Serving on the AMTE Board of Directors is a commitment, an honor, a service, and many other things. Wondering about which role might suit your skills and interests? The Nominations and Elections Committee has been working hard to help you figure this out! This year the opportunities are: President-Elect and Board Member-at-Large. Current and past AMTE Board Members share their perspectives below. Past President Megan Burton reflects on her time as President and her reasons to run, along with current Board Member-at-Large Kristin Lesseig sharing a reflection on being in this role. You can also find insights from Past Presidents and Board Members-at-Large in the 2021 Spring Issue of Connections and the 2022 Spring Issue of Connections. Check them out as you consider the opportunities.
Please consider serving AMTE in one of these ways, or encourage others to do so. The first step is nomination. You can nominate yourself or nominate another AMTE member. To learn more and submit a nomination, please visit the AMTE Election 2023 website and submit your name by June 15, 2023. All nominees will be contacted and receive details on the application process. If you have any questions, contact Amber Candela, Chair of Nominations & Elections Committee at amber_candela@hotmail.com.
Insights from Current and Past Leaders
Reflections from Past President Megan Burton
Are you considering running for AMTE President? Do you know someone you think would do a great job in this role? Are you considering running to be on the board?
There are so many reasons to consider these opportunities, and I hope sharing a bit about my experience helps in your process. First, know that I am so thankful for all that I learned from my time as president of AMTE and the opportunity I had to represent my colleagues, learn from our amazing community, and advocate for mathematics teacher education. When I was first asked to consider this role, I couldn’t imagine it, because it seemed so intimidating and daunting. This organization is large and does so much for so many. I wondered if I would be able to dedicate the time and energy needed to effectively meet the 4-year commitment (President-Elect for a year, President for 2 years, Immediate Past-President for an additional year). I didn’t feel adequate for the role. This seems to be a common theme I hear from former AMTE presidents who agreed to run for this position. However, like others, when I was later contacted and asked again, I realized that this was an opportunity to give back to a community that meant so much to me as a mathematics teacher educator. I also looked at those serving on the board and committees and realized I wouldn’t be doing it alone. AMTE is a community. I joined the organization, served on committees, and served as Affiliate Director because of the PEOPLE and the IMPORTANCE OF OUR WORK. Those same reasons informed my decision to serve in this capacity.
It has been such a tremendous experience that I do not regret, because I have grown professionally and personally in so many ways, through the work and interactions I have been able to have in this role. I have to be honest, it has been challenging and exhausting at times. There are times I felt stretched thin in my teaching and research, because of AMTE responsibilities. Many late-night hours and weekends were filled doing AMTE work or catching up on my “real job.” However, I was able to travel and understand the great work of some AMTE affiliates. I connected and learned from other organizations and their leaders (such as AMATYC, TODOS, NCTM, NCSM, ELATE, and ASSM to name a few) in monthly meetings, and at conferences where I was able to speak on behalf of AMTE. I learned about areas in mathematics, mathematics education, mathematics teacher education, and teacher education in general that are beyond my “bubble” of elementary mathematics education through collaborative efforts and meetings with various groups. I had the opportunity to work with so many dedicated colleagues to advocate and support mathematics teacher educators, that it made it all worth it. I am so appreciative of this opportunity and the experiences it provided.
Former AMTE President Fran Arbaugh once wrote, “I never realized how much brain space being President took up until the afternoon of the last day of the Annual Meeting in Orlando when I passed the gavel to Christine Thomas.” Having just passed the gavel to Enrique Galindo, I understand what she means. I am enjoying the role of Past President because I am here to support Enrique and Executive Director, Shari Stockero, but I am following their lead and the lead of the board now.
