News from the Central 2 Region
Sharon Rendon, Central 2 Regional Director
Fall 2017

Happy Fall! I hope your year is up and running smoothly and you are settling back into the school routine. For those of us who work year round, the sound of voices filling the halls and offices is a welcome noise.

I had a fantastic summer learning from many of my colleagues and working with teachers from all over the country. One experience I had was spending a week with teachers who have been in our professional less than five years. It was such an exhilarating week to hear about their dreams and goals. As I was preparing for the week I did quite a bit of research in the area of supporting new teachers.

Two resources I found very useful were Successful from the Start from NCTM and an Educational Leadership from ASCD, Supporting Beginning Teachers. Both of these reference the importance of mentoring, a manageable workload and a community. As leaders it is critical that we see and value the importance of collaboration. Let’s continue to work together to improve mathematics education for all students, especially those in the hands of novice teachers.

Be sure to check out the opportunities for collaboration this fall in our region.

As you get ready to gear up for fall be sure to check out these learning opportunities in the region.

Iowa: ICTM will host the annual math conference on Monday, October 9 in West Des Moines, IA. The featured keynote is Max Ray-Riek for The Math Forum at NCTM.

The IOWA AMTE will also be hosting a conference on Sunday, October 9 in Des Moines, IA.

Kansas: The KATM will be held on October 16 in Topeka, Kansas. I will be presenting two different sessions. Please be sure to stop by and introduce yourself so we can get connected.

Minnesota: The MN Math Leaders and MDE will be hosting a 2-day Leadership Series featuring Dr. Tim Kanold. Inspiring Students to Learn Mathematics: Leading and Sustaining a Coherent Vision for Mathematics Teaching and Learning, is designed to help school and district leadership teams implement K-12 mathematics programs that sustain and improve the learning of each and every student over time.

Missouri: The MCTM Fall Conference, SUM Mathematics For Everyone, will be held on Friday and Saturday, December 1-2, 2017, in Columbia, MO, at the Holiday Inn Executive Center.

Nebraska: The NATM is excited to bring math and science teachers together for the Joint Annual Conference. The Keynote will be delivered by Derrick Nero, a former Electrical Engineer and middle school math teacher who is now a leading expert in Nebraska on engineering education in K-12 schools. This event will take place on September 7-8, 2017 in Kearney, Nebraska.

North Dakota: The ND State NDCTM/NDSTA conference was held this last spring in Minot, ND. The annual conference for 2018 will be in spring. Exact dates have not been advertised, yet.

South Dakota: The SDCTM has had a busy summer by hosting a summer symposium and promoting other opportunities for professional development. They are currently accepting proposals to speak at their annual conference in February 2018.. Please consider sharing a topic of interest you have.

Wisconsin: This fall the Wisconsin Mathematics Council brings the Mathematical Proficiency for Every Student Conference to the Wisconsin Dells. This two-day workshop will focus on formative assessment, access and equity. The keynote speakers will by Cheryl Tobey and Lee V. Stiff.

For more information about each conference, check out the NCSM calendar of events. If you have an event to be added to our regional calendar, let me know,

Enjoy the wonderful autumn season that we have here in the midwest.

Sharon