Various deans of education from Colorado institutions gathered at UCCS on July 28 for the Colorado Council of Deans in Education (CCODE) conference.
The conference, convened to address educational needs in the state of Colorado, began with remarks from the co-chairs of CCODE and a UCCS welcoming, including an address from Chancellor Sobanet and Provost Lynn Vidler.
From there, the group engaged in several discussions and talks on legislation, trends, how to support education personnel and more. Topics included key priorities for the Colorado Department of Education, navigating politics in politically turbulent time, exploring new funding strategies and opportunities and how to support teacher apprenticeship and work-based learning options for future educators.
“The summer retreat was a success,” said Joe Wehrman, Ph.D., UCCS Dean of the College of Education. “We brought representatives together who support teacher preparation from across the state. It was a great opportunity for leaders in higher education to discuss the needs of k12 education and to work on strategies to enhance the workforce.”
Additionally, the conference featured perspectives and updates on educational partners including the Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Department of Higher Education, TEACH Colorado and Colorado Center for Rural Education. Cheryl Holcomb McCoy, Ph.D., President of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) weighed in on AACTE’s role in supporting schools and colleges of education in the current political moment, and Senator Cathy Kipp joined for a discussion on Colorado legislators.
The conference concluded with a reception at Colorado College’s Stewart House, with a welcome from Colorado College President Manya Whitaker and Chair of Education Tina Valtierra, Ph.D.