Custom E-mail Alerts Available Through AACTE State Policy Tracker
I am excited to announce an expansion of services through AACTE’s State Policy Tracker, which now provides not only a searchable database of legislation and regulations but also state-specific e-mail alerts for any interested state chapters and member institutions.
The State Policy Tracker is an online tool, launched last November, for member institutions and state chapters to track state legislation and regulations related to educator preparation. Beginning in December 2015, we piloted the e-mail alert program with 17 of AACTE’s state chapters (in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin) and two individual member institutions (Bank Street College and Western Governors University). This pilot program distributed state-specific alerts using information from the tracker on pertinent state policy affecting educator preparation.
To arrange a demo of the State Policy Tracker and discuss how the e-mail alerts can be beneficial to your institution and state, please contact me at agoldstein@aacte.org or (202) 478-4504. To see some of the benefits of the new service, read on for selected testimonials from participating chapter leaders:
“As we continue to develop our advocacy efforts, the timely information found on the tracker will enable us to be more timely in our responses to pending legislation.It also makes the information accessible to all members much more quickly than sending e-mails or making phone calls. We are looking forward to using the tracker in the upcoming legislative session so that we speak with one voice for our profession.”
– Ena Shelley, Chair-Elect, Advisory Council of State Representatives, and Past President, Indiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
“The policy tracker is an efficient mechanism that keeps us abreast of upcoming changes in laws and regulations. It has also given us grounds upon which to build relationships with our state and federal senators and representatives, as well as the South Carolina Board of Education and South Carolina Department of Education. Most of all, it has helped us in establishing a voice of advocacy for our profession, which in turn supports the growth of the P-12 students of South Carolina.”
– Shelly Meyers, Past President, South Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
“As WACTE strives to build dialogue with legislators and create common ground, we must be aware of their ideas and efforts. However, short of spending time in the Capital building, it is difficult for an organization like ours to monitor bills as they are introduced. Thus, AACTE’s State Policy Tracker has quickly become an essential tool to elevate our awareness of legislation, helping us to strategically target our engagement and messaging.”
– Reid Riggle, President, Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
“The Massachusetts chapter has reached out and set up several meetings with state policy makers. Using the State Policy Tracker, we were able to research education-related bills sponsored by these legislators to help inform discussion and better focus our comments and questions at these meetings. The State Policy Tracker also is a valuable resource moving forward as it helps us to be alert to proposedlegislation and policy that could impact teacher preparation.”
– Lorne Ranstrom, President, Massachusetts Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
“The AACTE State Policy Tracker is extremely useful. It’s great to have all policy related to educator preparation in one place. This tool keeps all stakeholders up to date on essential statewide policy changes, and is thus an important tool for educator preparation program action and advocacy.”
– Melissa Burnham, President, Nevada Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
“The State Policy Tracker has been another positive program to assist in Georgia educator preparation faculty and leadership in tracking both legislative and policy proposals, in-state [as well as] across states and nationally. The system is a valued addition to the work of our Legislative Committee and Board.”
– Cindi Chance, Executive Director, Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Tags: AACTE online resources, state affiliate, state policy
