Candidate for Board Member-at-Large:
Michael D. Steele
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Professional Work Experiences
I am currently an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). UWM is the largest producer of teachers in the state of Wisconsin, with a focus on preparing teachers for high-need urban schools. A former middle school mathematics and science teacher, I direct the secondary mathematics teacher preparation program at UWM, teaching mathematics methods courses, supervising student teachers, and directing long-term professional development projects in the region. I am a co-author of professional development curricula related to secondary mathematics discourse and reasoning and proving in high school, and am a part of the NCTM Principles to Actions Toolkit development group. This project, co-directed by Peg Smith and Victoria Bill, has created online professional development modules related to eight research-based effective mathematics teaching practices. My research interests include the mathematical knowledge for teaching at the secondary level, the design of professional development materials that support the development of mathematical knowledge for teaching, and the design and implementation of teacher education programs. I have led the redesign of the secondary teacher preparation curriculum at two institutions, integrating content-focused work and research experiences into the methods course sequence to better link subject-matter and pedagogical content knowledge, and to strengthen connections between theory and practice. I regularly present at national and international conference and have published work in a range of research and practitioner journals.
Service to AMTE and other professional organizations
I have been an active member of AMTE, participating in annual meetings since 2005 and presenting more than fifteen sessions during that time. I served as an inaugural member of the AMTE Professional Development committee (2012-2015). I have delivered invited sessions for AMTE, NCSM, NCTM regional conferences, Wisconsin Mathematics Council, and the 2015 Teaching and Learning Conference. I served on the editorial board of AERA’s Review of Educational Research from 2006 to 2012 and am a regular reviewer for JMTE, JRME, and Mathematics Teacher Educator. I am a member in good standing of NCTM, NCSM, and SIG-RME of AERA. I have previously served on the board of the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics and am currently working with colleagues in Wisconsin to establish a new state AMTE affiliate.
Vision for and commitment to AMTE
AMTE serves an important role in facilitating meaningful scholarly discourse among mathematics teacher educators. The Association has extended professional development opportunities beyond the annual meeting through webinar series and the formation of the Professional Development Committee. I see three areas in which AMTE might further their mission in coming years.
First, AMTE should position themselves as a national player in policy conversations around mathematics teaching and learning in light of recent challenges to teacher preparation. AMTE and its membership are well positioned to take a meaningful leadership role in shaping national conversations about teacher education policy. Second, AMTE should continue to pursue efforts to extend membership professional development beyond the annual conference. Continuing to engage members in conversation about mathematics teacher education and the exchange of ideas will support stronger outcomes in our work with mathematics teachers. Third, AMTE should seek to foster larger-scale research collaborations amongst its membership with the goal of strengthening the evidence base for effective mathematics teacher preparation.