AACTE to Honor Deborah Loewenberg Ball with Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education

(February 19, 2014, Washington, D.C.) – The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) has named Deborah Loewenberg Ball, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, the winner of its 2014 Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education. The award, named after former AACTE Executive Director Edward C. Pomeroy, recognizes distinguished service to the teacher education community for the development and promotion of outstanding practices at the collegiate, state or national level. It will be presented on March 3 at AACTE’s 66th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.

AACTE’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability, which reviews nominations for the award, chose Dr. Ball for her exceptional contributions to AACTE, to national and state organizations involved in teacher education and to the development of exemplary teacher education initiatives. According to the committee, Dr. Ball’s service to the profession is evident through her involvement in numerous national initiatives such as her role in the development of TeachingWorks, a new organization that seeks to provide exemplary practices for implementation in the preparation of the nation’s next generation of teachers.

Dr. Ball is dean of the University of Michigan School of Education, where she is also the William H. Payne Collegiate Professor of Education and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. Ball previously taught elementary school for 17 years and still teaches mathematics to fifth grade students every summer. In addition to her role in developing the organization, she also serves as director of TeachingWorks, which will co-host a series of sessions at the 2014 AACTE Annual Meeting. She is a member of the National Science Board, a trustee of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and chair of the board of directors of the Spencer Foundation. Ball is also an elected member of the National Academy of Education, and is a fellow of both the American Educational Research Association and the American Mathematical Society.

“This award is a fitting testament to Deborah Loewenberg Ball’s deep commitment to the careful preparation of beginning teachers,” said Martha Pollack, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan. “Her work has added a vital element to the national discourse on teacher preparation and on the key role that teaching plays in children’s life chances. Her leadership in the field, including her work with policymakers at local, state and national levels, will point the way to ensuring that every child in our nation’s classrooms receives skillful teaching.”

For more information on AACTE’s 2014 award winners, visit www.aacte.org.

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AACTE: Serving Learners
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. AACTE’s reach and influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education.