The SCCTM Advisory Assembly

Meeting Report
October 30, 2004

            The SCCTM Advisory Assembly met on October 30, 2004, at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.  Twenty-two members of the Assembly, along with eleven guests and twelve members of the executive board were present.  The primary purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the 2004 Fall Conference at Myrtle Beach and to make suggestions for 2005.

            The focal point for the evaluation of this year’s conference revolved around the choice of days for the conference.  In the past, the conference sessions had been held on a Thursday-Friday schedule.  Due to budget tightening during the last few years, it was decided to hold the conference sessions on a Friday-Saturday to minimize the costs to districts for substitutes.  A further concern was to reduce the number of professional development days used by teachers which are included with absences on school report cards.  Assembly members cited pros for each position. 

            Reducing the “out-of-class” time was a definite plus for the Friday-Saturday schedule.  The pressure to increase the number of students scoring proficient or advanced on PACT means that teachers need to be in the classroom consistently.  Being away from classes one day instead of two was beneficial.  It was also noted that truly committed teachers did not mind “giving up” a Saturday in order to attend the conference. 

            There were problems noted with this schedule, however.  In order to hold the conference in October, the Saturday sessions would always be affected by college football schedules (a concern of season ticket holders and other fans!), high school cheerleading and band competitions (the finals are always the last Saturday in October) and Fall Festivals held at schools—all of which affect teachers as parents.  Reasons for selecting October are that it is early enough in the year to be able to utilize ideas gained in the conference with students all year long, and it does not conflict with the conferences for other subject areas or the NCTM national conference.   Assembly members also stated that teachers should be treated as professionals.  This includes encouraging attendance at conferences such as SCCTM’s Fall conference during the regular work week.  It was especially noted that districts in the region close to the state conference should be encouraged to send teachers to the conference for at least one day since they would not incur hotel expenses.

            Another concern for the conference was how to increase attendance at the final sessions on the second day.  Because driving distances are long for many teachers, the final sessions are less well-attended than most of the morning sessions.  Door prizes for the Saturday sessions were instituted at this year’s conference at the recommendation of the Advisory Assembly in March.  Members noted that this had a positive impact on attendance this year and added to the general upbeat climate of the conference.  It was suggested, however, that the door prize give-away be structured differently.  Teachers could receive a door prize ticket in each session they attended during the day—thus attending more sessions would increase the likelihood of winning a prize.  Prizes for the first day sessions could be drawn at the business meeting.  Prizes for the second day could be drawn at the beginning of the final session and be available for pick-up in the registration area as teachers left the conference.   

            Another suggestion for the 2005 conference was to alter the schedule of sessions during the day to provide a staggered “lunch hour” in order to minimize time lost waiting in lines.  This could be accomplished by grouping sessions by grade levels during the middle of the day.  A secondary benefit of this schedule change would be to allow teachers time to visit the exhibit hall without missing any sessions.  It was also suggested that repeated sessions could also be offered during this time, since teachers would have a choice about when to attend them. 

            Advisory Assembly members were also asked to suggest areas of focus for the 2005 year.  Chief among those suggestions were advocacy for professional treatment of teachers at all grade levels.  Vertical teaming and establishing means for teachers to communicate with teachers in other schools were concerns from the middle school group.  Secondary teachers voiced concerns about incentives for the retention and recruitment of qualified math teachers, making more than $200 available for first year teachers who have greater needs for materials to set up their classrooms, and establishing on-line chats for topics of interest for South Carolina’s teachers.  There were also recommendations that we help inform the general population about how South Carolina compares with other states’ Adequate Yearly Progress based on our state standards. 

            At the close of the meeting, outgoing members of the Advisory Assembly were recognized and thanked for their years of service.  These outgoing members include Shay Willimon, Sherri Abel, Deborah Vrooman, Kaye Crook, Carol Sample, Bob Horton, Joy Turnblad, and Jean Redfearn. 

            The next meeting of the Advisory Assembly will be held in Columbia in April.