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JCC’s Mary Belknap named to state teacher standards commission

Jackson Community College Professor Mary Belknap was recently named to the Michigan Department of Education’s Professional Standards Commission for Teachers in the state. She will serve as the community college representative and be one of four higher education professionals on the commission.

“As the only community college representative on the PSCT board, I am more than honored to represent one of the leading institutions of higher education, community colleges, in our country,” Belknap said. “They are the gateway to higher education for many.”

Michigan certifies more teachers than almost any other state, Belknap said. “We are the leading exporter of teachers at this time. The standards that are expected for teachers are critical to our state’s future economy both directly and indirectly.”

Community colleges, especially in this state, continue to provide exemplary preservice teacher education programs for transfer universities, Belknap said. Several community college teacher education programs have been recognized nationally for their preservice work by the National Science Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society of Two-Year Colleges.

Belknap came to JCC in August 2000 after spending a successful 27 years with Jackson Public Schools and Michigan Center Schools teaching a variety of subjects and particularly enjoying her work with alternative education, service learning, and cross age tutors. She thrives on developing new curriculums and programs. Her work in the Cross Age Tutoring course at Jackson High School earned Belknap national recognition as Michigan’s 1996 Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Award winner. Named for the New Hampshire teacher who served as an astronaut on the space shuttle Challenger, the award recognizes innovation and dedication to teaching.