Did you know judges’ education goes beyond breed seminars and hands-on workshops?

It does! In fact, there are so many components and aspects of judges’ education that many parent clubs designate separate sub-committees to tackle each area. Let’s briefly examine what it takes to become an AKC judge. Along with canine anatomy courses, some of the mandatory requirements include but are not limited to: 1) meeting the Component Educational Units (CEU) requirements on each breed, 2) passing the Breed Standard Exam(s) at AKC Canine College, 3) completing six stewarding assignments, and 4) attending the AKC Basic Judging Institute. A parent club’s judges’ education committee is tasked with developing resources, providing education, and promoting understanding of their breed. Through these educational services, new judges should be fully informed, proficiently knowledgeable, and able to pass their exams and interviews with flying colors.

What are CEU credits and how are they earned?

Judges need a minimum of 10 CEU credits to judge a single breed. These credits come from a variety of experiences. The highest valued CEU credits come from Judges’ Education Committee Seminar and Hands-on Workshop at a National and at Advanced Institutes (there are three of these institutes: American Dog Show Judges “ADSJ”, the Dog Judges Association of America “DJAA” and the Oregon Dog Judges “ODJ”). Additional credits come from webinars, mentoring and tutoring, ringside observations, and AKC’s Canine College breed courses. The more avenues and platforms of education available, the more opportunities judges have to learn about and better understand our breed.

How is the ESSFTA Judges’ Education Committee structured?

The Judges Education Committee (JEC) is comprised of a Steering Committee and Sub-Committees / Task Forces. A steering committee provides high-level oversight and strategic guidance for a project, often with decision-making authority. The Steering Committee includes the chair and co-chair of the specific sub-committee / task force and the ESSFTA officers and Board of Governors. A sub-committee / task force is a smaller group of members assembled to address a specific problem or complete a focused task, project, and/or objective. Essentially, a steering committee sets the direction while a task force does the hands-on work to achieve it. Together they play a vital role in educating and mentoring individuals who want to become judges, know more about the English Springer Spaniel breed, and those who want to know more about the judging process. The committee presents at AKC judges’ education seminars, other judges’ groups that request a program, the National Specialty, and regional clubs that invite them to present at their specialties. They are responsible for developing educational materials, producing the ESSFTA Breed Illustrated Standard, and training the Judges’ Education presenters and Ringside Mentors.

What are the sub-committees/task forces of the JEC?

There are four JEC sub-committees/task forces currently formed to better address the all-encompassing needs of a judges’ education program. Each sub-committee/task force will be comprised of 4 to 6 members, including the JEC Coordinator, with the option to invite subject matter experts as needed.
1.     Educational Seminar and Hands-on Workshop
2.     Breed Illustrated Standard and Educational Materials
3.     Ringside Mentoring and Tutoring
4.     Virtual Breed Course Development and AKC’s Canine College
Both the Ringside Mentoring and Tutoring and Virtual Breed Course Development and AKC’s Canine College are currently in development. The JEC is seeking interested members to serve on those sub-committees to help develop standardized and quantitative measures of training and evaluating mentors, judges, and breeders. Each of the four sub-committees will focus on a specific task or component of judges’ education. With the help of the JEC Coordinator, information, resources, and materials generated from each sub-committee will work in tandem to make a highly successful educational program for judges, breeders, and ESS enthusiasts.

Who can apply to be a member of the JEC?

The ESSFTA and JEC welcome qualified individuals to apply to join the Judges’ Education Committee. New members will be added as current members rotate off. The goal will be to maintain a diverse group of experts with a variety of experience and capabilities. A JEC member term is three years with the option to re-apply and serve multiple terms. A qualified individual will have some or all of the criteria listed on the Judges’ Education Committee Application. Qualifications include but are not limited to attendance at National Specialties, participation in and/or attendance of JEC seminar presentations, and number of AKC champions and/or field champions bred. This is not a strictly quantitative scoring system; rather when evaluating candidates, the committee will look at all relevant experience, the personal statement of interest, and the current needs of the committee for specific skill sets. The application covers all aspects of the Judges’ Education sub-committees and task forces. Qualified candidates not selected for an immediate assignment will be placed in a “ready now” pool should a position become available.  The JEC will do its best to assign candidates to their area of greatest interest but is very appreciative of those who are flexible in how they are willing to serve.

Where can I apply and what is the timeline for applications and appointments?

You can find the Judges’ Education Committee Application on the ESSFTA website under “Education” and then select “Judges’ Education.” Applications will be solicited in January and submitted to the JEC Coordinator by January 31. The existing JEC will review, vet, and rank the applications. The JEC Coordinator will then submit the committee’s input to the Board of Governors and the board will make a final recommendation that will be voted on at the ESSFTA Annual Meeting.

We are extremely appreciative of the work done by the Educational Seminar and Hands-on Workshop and Breed Illustrated Standard sub-committees, the valuable input from members, and the enthusiasm of all who are committed to making our breed education the very best! We look forward to receiving applications and welcoming members who bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and know-how.

Dr. Erin Kerfoot
ESSFTA Judges’ Education Coordinator