IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12-03-04 CONTACT: Dean Jerry Harmon 538-6416
Silver City—Western New Mexico University’s School of Education has proven its commitment to producing quality teachers by achieving accreditation this month under the performance-oriented standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the organization responsible for professional accreditation of teacher education. The New Mexico Public Education Department also approved continued state accreditation for the programs.
The WNMU School of Education underwent a continuing accreditation visit by a joint team of NCATE and the state PED in April of this year. The next accreditation visit is scheduled for spring 2010.
"We are pleased NCATE and the state Public Education Department witnessed and acknowledged the excellent quality of the WNMU School of Education programs, faculty and students. The School of Education team led by Dean Jerry Harmon perform a magnificent job each semester that benefits the university, state and region," said WNMU President John Counts.
“WNMU is a very unique institution. It has evolved from a normal school, teachers college and is now a reputable regional university. The education of children, youth, adults, and families is what Western is historically and highly noted in accomplishing. The diverse languages, histories, and cultures of the region provide an even greater potential to be the best in the world,” said Dean of the SOE Dr. Jerry Harmon.
“On behalf of current faculty, staff, and students of the university and School of Education, let me say that we are honored to represent the many alumni and friends of the university in upholding the world class academic standards of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). We in the School of Education want to thank all in the university and local school systems for their support,” added Dean Harmon.
The WNMU School of Education is composed of the undergraduate and graduate programs offered at the main campus, the Teaching and Learning Center, the Bootheel Lab, the SW Center of New Mexico for Service Learning, and New Mexico Institute for Learning and Evaluation. Main campus faculty serve programs offered at the Mimbres Valley Learning Center in Deming, N.M. and the Gardner Learning Center in T or C, N.M.
Also at the main campus are the Preschool/Child Development Center, the La Familia Resource and Referral Center, and the Community Child Care Services. The center also sponsors the early childhood education program, before and after school age programs, the Growing Tree Day Care Center at Silver High School, and a pre-teaching career program for Cobre and Silver High School students.
In addition, the WNMU Gallup Graduate Studies Center, established in 1985, has been serving a geographically rural, multicultural and historically isolated and underserved area with a large Native American population. The center makes a commitment to deliver affordable, culturally relevant, and quality graduate education to northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona.
NCATE-accredited schools must meet rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public.
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes NCATE as a specialized accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education. NCATE is composed of more than 30 professional and policymaker organizations representing millions of Americans committed to quality teaching. It was founded in 1954 by the teaching profession and the states.
NCATE currently accredits 588 institutions which produce two-thirds of the nation’s new teacher graduates each year. Over 100 institutions are candidates or precandidates for accreditation.
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