AACTE Opens Call for Proposals: 2024 Annual Meeting

 

The Call for Proposals for AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting is now open. The conference theme,  “Ascending New Heights: Propelling the Profession into the Future” aligns the AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting with the association’s vision and mission to revolutionize education for all learners by elevating education and educator preparation through research, professional practice, advocacy, and collaboration. AACTE’s Annual Meeting brings together professionals from the preponderance of higher education institutions and their affiliates who are preparing educators for the workforce and influencing the field. This year’s conference will disseminate the latest research on educator recruitment, preparation and retention, illuminate new ideas for innovation, and elevate research and evidence-based practices to enhance teaching and learning.

How Will Proposed House Debt Limit Bill Impact Pennsylvania Students?

The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.

For the first time in Pennsylvania’s history, the number of emergency teaching certifications issued across the state outpaced the number of newly fully certified teachers entering the field. The shift comes as the Commonwealth faces its most significant staffing challenges in well over a decade. During the 2021-22 school year, 6,366 people received emergency permits — compared to 4,220 students who received teaching certificates. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, more than 15,000 in-state certifications were issued during the 2010-11 school year. By 2021-22, that number dropped to more than 4,200 — a decrease of 10,800 certifications. As you may recall, those prepared through alternate pathways that require less coursework and student teaching experiences are 25% more likely to leave their teaching positions and the profession than those who are well prepared.

Department of Education Requests Comments on IDEA Amendments that Govern State Assistance

This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

Conversations surrounding the debt limit continue to dominate the Washington, DC news cycle this week. High stakes talks surrounding an agreement between the GOP and White House paused on Friday after Republican negotiators walked out of the room — ultimately blaming the Biden Administration for holding up discussions. As you will recall, last month House Republicans passed a bill that ties the debt limit to appropriations by raising the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or through the end of next March, whichever happens first, in exchange for a wide range of proposals to decrease government funding. The cuts to federal funding would include capping federal funding at fiscal year (FY) 2022 levels — a nearly 22% cut to non-defense discretionary programs (i.e., education) — while also limiting spending growth to 1% every year over the next decade. Under the proposal, as many as 7.5 million children with disabilities would face reduced supports — a cut equivalent to removing more than 48,000 teachers and related services providers from the classroom.

Washington Week Speaker Spotlight: What Has California Done to Address the Teacher Shortage and Why it Worked?

A Q&A with Susan Kemper Patrick and Karen Escalante

Susan Kemper Patrick Ph.D. and Karen Escalante, Ed.D. are presenting a session at AACTE’s 2023 Washington Week, June 4-7, “An Increased Number of Teachers?! What Has California Done to Address the Teacher Shortage and Why has it Worked?” Below Patrick and Escalante answer a few questions about the topics they will discuss at the session and tools attendees can take back to their organizations.

NSU Partners with Department of Education to Offer Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway

Northern State University is helping South Dakota solve the teacher shortage by creating a flexible, low-cost pathway for educational assistants (para-educators) who are working in schools to become teachers.

The South Dakota Department of Education opened applications for the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway to thousands of para-educators working in accredited school districts across the state. The program will help para-educators pursue certification to become licensed teachers.

Proposed Ohio Higher Education Bill Causes Concern for the State’s Universities

The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.

Last week, the Ohio State Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee voted to accept a substitute version of Senate Bill 83. The original version of the bill, also known as the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act, was first introduced in April and proposed a slew of wide-ranging changes, including ending mandated diversity trainings, bans on partnerships with Chinese institutions, restrictions on faculty unions striking during contract negotiations, and new evaluations for students to rate professors on how well they have removed bias from their classrooms.

AAEE Releases 2022-2023 Educator Supply and Demand Report

The American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) is pleased to announce the release of its 2022-2023 Educator Supply and Demand Report, and wishes to thank the many colleges, universities, and school systems responding to the survey that served as the basis for this report.

The Educator Supply and Demand Report is conducted in conjunction with the Center for Marketing & Opinion Research, LLC (CMOR). With data and perceptions gathered from educational organizations over several decades, the report generated will provide education professionals and institutions with valuable regional and national insights and trends in PK-12 educator supply and demand.

UNCC College of Education Receives $23M Grant to Support Literacy Education

University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Cato College of Education, a leader in literacy instruction and research, has been selected by the Mebane Foundation to help continue its legacy of supporting innovation in literacy education in North Carolina and beyond through a five-year grant and potential endowment of up to $23 million. 

The decision follows a competitive statewide search to identify a partner to continue to carry on founder Allen Mebane’s commitment to support inventive educational endeavors as the foundation winds down operations over the next decade.

Journal of Teacher Education Welcomes New Editor-in-Residence

The Journal of Teacher Education (JTE), AACTE’s flagship research journal, is pleased to announce its new editor-in-residence, A. Lin Goodwin. The role of the editor-in-residence is to serve as a knowledgeable other who has proven to be an essential and powerful voice in the field of education. This individual attends meetings with JTE editors, co-authors an editorial, and provides insight into the current state and future of the profession and solutions to overcoming challenges.

