Four Deans, four disrupters, four different challenges

Deans lead a panel at #AACTE20

During the AACTE 2020 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, I had the pleasure of serving on the panel of the “Disruptive Deans” Deeper Dive Session along with three fellow deans. Our challenges are disrupting the one-teacher one-classroom model, closing the uneven admissions pathways between community colleges and 4-year institutions, breaking the traditional mindsets of hiring practices, and questioning the biases of traditional learning environments. These are no small tasks.

During the Disruptive Deans Deeper Dive session, the panel covered the following topics:

  • “Building the next education workforce”—(I presented this topic.)
  • “Designing a clear transfer model in the state of Oregon for community college transfer and increasing the number of teachers of color and bilingual students,” presented by Cecilia Monto, dean, Education and Humanities, Chemeketa Community College.
  • “Hiring and retaining faculty of color,” presented by Don Pope-Davis, dean, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University
  • “Promoting understanding of the social justice imperative of educating teachers to educate all learners including those who are neuro-divergent,” presented by Kimberly White-Smith, dean, LaFetra College of Education, University of La Verne

Our moderator, (also a disruptor) Wanda J. Blanchett, dean, Rutgers University, has led a distinguished career promoting equity and inclusion for all.

University of Florida Literacy Institute Launches Online Resource Hubs for Teachers and Parents

In response to the need to support teachers in their rapid shift to online instruction, the University of Florida Literacy Institute has created online resources to help ease that transition. UFLI realized that they could take their extensive body of research, successful data-driven interventions, and carefully vetted resources, and create virtual versions of the face-to-face work they have always done.

The outcome? Two new online “resource hubs”: one for parents to learn more about how to support their children’s literacy development, and one for teachers to discover effective, easy-to-use methods for providing reading instruction and intervention in an online delivery model.

We developed our Dyslexia Resource Hub in the fall and had plans to create additional resource hubs for parents and for teachers, but this situation gave us the impetus to push fast forward and get it done very quickly. UFLI faculty, staff, and graduate students worked tirelessly to make both hubs launch-ready as school closures made them more necessary than ever.

Register for April 15 Webinar: Uncovering Lessons Learned and Strategies for Higher Education During COVID-19 Pandemic

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

 

AACTE logo | Old Dominion University logo

There is only one day left to register for the AACTE and Old Dominion University co-sponsored webinar featuring education faculty advising world nations on COVID-19, Wednesday, April 15 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. The 60-minute webinar is open to all AACTE members.

The webinar, “Uncovering Lessons Learned and Strategies for Higher Education During COVID-19 Pandemic,” will feature President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone in an interview with Helen Crompton, associate professor from the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies at AACTE member institution Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. She will address pressing questions such as

  • How is education being disrupted globally?
  • What are lessons learned from China and other countries about how they are managing the impacts of the coronavirus on education?
  • What can universities do to improve the social impact and reduce isolation for college students?
  • How can universities advance equitable access to online instruction for disadvantaged students?
  • What are best practices for faculty transitioning to teaching online?
  • What are recommended education technology tools and other resources to help stay connected with students?

AACTE Joins CEEDAR in Hosting Lunch and Learn on Credentialing

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

Lunch and Learn & computer keyboard AACTE is proud to partner with The CEEDAR Center to bring you two 30-minute “lunch and learn” webinars on

  • licensure and certification requirements
  • EPP and district partnerships

We know your time is coveted, so these sessions are tailored to focus on strategies and models of best practice to solve immediate challenges.

The first Lunch and Learn will be hosted on April 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Registration is open to the public. AACTE, the CEEDAR Center, and partners from the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NSADTEC) will share national and state-level information and strategies in response to the current demand. Panelists include the following:

AACTE Member Survey on Impact of the Coronavirus

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

Member Survey on Impact of the Coronavirus

To help AACTE better understand and help members respond to the unprecedented challenges that COVID-19 has created for educator preparation, AACTE distributed a survey today to targeted members. The member survey was sent to senior leaders with responsibility for a school, college, or department of education such as deans, associate deans, vice presidents, or department chairs.