Even though there were rough times and I may have aged 10 years during my term, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Executive Director, Shari Stockero and I began our positions at the same time and am so thankful for her collaborative spirit, work ethic, dedication to AMTE, attention to detail, and her friendship. One great thing about this role is that you are never alone. In addition to the support of the executive director, you always either have a president-elect or a past president to help you consider multiple perspectives when decisions are needed. I learned so much from Mike Steele when I was president-elect and appreciated his support as I moved into the role of president. He was a great mentor, and our different strengths helped the organization be stronger. I feel the same is true about Enrique. He helps me notice my blindspots and together we help critically examine issues from multiple perspectives. Board Members are also key in the decision-making process. I have learned so much from our Vice Presidents and Elected Board Members through the conversations we have as we discuss various ideas and issues. The committees are where so many ideas and work is done and being able to hear about the ongoing work of each committee and division each month is a great reminder of the impact of our organization. Hearing about STaR, conference planning, Community Circles, Webinars, Podcasts, the BIPOC Early Career Mentoring Program, and Get the Facts Out are just a few examples of work committees and members do that make a difference. However, we need a board to connect the pieces and understand the overall picture. So, I encourage you to consider if you would lend your voice, perspective, and time to this work. For anyone seeking to take on the role of president of AMTE, Marilyn Strutchens offered the following tips in a Connections article a few years ago:
- Be willing to spend the president-elect year learning the role and thinking about how you are going to organize your time so that you can meet the obligations of being president of the organization.
- If you can, negotiate some time for your load allocation or a graduate assistant to provide support.
- Learn as much as possible about the organization and make sure you are aware of major issues impacting mathematics teacher education and education in general.
- Be prepared to stand up for mathematics teacher education.
- Know that you are part of a team and work well with your team members to elevate and support the organization and its members.
If you are considering running for AMTE president, submitting an application to serve as a Vice President of a division, or pondering running for a board member position, I hope this reflection provides some insight into the things to consider, the challenges of the work, but also the amazing opportunities it entails. Know all board members and I are happy to answer any questions you have, so please reach out if you want to discuss it further.
Still listening and learning,
Megan Burton
Reflections on Being a Board Member-at-Large by Kristin Lesseig
Why did you decide to run for a Board position at AMTE?
AMTE has always felt like my professional home – I started attending AMTE conferences as a graduate student and always found these to be the most welcoming spaces to network and present my research. Also, as an alum of the STaR program, AMTE has had a huge impact on me personally and professionally. From 2018-2021, I had the opportunity to serve on the Emerging Issues / Advocacy Committee and also work with Board members to organize the opening session for the 2020 conference. These experiences reinforced my love and commitment to AMTE and inspired me to look for even more ways I could contribute to this awesome organization.
Can you describe what was involved in your position at AMTE?
As Board Member-at-Large, my role is all about representing the voices of AMTE members. This includes keeping members needs in mind as decisions are made at monthly Board meetings, or when we are authoring public position statements. I am also the Board liaison to the Publications Divisions which comes with its own responsibilities, including serving on the editorial board for the Mathematics Teacher Educator journal.
Reflecting on your time as a Board Member-at-Large what would say was one of your important contributions and what would you say was the most fun?
In terms of important contributions, I guess I would say that I live up to the title “Board Member at Large” by jumping in to help whoever, whenever. For example, I contributed to various public statements and represented AMTE during an MTEP webinar and at the conference on doctoral programs in mathematics education.
Most fun? Everything associated with the AMTE conference – from welcoming new attendees at the reception for graduate students and early career faculty, to running around behind the scenes locating special meals, or keys, or… to stepping in for Babette Benken, the VP for Publications, who was unable to attend.
What would say was the most fun aspect of being a Board Member-at-Large for AMTE?
Everything I have done with/for AMTE has been a delight. The highlights have to include hanging out with and learning from the other board members during the board retreat and business meetings. I have learned so much from everyone on the Board and feel very privileged to get to know each of them. And as I said above, the behind the scenes work during the annual conference is super fun -- if not sleeping for 3 days is your idea of fun that is.
What would you say to others who are considering applying?
Just do it! It’s a volunteer opportunity you will not regret.