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 the 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 50^th 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.

About AACTE

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is a national voluntary association of higher education institutions and other organizations and is dedicated to ensuring the highest quality preparation and continuing professional development for teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The almost 800 institutions holding AACTE membership include private, state, and municipal colleges and universities large and small located in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. In addition, AACTE has a growing number of affiliate members, including state departments of education, community colleges, educational laboratories and centers, and foreign institutions and organizations. Collectively, the AACTE membership prepares more than two-thirds of the new teachers entering schools each year in the United States.

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Jade Floyd
Communications Manager
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
1307 New York Ave, NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Main Phone: 202.293.2450
Main Fax: 202.457.8095