If you received this survey, AACTE needs to hear from you and will use your responses to

  • determine the support members need;
  • inform the public and policy makers about how the coronavirus is affecting educator preparation; and
  • share aggregated information with members to help you benchmark your experience against your peers.

Call for Volunteers: Apply by May 29 for AACTE Standing Committees

Leadership concept - Group of people and leader with hand up.

Your Association wants you! Are you ready to become a leader in the national educator preparation community, or do you know someone who is? Nominate yourself or a colleague by May 29 to serve on an AACTE standing committee.

AACTE is currently seeking applications from volunteers to serve on the following standing committees:

  • Global Diversity
  • Government Relations and Advocacy
  • Innovation and Technology
  • Meetings and Professional Development
  • Membership Development and Capacity Building
  • Professional Preparation and Accountability
  • Research and Dissemination

AACTE and EdPrep Lab Presents Webinar: Preparing Educators for Deeper Learning and Equity during COVID-19

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

Preparing Educators for Deeper Learning and Equity during COVID-19

AACTE and the Educator Preparation Laboratory will present, “Preparing Educators for Deeper Learning and Equity during COVID-19,” on Thursday, April 23, 3 – 4 p.m. ET. This webinar features leaders from preparation programs around the country who are members of the Educator Preparation Laboratory network, an initiative of the Learning Policy Institute and Bank Street Graduate School of Education

As school districts and universities across the nation adapt to distance learning, how are educator preparation programs responding? How are they meeting their candidates’ needs right now? What are they doing to prepare for the future? In this climate of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to ensure teachers and leaders are being prepared to provide deeper learning opportunities to all students, especially those from our most vulnerable populations. During the webinar, the presenters will explore pressing questions around teacher and leader preparation during the COVID-19 crisis, including:

Call for Entries: 2021 AACTE Awards

AACTE Awards Banner

Applications for the 2021 AACTE awards are now open. For most of the awards, programs and individuals can be either self-nominated or nominated by a third party.  To submit your nomination, visit AACTE’s online submission site.  Entries for the Outstanding Book Award are due May 15 and entries for the Outstanding Dissertation Award are due August 15. The due date for all other award submissions is October 9.

Winning entries will be decided by the AACTE standing committees and recognized formally at the 2021 Annual Meeting, February 26 – 28, in Seattle, Washington.

New SOE Website Addresses K-12 Need for Remote Learning during COVID-19 Crisis

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

Person using tablet

The University at Albany School of Education, in order to support a greater need for remote learning in K-12 education, on Wednesday launched the website Remote Education Resource Center, or RemoteEd.

The site, which has immediate critical value in the current coronavirus crises, will not only help teachers incorporate remote learning tools into their classes, but also foster a community of practice in the Capital Region. RemoteEd had its unveiling on Wednesday during a webinar with area teachers.

“The School of Education at the University at Albany has a deep purpose and commitment to assist the special, urgent needs of teachers, leaders and schools to support student learning in this current dynamic time,” said Jason Lane, interim dean of the School. “Our faculty and graduate students have worked tirelessly to bring this resource to reality. We’re all in this together to support our children and students.”

Topper Teacher Candidates Tackle Non-traditional Instruction

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

This article originally appeared on the Western Kentucky University WKU News  site and is reprinted with permission.

With the help of faculty and partnering school districts, Western Kentucky University student teachers Ian Harper, Theresa Price, and Hallee Black, among other candidates, immediately went to work developing an alternative learning plan for their classrooms in light of COVID 19 mitigations. Overnight, non-traditional instruction, or NTI, became a mantra and a motive with each candidate pulling tools and resources from their arsenal of lessons learned during their time at WKU.

“Our Topper teacher candidates have stepped up in a big way,” said WKU Office of Professional Educator Services Director, Stephanie Martin, as she reflected on the days leading into alternative learning.

“I had professors at WKU that prepared us for NTI days inadvertently,” said Ian Harper, middle school social studies and language arts major from Bowling Green. Harper currently serves eighth grade students at Drakes Creek Middle School in Bowling Green and said that, even in this “worst case scenario,” WKU faculty and Warren County teachers helped him adapt to the current unprecedented situation thanks to their commitment to technology-based resources.

