Dr. Ashley Smith, Jr.
Dr. Ashley Smith, Jr., professor of education and director of Teacher Education and Field Experiences at Lee, officially began his term as president of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) at the Board of Trustees meeting on Saturday.
Dr. Smith previously served from 2007-2013 as the South Regional Trustee and was elected president-elect by the membership of AMLE in May 2013. After one year as president, he will then serve one year as past-president. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Association of Middle Schools for 19 years, the last seven as liaison between TAMS and AMLE.
As president, Dr. Smith prepares the agenda for each Board of Trustees meeting, makes committee assignments (both trustee committees and outside committees), chairs the board meetings, and works closely with the executive director to supervise the activities of the association.
“It is a great honor to lead AMLE during this time of educational reform,” said Dr. Smith. “I believe that implementing middle-level philosophy is the most effective way of educating students aged 10-15. If students in the middle grades are not challenged with a relevant curriculum that is integrative, some students will ‘drop out mentally’ before entering high school. This problem becomes even more prevalent as students enter high schools with students physically dropping out. Therefore, preparing teachers to effectively teach middle-grades students is essential.”
The AMLE is the leading international organization for the advancement of middle-grades education. The organization is committed to helping middle-grades teachers in the aim of helping learners succeed and make positive impacts on their community and on the world. The AMLE was founded in 1973, first known as the National Association of Middle Schools.
“We are pleased to have Ashley continue his service on the AMLE Board as we engage in the important work of making a difference in the lives of students,” said AMLE Executive Director William Waidelich.
One of several significant professional development activities sponsored by AMLE is the annual conference to be held Nov. 6-8 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Since AMLE is an international association with more than 39,000 members from across the United States and 15 other countries, this conference will attract middle grades teachers, administrators, professors, and state education officials from a broad geographical area.
The conference was created to be multifaceted in order to meet the needs of every educator, regardless of learning style. The conference includes sessions of various types and styles, one-on-one discussions with leaders in education, networking opportunities, and explorations of technology. It is intended to inspire innovation and creativity in middle-grades educators as they learn methods from one another to improve the quality of education for young adolescents.
Out of 41 years of existence, there have been only two presidents who have presided at the annual conference in their home states, the first in the 1990s and the second being Dr. Smith at the upcoming 2014 conference.
Dr. Smith holds a doctorate of education from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a master’s from Middle Tennessee State University, and a bachelor’s from the University of Florida. Before moving to teaching at the university level, Smith served as principal of Cleveland Middle School for 18 years and as the Supervisor of Middle Grades and Grants for the Cleveland City School System. He implemented the middle school philosophy which resulted in changes in the delivery of the curriculum and teaching styles.
Dr. Smith joined Lee’s Helen DeVos College of Education in 2005. He provided leadership in developing the middle-grades licensure program at Lee University in 2007. Additionally, he recently organized a group of professors who influenced the middle-level licensure structure at the state level.
According to Dr. Smith, the middle-grades licensure program at Lee has attracted excellent teacher candidates committed to the middle level.
One of the graduates, Emily Raper, currently teaches at Cleveland Middle School and recently joined the AMLE Board of Trustees as the teacher representative from the South and East Regions. She was a charter member and later president of the Collegiate Middle Level Association chapter at Lee University and is currently pursuing a master of education degree in instructional leadership.
For more information about the AMLE, visit www.amle.org.