The head of Stanford GSE's elementary teacher education program joins the leadership of a major group advocating for high quality teacher development.
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education announced earlier this month that Ira Lit, associate professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education, has been elected a member of its board of directors. His three-year term begins March 1.
“I am honored,” said Lit, who is also director of the Stanford Teacher Education Program - Elementary. “AACTE is one of the nation’s most important advocates for the teaching profession. Its mission — to promote effective professional development for teachers and school leaders in support of P-12 student learning, through advocacy, leadership and service — is central to the future of our profession, our institutions of teacher preparation, and our pluralistic, democratic society.
The AACTE 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 group, which was established in 1948 through the merger of six teacher education associations, represents some 800 institutions, including public and private colleges and universities in every state and the District of Columbia. A leading authority on issues pertaining to teacher quality, the group maintains a constant presence on Capitol Hill and provides up-to-the-minute news and analysis of education policy to its members.
Lit began his career as a classroom teacher in public elementary schools in Northern California. Prior to joining the faculty at Stanford, he served as the director of the Teachers for a New Era initiative at Bank Street College in New York.
Lit’s research and practice focuses on teacher education, elementary education, and educational equity. As director of STEP-Elementary, he engages daily in the practice of teacher preparation — from program and curriculum design, to faculty development, to program accreditation, to building strong university-school partnerships.
Lit has been involved in AACTE throughout his career, serving as chair of the AACTE membership development committee and as a member of the AACTE task force on state grants initiative, along with being on California state advisory panels on teacher-preparation policy and teacher professional standards and other leading professional task forces.
“I am deeply committed to advocating on behalf of a vibrant professional community for AACTE and its member institutions, by providing opportunities for members to enhance their support of teachers and P-12 students and advocating for policies that offer a supportive foundation for the essential work of our professional community,” he said.
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