Members

05/05/2020

2020 AGM Motion 5: Clarify and Update Requirements for Training Course Directors

(Bylaw Amendment - Requires ⅔ majority of those voting to pass)

Moved by Kathryn Miranda, Sydney Harris, Rose Bronec; Members of the Training Directors Committee

[Once this motion to amend Article XII: Section 2, Subsection A is moved on the floor of the meeting, the Chair will open the floor for discussion on pros and cons of this motion. Debate will proceed taking the six parts of the Resolved statement one at a time; amendments may be offered. (Whereas clauses are neither debated nor amended.) Once this process is completed, a vote will be taken on Section 2.A. in its entirety.]

Whereas, in 2015, the Training Approval Committee (TAC) recognized a challenge in administering Article XI: Teacher Training Courses, Section 2. Requirements for Teachers on a Training Course. Subsection A., which pertains to training director applicants; they asked the Training Directors Committee (TDC) to review the Bylaw and address the clarity and relevance of the content; and so a subcommittee of training directors was formed to address this concern;

Whereas, during multiple surveys over the past five years and at every annual TDC meeting since 2015, a majority of training directors expressed interest in amendments to Article XI, 2.A. that:

1. increase the assisting hours for those who apply to direct a teacher training course,
2. require a clearer commitment to AmSAT through membership and Annual General Meeting attendance,
3. use Continuing Education Requirements (CER) rather than a specialized post-graduate credit, and
4. provide a way for exceptions to be considered for applicants who have different paths preparing for the responsibilities of training teachers;

Whereas, in requiring applicants to be Voting Members for a minimum of one year, a new Training Director will have some knowledge of the professional society approving them and the richness of resources available to members including a connection to a community of professional Alexander teachers;

Whereas, the current Bylaw term “post-graduate credit” preceded the codifying of the CER, and in adopting the CER terminology, Article XI, 2.A. will be updated;

Whereas, AmSAT members have shown a strong interest in honoring the Alexander Technique Affiliated Societies (ATAS) Agreement which makes the following recommendation under III. Common Standards Necessary for Recognition and Affiliation, B. Training Courses. 2. Requirements for a Director of Training. c. “Have had sufficient experience (as determined by each society) assisting on a training course which is approved by the local society or an affiliated society. This usually takes the form of at least one (1) year’s full-time assistance.”;

Whereas, by offering options for fulfilling the assistance requirement, members who live in areas where there is not a commutable AmSAT-approved teacher training course and where making extended visits to assist on a training course is difficult, may find assisting more feasible; and

Whereas, Article XI:, Section 2.A. is at the heart of AmSAT’s self-regulatory functions, ensuring that Training Course Directors are qualified to train the next generation of teachers, and therefore, by updating this section of the Bylaws with more clarity in the language and content reflecting the experience of ATAS and AmSAT Training Directors, a revision of this Subsection will benefit AmSAT overall;

Resolved, That Article XI: Teacher Training Courses, Section 2. Requirements for Teachers on a Training Course, Subsection A. The training course director is a Voting Member of AmSAT who:, revising subsections ii.–vii. with the following amends:

