The Saint Mary’s Graduate School of Education hosted the State Field Directors and Coordinators Spring 2018 Conference on April 20, which gathered professionals from 20 institutions, including Walden University, Bethel University, Augsburg University, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities and Duluth), The College of St. Scholastica, Winona State University, and more.
Field placement directors and coordinators are responsible for placing student teachers into schools for their practicum experiences and student teaching. At the conference, which centered around the theme The Power of Connection: Connect, Collaborate, Innovate, participants engaged in discussion around ideas to help support marginalized teacher candidates. They collaborated with colleagues around their practice with a guest speaker and three discussion panels, engaging in conversation about cultural responsiveness and how they can increase the number of teachers of color in K-12 education.