Locating Quality in the Dynamic Educator Preparation Landscape

Christine DeGregory, Ph.D. began her career in education as a middle and high school English teacher, having the opportunity to serve as department chair and school improvement co-chair. She received her terminal degree from George Mason University in Teaching and Teacher Education where her research interests focused on pre-service teachers, veteran teachers' motivations to mentor first year teachers, and new teacher induction. Her time at GMU was highlighted by serving as a graduate research assistant, university supervisor, and as an intern for the American Association for Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Before coming to AAQEP, she was a member of the West Point Schools School Board and taught at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) at West Point, NY. In this role, housed in the Center for Enhanced Performance, she worked with cadet candidates to strengthen their academic skills as they prepared to enter the United States Military Academy (USMA).As Director of Professional Learning for AAQEP, Christine is highly invested in preparing and supporting reviewers and providers throughout the quality assurance review process and finds great joy in connecting members so to collaborate in their continuous improvement efforts.Mark LaCelle-Peterson is the founding President and CEO of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), an accreditation agency founded in 2017 to strengthen P-20 education through excellent, innovative preparation of educators. He has worked in higher education and accreditation for four decades, serving in faculty and leadership roles at several educator preparation programs in public and private institutions of higher education. He served as President of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) and in senior leadership at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). He enjoys teaching courses in assessment; the historical, social, and cultural foundations of education; research methods; and Anglo Saxon and Old Norse literature (proving that even Scandinavian Studies majors can be 'gainfully employed'). A native of Minnesota, he holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. He lives in Rochester, New York.Karen Lowenstein is the Director of Member Services at the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).Stephanie Schneider is an Associate Professor in the department of Childhood Education and Literacy in the School of Education at SUNY Old Westbury.