This year, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) elected three new members for their Board of Directors, and one of them is the Dean of Rowan University’s College of Education, Dr. Monika Williams Shealey.

The AACTE is an organization that consists of 800 institutions advocating for traditional teacher preparation programs. Each institution is represented by one person at a college of education around the country.

The Board of Directors govern the policies and activities of the organization. Shealey will begin her three year term in March, and will meet with the board twice a year to develop and examine policies that the members believe will benefit the organization. This year, she will be meeting other members of the organization in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As a doctoral student at the University of Central Florida, Shealey was part of the Holmes Scholars Program. The program was designed to create opportunities for underrepresented groups in higher education, and is governed by AACTE. She later became a member of AACTE and developed relationships with the members.

“I’ve grown up with this institution and I want to be able to develop policies and practices that are responsive to the needs of all our members,” Shealey said.

This year, Shealey will be attending Day on the Hill, an event where she and a selected student will talk to legislators in Washington, D.C. about increasing funding for Rowan’s College of Education.

“I’m glad to know that our school is going to great lengths to ensure the quality of educators is constantly on the rise,” said senior history and secondary education major Dalton Woodward. “I hope Rowan continues to elevate its status as a college that teaches its students how to be effective and proud educators.”

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