AACTE Presents 2007 International Ghana Study Tour “Preparing World Class Teachers and Learners”

CONTACT:
Jade Floyd,
amangino@aacte.org
or 202.478.4596

AACTE along with fifteen College of Education deans and professors embark on a 12-day international study tour to Africa

Washington, D.C. (July 13, 2007) The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s (AACTE)
president and CEO, along with fifteen college of education deans and professors will participate in AACTE’s 2007 International Study Tour: Preparing World-Class Teachers and Learners, and travel to Ghana, West Africa.

Departing from the U.S., July 16, 2007, the group is led by AACTE’s president and CEO, Dr. Sharon P. Robinson and renowned education scholar, Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III (Nana Baffour Amankwatia, II), a Fuller E. Callaway professor of urban education at Georgia State University and recipient of AACTE’s 2004 Legacy of Excellence Award.

The AACTE study tour is organized throughout Accra, Cape Coast and Kumasi. Participants will visit with education officials and tour colleges of education at the University of Ghana (July 17) and University of Cape Coast (July 20).

“Our study tour to Ghana is designed to provide an understanding of its origins, culture and political evolution. West Africa has an ancient past, which includes the ancient Ghana Empire, that inspired the naming of Ghana today, in its coastal location. The European invasion of Ghana, the enslavement of many of its people, and its colonization destroyed a highly developed civilization and nation,” says Dr. Hilliard. “2007 is the 50th anniversary of independence, which is being celebrated all year long. There are many opportunities for collaboration in redevelopment activities, including education and teacher education, some of which are already in progress. Ghana’s rich traditional culture still exists side by side with contemporary developments. Ghana is a great window on the history and culture of the African continent as a whole, as well as a beacon for liberation and the resilience of the human spirit,” he concluded.

Dr. Hilliard currently has joint appointments in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education. A teacher, psychologist, and historian, he began his career in the Denver Public Schools. He earned a B.A. in Educational Psychology, M.A. in Counseling, and Ed.D. in educational psychology from the University of Denver, where he also taught in the College of Education and in the Philosophy colloquium of the Centennial Scholars Honors Program.

Dr. Hilliard served on the faculty at San Francisco State University for eighteen years. During that time he was a Department Chair for two years, Dean of Education for eight years, and was consultant to the Peace Corps and Superintendent of Schools in Monrovia, Liberia for two years.

AACTE’s Robinson was formerly president of the Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) Educational Policy Leadership Institute. While at ETS, she also served as senior vice president and chief operating officer, and as vice president for teaching and learning and for state and federal relations. Before joining ETS, Robinson was assistant secretary of education with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement. She also held a variety of leadership positions at the National Education Association, including director of the National Center for Innovation, NEA’s research and development arm. Just prior to joining AACTE, Robinson served briefly as interim deputy director of the National PTA’s Programs and Legislation office.

Post interviews are available August 1st and 2nd. To schedule an interview with Dr. Sharon P. Robinson or Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III please contact Jade Floyd, AACTE communications manager, at jfloyd@aacte.org or 202.478.4596.