The AAPT Executive Board has made available a limited amount of financial support to encourage AAPT Sections to actively address issues concerning the preparation of K–12 teachers.

While there are many teacher preparation issues that can be reasonably discussed from a national perspective, there are very important teacher preparation issues that vary from region to region, state to state, and school district to school district. For example, local certification requirements, curricula, textbooks, and examinations are often based on statewide standards. In these and other ways, discussions and actions about teacher preparation and the success of teachers in their classrooms are very much local and regional issues.

To support efforts to engage our members and other teachers in discussions and actions about teacher preparation, AAPT has allocated a modest sum of money to be made available to AAPT Sections. It is not AAPT’s intention to propose an agenda for such discussions. The agenda should surely reflect the priorities and issues of importance to the individual AAPT Sections and to the teachers they serve.

The AAPT Executive Office is prepared to receive from its Sections brief (approximately one page) proposals for sessions to be held at Section meetings that address local concerns about teacher preparation and mentoring. The proposal should identify the topic and rationale for the session, the Section meeting at which the session will be offered, and the name of the person responsible for organizing the session.

In response to such proposals, AAPT will provide grants of up to $500 to support the efforts of Sections for activities consistent with these general objectives. The proposals should be sent by the Section Representative to the AAPT Executive Officer, who will determine which proposals will be funded. While there is no deadline for proposals, currently available funds will support about 15 such proposals.

Sections receiving this support will be encouraged to share their experiences with other Sections, perhaps via presentations at AAPT committee meetings, at AAPT national meetings or at meetings of Section Officers or Section Representatives.

AAPT is publicizing this program in a variety of venues. Proposals and questions should be addressed to the AAPT Executive Officer, Bernard Khoury, aapt-exec@aapt.org.