Teacher Prep Regulations Rescinded
On March 27, the federal regulations for teacher preparation programs were rescinded, along with other regulations (including those for the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, regarding accountability, state plans, and data). Your advocacy and efforts over the last 6 years since this endeavor began have paid off!
Your Title II data reporting and the state report cards are still required by law. Remember, the regulations were on top of what you were already required to do through the Higher Education Act.
Action Alerts Follow-Up
If you contacted your members of Congress about these regulations through the AACTE Action Alerts, we’ve made it easy for you to follow up with automated notes based on how each senator or representative voted – which should take only a couple of clicks on your part. If you have not yet sent these follow-up notes, please do so; this is an important action in building and maintaining relationships with your elected officials and their staff, and it lets them know this advocacy campaign is over. You’ll be receiving a reminder e-mail from me in the coming days.
Next Steps
Your state continues to implement ESSA, and you should be at the table. Twenty states will submit their state plans by April 3 (approximately – there is some leeway with the deadline), with the rest submitting September 18. It is important that you engage with your PK-12 colleagues and your state as this law is implemented, especially given that Title II of ESSA is filled with opportunities for educator preparation. At the federal level, we’ll be focused on funding for programs that support your work to prepare profession-ready educators. Be on the lookout for new Action Alerts and other advocacy opportunities!
Resources
Visit AACTE’s Advocacy Center for resources to support the development and expansion of your advocacy skills and to learn of ways to engage at the state and federal levels. You can sign up for the AACTE Action Alerts there as well. To stay updated on what’s happening in Washington, DC, that affects educator preparation, AACTE members can attend my monthly federal update webinar. You can also watch the recorded webinars in our archives – find them on the federal page of the Advocacy Center.
Tags: advocacy, federal issues