Department of Education Announces Funding Opportunities to Prepare Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities

This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

This week, in recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Day and National Teacher Appreciation Week the Biden-Harris Administration acknowledged the hard work and critical importance of our nation’s educators. President Biden issued a proclamation, saying in part:

“In schools across America, teachers are arriving early to set up classrooms, spending long hours educating students, and staying late to prepare tomorrow’s lesson plans. Their devotion to our children embodies the best of America — ready to serve and eager to see others thrive.  Today and during this week, we celebrate our nation’s remarkable teachers and early childhood educators, and we recommit to having their backs, just as they have ours.” 

Additionally, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden shared a video of 2023 State Teachers of the Year receiving thank you messages from the parents of their students. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona released a video and penned an op-ed, calling for the “ABCs of the teaching profession: agency, better working conditions, and competitive salary.”

Covering Politics, Policy and School Leadership at Upcoming Washington Week

A Q&A with Paul Katnik

AACTE’s 2023 Washington Week, June 4-7, is a legislative conference designed to enhance member advocacy skills, including Congressional visits while promoting policies to support educator preparation programs. Regarding academic censorship legislation, school leaders are at the intersection of the implications of proposed or passed legislation and how they affect student’s learning and the mental well-being of everyone working within our nation’s P-20 institutions. In a Wallace Foundation report by lead author Linda-Darling HammondDeveloping Effective Principals: What Kind of Learning Matters, the research tells us that for school leaders to serve their primary objective, to serve and be inclusive of all students, they must be provided quality principal preparation programs that are equity-oriented. How can our school leaders meet their objective if policies are explicitly, or through an induced chilling climate, preventing them from even discussing how to teach diverse learners and the history and context in which diverse students live?

Educator preparation professionals are invited to join AACTE’s premier advocacy event to exchange ideas with like-minded colleagues and leaders and advocate for positive change in educational policies. Take a look at the full schedule of sessions and register by May 31 to save your spot.

Call for Entries: AACTE’s Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award and James D. Anderson Outstanding Dissertation Award

AACTE recognizes exemplary research, writing and practices in educator preparation through its Awards Program. The two leading research and writing awards elevate an outstanding book and dissertation in the field. The Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award recognizes a published book that offers new perspectives and solutions, and centers equity in education and educator preparation, so it’s only fitting that this award is named after renowned scholar, Gloria J. Ladson-Billings. Her work has shaped the field in many ways, and her research in cultural pedagogy and equity in educator and student instruction, including critical race theory, has transcended beyond educator preparation.

AACTE Innovation & Technology Committee Hosts Webinar on Using AI Tools in EPPs

The current generation of artificial intelligence (AI) is already integrated into daily life for every person with a mobile device. Even personalized news feeds are informed by algorithms tailored to maximize engagement via personalized content moderation. However, current AI models also have the potential to compose and spread misinformation. Therefore, it is essential for the field to develop a comprehensive understanding of this technology along with the impact it will have on teaching, learning, and human development. Concurrently, the community must establish policy and ethical guidelines for the field.

Join AACTE members on Tuesday, May 23 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET as AACTE’s Committee on Innovation and Technology co-chair, Rachel Karchmer-Klein (University of Delaware) moderates a panel composed of the following experts: Marie K. Heath  (Loyola University), AACTE Innovation and Technology committee member Punya Mishra (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University), and Eleazar Vasquez III (University of Central Florida). The panel will discuss how Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) can leverage AI to meet the needs of the next generation of educators.

Incorporating Diversity into the Elementary Curriculum: Suggested Teaching Strategies

This blog article is part of the Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Development Series, sponsored by the Longview Foundation. The writing series aims to elevate the perspectives of international scholars — including teacher educators, graduate students, and alike — to offer insights into how Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) can integrate intercultural understanding within their programs. AACTE members interested in participating in the series should contact AACTE’s Brooke Evans.

Incorporating diversity into the curriculum has never been more relevant or necessary.

Culturally competent teaching begins with acknowledging and embracing the considerable diversity students bring to the classroom and it builds on the culturally relevant literature utilized in teaching. However, teachers with minimum or no prior diversity experience are less likely to make informed decisions in their book selection. Failure to properly design inclusive lesson plans could create and maintain misunderstanding between teachers and students, further contributing to the cultural gap between them.

EDUCATORS for America Act is Re-Introduced in Congress

This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

It was another busy week in Washington — with conversations surrounding the debt limit continuing to dominate much of the conversation. As you will recall, last month House Republicans passed a bill which ties the debt limit to appropriations by raising the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or through the end of next March, whichever happens first, in exchange for a wide range of proposals to decrease government funding. The cuts to federal funding would include capping federal funding at fiscal year (FY) 2022 levels- a nearly 22% cut to non-defense discretionary programs (i.e., education)- while also limiting spending growth to 1% every year over the next decade.