COMMISSION ON PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS (COPA)

Current Members of COPA include:

• Lauren Bialystok (2025, co-chair)
• Dini Metro-Roland (2026, co-chair)
• Ashley Taylor (2023)
• David Waddington (2024)
• Megan Laverty (2027)

Purpose of the Commission:

COPA members serve both oversight and creative roles. As the committee tasked with professional oversight, COPA members review and advise on the policies and practices of the Society, including as they pertain to members’ conduct, to equity and diversity, and to professional visibility and status of philosophy of education. COPA members also create opportunities for critical conversations on professional affairs and development in collaboration with other committees, including through the publicly-facing Groundworks series and through alternative sessions at the annual meeting that focus on conversations about the present and future of philosophy of education. The committee meets and communicates regularly outside of annual meetings and acts as an advisory board to the Groundworks editor.

Current Initiatives:

In the short term, COPA is looking forward to facilitating an orientation at our spring conference to welcome new members and introduce them to how the society and the conference work.  We will also sponsor a GroundWorks session where the latest articles will be shared and innovative ways for distributing them amongst scholars and practitioners will be discussed.  In the long term, we will be considering big picture questions about our field and its future, aiming to proactively shape what lies ahead and to develop ways to respond to unexpected changes with innovation and flexibility.  Along the way, we will continue to update the Jobs Manuals, which provide guidance on how various positions within PES should be fulfilled.

Commission on Professional Affairs Job Manual