School of Education Dean Joanna Masingila has been appointed to the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching (PSPB). The 31-member board serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of Regents and the commissioner of education on matters related to teaching in New York state. The board is composed of K-12 teachers and administrators, higher education representatives, public representatives and one teacher education student. Masingila will serve through September 2023.
“It’s an honor to be selected to serve and be asked to advise the Board of Regents and the commissioner of education on things related to teaching and teacher preparation,” Masingila says. “This appointment aligns with my strong interest in preparing well-qualified teachers and supporting teaching practices at all levels in New York state, and allows me to use my experience as president elect, president, and now past president of the New York Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NYACTE) in service to the profession.”
Masingila serves on the PSPB Higher Education subcommittee. Full board meetings are held monthly in Albany, and the two-day agendas include whole-board discussions and subcommittee discussions. Meeting agendas are based on input from directives from the commissioner or Board of Regents, New York State Education Department-developed initiatives presented for PSPB input, and PSPB-generated issues and topics of interest.
Masingila cites several issues that have been at the forefront of teacher education for the last five years. Her roles as a dean, in NYACTE and now on the PSPB have allowed her a platform to engage in advocacy around these challenges that include: teacher shortages, supporting and retaining new and developing teachers, holding alternative certification programs to the same standards as teacher education programs at institutions of higher education, and addressing the de-professionalization of teaching.
“I look forward to working with other members of the PSPB on addressing these and other issues,” Masingila says.