This week, renowned Alabama educator, Dr. Jayne Meyer was presented the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Distinguished Leadership Award, for her K-12 teacher preparation and certification efforts. She also received another surprise – NASDTEC officially named this prestigious national award in her honor. It is now the Jayne Meyer NASDTEC Distinguished Leadership Award.
Dr. Meyer began working for the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) in 1973.
She was named a teacher education coordinator in 1985 and quickly gained a great reputation throughout our state’s education community for her exceptional work. Dr. Meyer is now the ALSDE Director of the Office of Teaching and Leading. She has dedicated her career to teacher preparation and truly believes highly prepared educators can significantly increase classroom performance and success for students.
“We have been fortunate to have Dr. Jayne Meyer as a part of our team,” said State Superintendent Eric G. Mackey. “Throughout her esteemed career, she has remained dedicated to the idea of creating highly effective teacher certification, licensure, and professional development. Nationally Dr. Meyer is well-known for being innovative. For more than 40 years she has helped our state in developing strong certification standards, which lead K-12 educators toward a lifetime of professional success.”
Dr. Meyer is a native of Illinois and graduated from Thornton Township High School. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois. She lived in Oregon for two years and earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Oregon.
Then she moved to Alabama and obtained a Class A, Elementary-Secondary Health and Physical Education certification. Around the same time, she was accepted into the graduate program at The University of Alabama and earned a Doctor of Education degree in 1970. She is also a proud member of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), International Honor Society in Education, and was inducted into The University of Alabama College of Education’s Hall of Fame in 2012.
“There is only one way to say it – Dr. Jayne Meyer is truly an education legend,” said Alabama State Department of Education Administrator Shavon Cummings. “Her extensive experience and wealth-of-knowledge is admired nationwide. She has been a mentor to so many educators throughout the country. I can think of no one else, who is more deserving of this great honor.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Meyer has also been active in the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). She has also been the chairperson of the Board of Examiners (BOE). In October, she was elected to the CAEP Accreditation Council Executive Committee.
In her personal life, Dr. Meyer is a pillar in her church and the entire local community. She has been a member of Montgomery’s First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for more than 50 years and has served as Trustee, Elder, and Moderator of the Board. She is also an avid supporter of children and youth programs in her community . Dr. Meyer helped to establish a special scholarship fund to assist students with their higher education goals.