From 14-15 March, Education Ministers, national and international union leaders and accomplished teachers from 24 countries and regions with high-performing and rapidly improving education systems will convene for the second international Summit on the Teaching Profession, in New York, USA. This year’s theme focuses on “Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders”.
EI actively involved in high-level summit’s sessions
EI will be present at this high-level summit, together with the US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and representatives from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), EI US affiliates, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Asia Society, and WNET, the premier public media provider of the New York City metropolitan area.
The two-day event will aim to explore three topics: developing school leaders, preparing teachers for the delivery of 21st century skills, and preparing teachers to work and succeed where they are most needed. A background paper, prepared by the OECD, will be available in advance of the summit to highlight practices from around the world in each of these areas.
This summit is part of an ongoing international dialogue on best practices in both teaching and learning. In the weeks following the Summit, Asia Society will lead host organisations in publishing a summary paper to publicly document insights shared and lessons learned.
EI General Secretary Fred van Leuween will join Duncan, OECD Deputy Secretary General Yves Leterme, and OECD Deputy Director for Education and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary General Andreas Schleicher at the panel of the Welcome, Overview and Framing Session, to be held on 14 March.
This session, as well as the closing one, will be webcast live at http://media.rampard.com/cotl/20120314/doe/
An agenda and additional information can also be found here
EI Study on Future of Teaching Profession to contribute to debates
In addition, the recently published EI study, “Future of Teaching Profession” will greatly contribute to debates during the summit.
In this study’s foreword, van Leuween insists “teaching is a profession that lies at the heart of both the learning of children and young people and their social, cultural and economic development. It is crucial to transmitting and implanting social values, such as democracy equality, tolerance, cultural understanding, and respect for each person’s fundamental freedoms”.
He goes on to explain, “EI’s Research Board decided to commission Professor John MacBeath, Emeritus Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, to carry out a review of the available evidence on the relationship of the teaching profession to societies and governments globally. He was asked to reflect on possible next steps governments, communities and the teaching profession itself could take to enhance the learning, efficacy and status of teachers. It was an extraordinary and Herculean task, and EI is profoundly grateful to John for producing such a powerful and coherent study.”
Highlighting that this is a practical study, aiming at supporting teachers and their organisations in their efforts to place the voice of teachers centre stage in the debate around shaping the teaching profession in the 21 century, van Leuween says, “The future happiness and success of children and young people and of the societies in which they live depend on schools and the teachers and staff within them.”
To read the full study, click here
EI also published a flyer for the 2012 New York Summit, entitled “Education International and the International Summit on the Teaching Profession”. It is available here