San Diego Teachers to Participate in Free Statewide Day of Learning and Networking, Celebrating the Teaching Profession, and Equipping Teachers with Tools to Better Implement the New California Standards
San Diego, CA — National University’s Sanford College of Education, which recommends more teachers for credentials than any other university in California, will co-host the second annual Better Together: California Teachers Summit on July 29, 2016. The Summit is a free statewide day of learning and networking that is open to all California PreK-12 teachers, teacher candidates, school administrators, and other educators. National University – which held one of the largest of the statewide events last year – invites San Diego area teachers to share ideas, join a teacher network, and learn effective strategies for implementing the new California Standards in their classrooms. Running from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Summit will take place at the Town and Country Convention Center, located at 500 Hotel Circle N. in San Diego.
The teacher-led event celebrates the teaching profession and comes at a critical time as California’s teacher shortage is at a ten-year-low. Last year’s inaugural Better Together Summit brought together nearly 15,000 teachers at 33 locations. This year’s Summit has expanded to 38 locations statewide, including the one hosted by National University, which is among the largest private nonprofit universities in the state. The event will feature keynote addresses by education leaders, TED-style EdTalks presented by local teachers, and Edcamp discussions on timely topics, such as the California Standards in English/Language Arts and Math and the Next-Generation Science Standards. Teachers will walk away with access to new resources and concrete tools that are already working in classrooms across the state.
“In light of California’s teacher shortage, it is important to provide teachers with ongoing professional development and support to keep teachers inspired and engaged,” said Dr. Judy Mantle, Dean of the Sanford College of Education at National University. “We are pleased to participate in this summit bringing teachers together in a collaborative forum to prepare for the new school year.”
The Sanford College of Education at National University is among the top ten largest schools of education in the country, and will be hosting the largest gathering of the four San Diego-Imperial County Summit locations. The other locations include CSU San Marcos, Point Loma Nazarene University, and San Diego State University, Imperial Valley.
A unique partnership between the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), the California State University (CSU), and New Teacher Center formed to host this free statewide day of learning. Through their strong and distinct networks, the organizers will reach educators at every stage in their development: new and veteran teachers, current teaching students, and alumni. More information, a list of event locations, and online registration are available at CATeachersSummit.com. Follow #CATeachersSummit on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information.
Attendees of National University’s event at the Town and Country Convention Center are also invited to learn more about the PreK-12 Sanford Education Programs – Sanford Harmony and Sanford Inspire – which support and encourage the professional development of teachers, and enhance the classroom environment through inspiring teaching and social emotional development tools and strategies.
About National University: Founded in 1971, National University is one of the largest private, nonprofit institutions of higher education in California. With more than 240,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Four schools and two colleges offer more than 75 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials. Among them is the Sanford College of Education, which is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and is among the top ten largest schools of education in the country. Over the past 20-plus years, more than 100 National University alumni throughout the state of California have been recognized as a Teachers of the Year at the local, state, and national level. The University’s programs are offered at locations throughout California and across the nation, and are also available online. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California. www.nu.edu
About AICCU
The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities represents 75 private, nonprofit colleges and universities in California who collectively enroll 320,000 students and is the largest preparer of California’s advanced workforce. The core mission of AICCU institutions is to improve lives through higher education. AICCU institutions are committed to the public good and are incredibly diverse – ranging from large to small traditional liberal arts institutions, including nationally ranked research universities; colleges offering faith-based, performing and visual arts, and “non-traditional” programs of study; as well as professional schools that specialize in business, law, medicine, and more. In addition to providing creative and intellectual higher education resources to assure California’s future societal and economic vitality, AICCU institutions are major contributors to the economies of the regions they serve.
About CSU
The California State University is the largest comprehensive university in the country, serving 474,600 students at 23 campuses. For more than 100 years, the university has been the vortex of teacher training. The CSU is known as the “people’s university,” serving the most academically, ethnically, and economically diverse students in the nation. The university is known for providing quality degree programs and preparing job-ready graduates for success. With 1 in 10 employees in California, and 1 in 20 Americans who hold a university degree in the United States as a CSU alumnus, the university has the largest alumni base of any public university in the country with 3 million living alumni.
About NTC
New Teacher Center is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving student learning by guiding a new generation of educators. Founded by teachers in 1998, NTC works in conjunction with school districts, state policy makers, and educators across the country to increase the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders at all levels. These programs are built upon research-based principles for teacher onboarding, mentoring, and ongoing coaching, and are proven to accelerate teacher effectiveness, reduce teacher churn, and improve student achievement. NTC has made it their mission to overcome challenges students and teachers face by providing all educators with the support and resources necessary to succeed from their first day to their last. NTC now supports over 8,500 mentors or coaches and 31,600 teachers, and is improving the learning of over 2.2 million students across the country.