1. Under 2.A.ii. strike “a recognized organization” and replace it with “an affiliated society”;
2. Under 2.A.iii. (New) insert the new wording “Has been a Voting Member of AmSAT or an affiliated Society for at least one (1) year preceding the date of the application and provides documentation of:
3. Two hundred fifty (250) hours of Continuing Education credits;
4. Fifteen (15) hours from attendance at an AmSAT General Meeting or an annual meeting of an affiliated Society; and
5. The assisting requirements of Article XI, Section 2.A.iv.”
6. Under 2.A.iv. (New) insert the new wording, “Has assisted on an AmSAT-approved or affiliated society course for: a. Forty-five (45) hours within a two-year (2-year) period preceding the date of application, or b. two hundred (200) hours within a seven-year (7-year) period preceding the date of application.” and “c. In special circumstances, the Training Approval Committee may recommend to the Board a variation of the assisting requirements stated in paragraphs a. and b. above and the Board has the authority to accept this recommendation and may also stipulate certain conditions upon training course approval.”;
7. Under 2.A.iii. (Old) and iv. (Old), they now become v. with corrections and a reformat, “Has submitted to the Board of Directors when applying to open a new course: a. A letter of recommendation from the training director or former training director in good standing of an AmSAT-approved or affiliated society teacher-training course, who has had no less than five (5) years’ training experience and with whom the applicant has assisted on the training director’s course as per Section 2.A.iv. for a minimum of fifteen (15) hours; b. A letter of recommendation from a Voting Member of AmSAT with at least twelve (12) years’ teaching experience; and c. Submits such documents and information as the Board may require including a detailed schedule and curriculum for the proposed teacher-training course;”
8. Under 2.A.v. strike in its entirety; and
9. Under 2.A.vi. strike in its entirety.

Article XI: Teacher Training Courses Section 2. Requirements for Teachers on a Training Course.

1. The director of the course is a Voting Member of AmSAT who:
2. Is required to oversee and assess the trainees’ progress, evaluate their qualification for AmSAT certification, and ensure that the course meets all requirements for training courses as set forth in the AmSAT’s Bylaws and policies;
3. Has been certified by AmSAT or a recognized organization an affiliated society for at least ten (10) years;

iii. Has been a Voting Member of AmSAT or an affiliated Society for at least one (1) year preceding the date of the application and provides documentation of:

1. Two hundred fifty (250) hours of Continuing Education credits;
2. Fifteen (15) hours from attendance at an AmSAT General Meeting or an annual meeting of an affiliated Society; and
3. The assisting requirements of Article XI, Section 2.A.iv.

iii. iv. Has assisted on an AmSAT-approved or affiliated society course for:

1. Forty-five (45) hours within a two-year (2-year) period preceding the date of application, or
2. Two hundred (200) hours within a seven-year (7-year) period preceding the date of application.
3. In special circumstances, the Training Approval Committee may recommend to the Board a variation of the assisting requirements stated in paragraphs a. and b. above and the Board has the authority to accept this recommendation and may stipulate certain conditions upon training course approval.
4. v. Has submitted to the Board of Directors when applying to open a new course:
5. Submits to the Board of Directors a A letter of recommendation from the training director or former training director in good standing of an AmSAT-approved or affiliated society teacher-training course approved teacher-training course or the training director or former training director in good standing of a teacher-training course approved by a recognized society, who has had no less than five (5) years’ training experience and with whom the applicant has assisted on the training director’s course as per Section 2.A.iv. for a minimum of fifteen (15) hours; within a two-year period preceding the date of application. In addition, the applicant shall submit;
6. a A letter of recommendation from a Voting Member of AmSAT with at least twelve (12) years’ teaching experience; and
7. iv. Submits such documents and information as the Board may require including a detailed schedule and curriculum for the proposed teacher-training course.
8. Has accumulated at the time of submitting an application to the Board and within six (6) years prior to the date of application a minimum of ninety (90) hours of postgraduate credit; this credit to be acquired through a combination of assisting on an approved teacher training course (one hour to equal one credit) or attendance at a teacher refresher course led by a Voting Member in good standing of AmSAT or a recognized society (one hour to equal one credit).
9. Has accumulated at the time of submitting an application to the Board of Directors a minimum of fifteen (15) credits for attendance at professional meetings; this credit to be acquired through a combination of attendance at the Annual Meeting (fifteen (15) credits), attendance at the annual meeting of a recognized society (fifteen (15) credits), and attendance at an international congress (thirty (30) credits).

vii. vi. No teacher-training course shall receive approval or reapproval and no training director(s) or co-training director(s) shall be appointed by an approved training director without satisfying all the requirements of Article XI (Teacher-Training Courses), Section 2. of these Bylaws.