How Faculty Members Can Support Students in Traumatic Times

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

Pensive Girl College Student Studying remotely

While everyone across the globe is trying to cope with the public health crisis, college students are especially vulnerable as they are now disconnected from campus communities, resources, and the structured academic year they were anticipating. Learn how faculty can support students with anxiety as they seek answers about what comes next: Will they graduate? As the virus spreads, how long will their health and the health of loved ones be at risk? Will campus reopen in the fall?

The Chronicle of Higher Education has released a compilation of articles on how faculty can help students cope with the stressors associated with navigating the coronavirus pandemic. The 28-page special issue, available for free, includes eight previously published pieces that together serve as a resource tool for adapting to this new scenario:

AACTE Board Members Share Advice on Coronavirus Response

AACTE Responds to Coronavirus

In recent interviews, AACTE Director of Marketing and Communications Jerrica Thurman met with six members of the AACTE Board of Directors to discuss how they are managing their university’s response to COVID-19. The interview participants were Patricia Alvarez-McHatton, Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, Robert Floden, Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, Carine Feyten, and Monika Shealey.

All participants were asked, what words of advice or lessons learned would you share with other university leaders or college deans about what you have experienced so far in your crisis response planning for the coronavirus? Here’s what they had to say:

Patricia Alvarez McHattonPatricia Alvarez-McHatton
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley

“We have our academic affairs leadership team in which we bring all the chairs, directors, and deans together on a monthly basis. It just so happened, fortuitously, that our March meeting was scheduled prior to when this all began. We placed participants in heterogeneous groups and had them respond to five guiding questions about things to think about should this situation materialize as it has. I think it brought people together. It generated an awakening and understanding of the things that we need to think about. We were able to learn from each other. It became clear that first and foremost we need to empower and have faith in our faculty’s ability to do what needs to be done. 

Special Education Equity in the Era of COVID-19

AACTE Responds to COVID-19

Disabled pupil smiling at camera in classroom

With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19), school districts, institutions of higher education, and educators are finding themselves in uncharted territory. As schools across the nation are forced to shut their doors, finding ways to best serve all students equitably has never been more urgent. This is especially true for our most vulnerable students—those with disabilities.

COVID-19 hit hard and fast. And with that, so did the shift from in-school instruction to online learning. We know that special education students receive, consume, and apply information differently in face-to-face settings versus online environments. However, the rapid onset of COVID-19 did not give educators, parents, or students time to adequately prepare for the transition.

AACTE Continues Advocacy on Capitol Hill

As the COVID-19 pandemic led the U.S. president to declare a national emergency, education stakeholders began immediate, direct advocacy with the Congress and the Administration, and will continue as federal and congressional actions to address the COVID pandemic unfold. AACTE continues to advocate for educator preparation on Fiscal Year 2021 funding, in particular, and emergency spending packages (often referred to as supplemental measures/bills) with both legislative branches. 

When AACTE staff and members talk about advocacy, we talk about the power in the combined voices of stakeholders and partners. To that end, AACTE has joined other education organizations in augmenting the voices on key issues as they emerge with the Administration and the Congress. You can access these letters via the AACTE COVID-19 Resource Hub located under AACTE Advocacy: Letters to Congress, the Administration, or other Leaders. Such letters include one that addresses the release of the Title IX regulations and rapid deployment of the funding from the third stimulus package, the CARES Act.

This section of the COVID-19 Resource Hub will be updated as AACTE signs on to letters for actions related to the COVID-19 pandemic

AACTE and Old Dominion University Webinar: Education Faculty Advising World Nations on COVID-19

AACTE logo | Old Dominion University logo

AACTE continues to seek opportunities to support its members in navigating through the unprecedented educational challenges the coronavirus has caused. It is exciting to discover how AACTE members are exploring innovative pathways and solutions to the complex problems and are eager to share with the educator preparation community. Next week, AACTE and Old Dominion University will co-sponsor a 60-minute webinar featuring education faculty advising world nations on COVID-19, Wednesday, April 15 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. The webinar is open to all AACTE members.