measures of Teacher Quality in Minnesota (MTQM) has two functions. The first serves as a search mechanism for potential students looking for teacher preparation programs. This allows the public to look for programs in various formats that meet their needs. The second function was developed to provide data related to indicators of quality in teacher preparation. Individual institutions report their data which is then pooled for a general report about the state of teacher education in Minnesota. Institutions can compare their data on items like admission requirements to the mean of institutions in the state. MTQM has been used in reporting about our programs to the legislature in the past. I urge you to participate in this data entry.

Earlier this month the Minnesota Board of Teaching passed a resolution to allow science teachers to add on another field of science to their license by taking the Praxis test. There was no discussion, although the board did hear an eloquent statement from a chemistry professor from Hamline about the need for teachers and their students to have stronger content knowledge. I think we can all agree that strong content knowledge along with pedagogical skill is important for teachers. Even though these teachers adding new science fields will be “highly qualified” technically, they will not have strong content and pedagogical knowledge. So why was this decision made? It was primarily designed to solve the needs of small, rural schools in staffing. But ease of staffing does not mean that the teachers licensed by a test will be effective. With the renewed focus on the importance of content knowledge in our increasingly competitive world, this decision sends Minnesota in the wrong direction.

Welcome to our new MACTE website! I think you will find it easy to navigate and find the information you need. Features you have come to rely on like MTQM and event information are here along with new features that will keep you up to date on issues related to preparation of teachers. We in teacher education continue to meet the challenge of preparing educators who can assist all learners in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in our fast-paced, global society. I hope you will check with us regularly for the latest on state-wide issues related to teacher education.