Welcome to a new regular feature to the Connections online newsletter—Communications from the AMTE Board.
Since the last issue of Connections, the AMTE Board of Directors has met twice, on March 18 and on May 20. This is an important time for AMTE to establish the work of the organization, as new committee members started at the close of the Annual Conference, and committees, reinvigorated with new energy, are ready to go to work!
In March, much of the Board’s discussion revolved around ideas for the opening session at the 2017 AMTE Annual Meeting. This meeting will be the celebration of AMTE’s 25th Anniversary as a professional organization, and we want our 21st Annual Conference to be a culmination of that anniversary. The Board discussed, commissioned a sub-team to investigate further, and finally approved a plan to convene a panel for the 2017 opening session that is focused on new developments in mathematics, statistics, and modeling, as well as their connections to K–12 mathematics teacher preparation. This seems to be a timely topic and looks to be a great way to open our 2017 conference. Look for more information and speakers in Conference News in this and the fall issue of Connections.
In April, the Board did not meet as a group. Several motions that needed approval were conducted online, regarding the invitation of speakers for the conference and the approval of a proposal for a third book in the IAP AMTE Series on mathematics methods courses. We look forward to the publication this year of the first two books in the IAP series, one focused on Elementary Mathematics Specialists and one focused on issues of Equity in Mathematics Education.
During NCTM/NCSM conferences, President Christine Thomas, President-elect Randy Philipp, and Executive Director Tim Hendrix met for 1.5 days in San Francisco to make further progress on the plans for restructuring how AMTE works as an organization. The team, which also meets for 2 hours every week, met again in person for a full day in Atlanta on May 18 to continue that work.
On April 14, AMTE held our Annual Reception at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis during the NCTM Annual Conference; approximately 125 members and guests came by for hors d’oeuvres, great door prizes, and the opportunity to connect with fellow AMTE members. Thanks to all who attended!
In our May 20 board meeting, the Board had much to discuss. President Christine Thomas and Executive Director Tim Hendrix shared information from the May 6 meeting of the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences (CBMS) in Alexandria, VA. AMTE is a member organization of CBMS, which is the umbrella organization for professional societies in mathematics. CBMS is a means through which the higher education mathematics community, the K–12 mathematics community and the higher education mathematics teacher education community can collaborate on common goals. Look for upcoming information about a statement on active learning in the college mathematics classroom, about the 2017 National Math Day event in Washington, DC, and about other opportunities.
Our campaign to support AMTE, Give 25 for AMTE’s 25th, is going well—as of this date, 55 donors have contributed almost half of our goal of $25K for AMTE’s 25th Anniversary. You may go online to http://amte.net and donate to any of the AMTE programs: our General Fund for operating budget, the Susan Gay Conference Scholarship Fund, the Elementary Mathematics Specialist Scholarship Fund, or the STaR Fellows Network Fund. Join us in meeting our goal!
In the May 20 Board meeting, much of the discussion revolved around planning for our 2017 Annual Conference. In June, the Board will set the registration costs for the conference. In order to do so in good faith, we spent time discussing the various aspects of the conference, which contribute to its costs and projections for the 2017 conference. As with most things, costs are rising and we will have to reflect that to meet the costs of the conference.
Also, the Board discussed progress on the restructuring of AMTE’s organizational framework. As the Board continues to work on these ideas, look for more detailed information in the fall issue of Connections. We want to maintain the sense of intimacy and connection that AMTE members feel in the organization, and at the same time, adapt to being a larger organization on a national scene—which means, we may have to change some of our operations. From the work of the board members last year, we are thinking about how to organize around five categories, which we are calling “families,” of work in AMTE: (1) Membership and Recognition of members, (2) Communications and Outreach, (3) Professional Learning for members, (4) Publications, and (5) Advocacy, Equity, and Research. Looking at our Mission and Goals, these five families help us to be focused in how we operate, how we take care and meet the needs of our members, and how we address our goals. In the next issue, look for more detailed information about how we envision committees, volunteers, and board of directors functioning within these families.
Respectfully submitted,