Angie Myer

Angie Myer

About me

Angie Myer has twenty years experience as a teacher and administrator in public schools and higher education.  She is currently serving as a Content Accreditation Specialist and Curriculum Consultant for the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA).  In this position she works with massage and aesthetics schools in the accreditation process, providing guidance, reviewing self study reports, and preparing analyses for the Commission.  Prior to holding this position, Angie worked as Director of Operations at the International School of Professional Bodywork and Dean of Education at Mueller College of Holistic Studies where she was integral in their COMTA accreditation. 

Angie holds a Masters degree in Curriculum & Instruction and specializes in competency-based curriculum design.  She is also a certified Holistic Health Practitioner and has worked as a massage therapist in private practice, clinical, and resort spa settings.  Prior to her work in the holistic health industry, Angie was Associate Professor of Teacher Education at the Community College of Denver after teaching elementary school. 

Activity

Discussion Comment
Mark, Wow, what a recruitment process. Sign me up. I am sure that just adopting that attitude impresses students who can then feel the integrity of the school. I think some schools underestimate this simple shift in attitude--it's not always what you do, but HOW you do it that matters. Thanks for contributing, Angie Myer

Dear Mark, Your description of the SSR process is by far the most articulate and (shall I say) beautiful ones I've seen. We should use this for training. Thanks. Before I came to COMTA I had written two SSRs for two different schools at which I worked, both in the binder process. So I too have nightmares of midnights in Kinkos and overnight shipping costs. Glad those days are gone and hope you will enjoy our new Accreditation Management System even more as it is designed more like a database to store past information and hopefully make it all more… >>>

Discussion Comment
Timothy , That would be fun. Unfortunately the next week is booked with meetings, conferences and urgent projects. How about after Presidents Day so I can really focus some attention on it? Email me at amyer@comta.org to set something up. Thanks, Angie Myer
Discussion Comment
Vivian, Excellent points and a common theme in the forum. Despite all the good reasons, however, as some have pointed out, until our profession makes the extra time...and money...pay off for therapists on a liveable salary, it is an uphill battle. Thanks, Angie Myer
Discussion Comment

Vivian, I love the addition of allopathic perspective as a contrast! I am curious what type of research your students use for this to get credible information without diving too deep into technical medical journals. Do they just use internet? Is it difficult to move them beyond WebMD and the like? I really do like the critical thinking aspect that adding the compare/contrast element provides. It is also especially relevant as our field moves forward and more therapists try to work within the medical community. I can see this as very valuable information the students can take with them into… >>>

Vivian, Yes, that is a great way to conduct and document curriculum reviews. And in the age of technology, the Commission has also accepted emails which document curriculum discussions among parties. This can be a comprehensive review, or evidence of more minor issues like textbooks, evaluation tools or lesson plans. Often faculty members and staff will have a series of emails discussing proposed changes, and this also counts. Essentially, document and keep everything! Angie Myer
Discussion Comment
Timothy , Love it, Tim! Let's get to work on it at the state level. We need innovative ideas like this. Thanks for your contribution. Best, Angie Myer
Discussion Comment

Timothy, Welcome to the forum and thanks for engaging in the conversation. There is certainly a lot to be said for ensuring that programs contain as much 'real world' massage experience as possible. And Kate raised the point of somehow allowing students to work and make money while in school so they would be less pre-occupied with getting out quickly. However, I want to clarify that a true "externship" usually prohibits the student from earning money--it is a class they pay for before graduation and thus licensure. I am curious to know more about the "co-op" program you mentioned, however.… >>>

Discussion Comment
Lena, I love that! I do want to say that this is the ideal, but for those who can't dedicate an entire class, integrating the same lessons into other content is fine too. (Another reason to have degrees, right?) Thanks for sharing. Best, Angie Myer
Discussion Comment
Lena, Isn't it interesting that the vast majority of participants have answered the same--degrees are better. However, it is an uphill battle to increase educational requirements for our profession. I wonder why that is and if reality will ever catch up to everyone's perceptions. Thanks for contributing. Angie Myer

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