Assistant Professor Ruby Ellis Invited to Serve as Associate Vice President for Professional Development for the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

Ruby Ellis, assistant professor of mathematics education in the NC State College of Education, has been invited to serve a one-year term as the associate vice president for professional development for the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE).

The AMTE is the largest professional organization devoted to the improvement of mathematics teacher education and includes more than 1,000 members devoted to the pre-service education of and professional development for K-12 math teachers. 

Ellis will take over in February 2022 as associate vice president of the Professional Development Committee, which supports AMTE members by organizing information and opportunities to enhance knowledge and practice of mathematics teacher education. 

“The professional development committee does a lot with AMTE and makes sure that the members of the organization have professional development opportunities that will strengthen their practices in the classroom. Being asked to be the associate vice president of the professional development committee is an honor because I get to continue to do the great work that the organization is aiming to do,” Ellis said. 

Ellis’ research focuses on analyzing teachers’ beliefs and practices surrounding technology integration as well as their beliefs and practices surrounding professional development that focuses on technology integration.

She focuses this work specifically on schools with high African American and low-income student populations, which she said often receive funding for technologies but do not have the adequate professional development or support to effectively integrate them into classrooms. 

“There are some amazing teachers in these schools. I want to be the person that supports them in effectively implementing technology and improving on some of the wonderful things that they’re already doing,” Ellis said. “One of the things I want to accomplish in my vice president position is making sure that AMTE provides its membership with professional development opportunities that focus on serving a diverse population.”