23 Jan2020
By Deborah Koolbeck
A new year brings with it the start of the Second Session of the 116th Congress. The 2019 holiday season brought its own gift: On December 20 of last year, the president signed into law the appropriations bills that funded programs important to the profession—and many programs saw increases.
What can we expect as the Fiscal Year 2021 process begins to unfold? Will the increases remain, are cuts possible? What impact(s) can we expect, if any, from the Impeachment Trial in the U.S. Senate? How will the election affect both appropriations and legislation? In addition, the Census is starting; are you ready to help with the count on campus? This member exclusive webinar opportunity will cover these questions and also answer your questions in a Q & A session after the presentation.
Please note: there will be no webinars in February. Get your federal update live at the AACTE Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Hurry! Registration closes on January 24.
Plan to attend the January 2020 Update
Tuesday, January 28 5:00 – 6:00 pm Register
Wednesday, January 29 12:30 – 1:30 pm Register
23 Jan2020
By Aaron Mudd
This article originally appeared in Bowling Green Daily News and is reprinted with permission.
A federal grant award topping $1 million to Western Kentucky University will help address a shortage of special education professionals seen regionally and across Kentucky.
“The shortages are felt nationally, but definitely in an acute manner in our rural communities,” said WKU College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Dean Corinne Murphy, whose college is heading up the effort called Project PREP, or Preparing Rural Educators and Professionals for Students with High-Intensity Needs.
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education said there’s a shortage and a lack of diversity of fully prepared and credentialed special education teachers in public schools across the country.
23 Jan2020
By Allen Clarkson
Advocating in education policy can seem a daunting endeavor. From federal engagement to statehouse meetings to local councils and school boards, the field can look overwhelming and individual impact feel scattered. At the heart, though, education and educator preparation are state issues. Engaging at the state and local level is the best way to have a direct impact on behalf of students and the profession.
The Committee on Government Relations and Advocacy, one of AACTE’s standing committees, is offering a preconference at the AACTE Annual Meeting focused directly on helping you develop your advocacy skills for state and local engagement. Your Levers of Civic Power: Moving the Gears of Democracy is half-day interactive session designed to provide information and practice in three important areas of state and local advocacy: participating in town halls, speaking before a committee or commission, and engaging candidates during a debate.
20 Jan2020
By Lynn M. Gangone
Happy New Year! Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I encourage you take a moment today to reflect upon Dr. King’s work and consider what each of us can do to further his vision. AACTE is committed to keeping his dream alive by elevating social justice, equity, and diversity in education.
Join us in Atlanta next month, as we work together to disrupt inequities at the 2020 Annual Meeting. Please take a few minutes to watch the above video and learn more about what the conference has to offer.
17 Jan2020
By Caitlin Wilson
AACTE is excited to work in partnership with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards on several initiatives that contribute to a vision of a coherent career trajectory that supports teachers from initial preparation through teacher leadership opportunities and beyond. The mission of the National Board is to advance the quality of teaching and learning through a voluntary advanced certification. By doing so, the National Board aims to align the teaching profession with other professions such as medicine. Through this collaboration, AACTE, National Board, and other teacher professional organizations seek to elevate the teaching profession and ensure each student is taught by a fully prepared and accomplished teacher.
The work of the National Board, the National Board Standards, and the certification process is founded on five core propositions that describe what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do to effectively support student learning. The five core propositions and National Board Standards are developed and revised by educators based on research and their expertise as practitioners.
17 Jan2020
By Linda Minor
Are you looking for networking opportunities during the AACTE Annual Meeting? Well, we have plenty to offer. First stop: the Conference Community Center on the Marquis Level to connect with colleagues, where you can grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. A continental breakfast is available on Friday and Saturday mornings, a break is included on Saturday afternoon and the opening reception is open to all on Friday evening. The Marquis Level of the Marriott Marquis is also the place for you to visit with our sponsors and exhibitors. To find out more about our sponsors, exhibitors, and the layout of the Conference Community Center, visit our Annual Meeting Sponsors and Exhibitors page.
Next stop: the AACTE Gallery, which is located in Marquis Ballroom B, conveniently adjacent to the Conference Community Center. The Gallery offers attendees an opportunity to discover some new and exciting things this year. Stop by and see live interviews taking place at the AACTE Studio, meet the AACTE Membership team and play some fun games (and maybe win a prize or two), stroll through the AACTE Holmes Student and NACCTEP posters, and join in the Coffee and Conversations to discuss some hot topics.
16 Jan2020
By Jerrica Thurman
Join AACTE and your professional community in Atlanta as we advance the Association’s new vision to revolutionize education for all learners. During the 2020 Annual Meeting, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the recently approved AACTE Core Values in concurrent sessions highlighting key areas.
AACTE will leverage the collective knowledge and experience of leading experts on ways to progress the Association’s strategic direction in these robust sessions:
16 Jan2020
By Katrina Norfleet
In an article that originally appeared in Special Ed Connection, author Kara Arundel spotlights AACTE’s collaboration with the CEEDAR Center in launching the Reducing the Shortage of Special Education Teachers Networked Improvement Community (NIC). As part of the NIC initiative, 10 preparation programs in higher education have been selected to participate in this NIC and implement a range of strategies that will positively impact the special education teacher shortage by the Fall of 2022.
Cleveland State University (CSU) is one of the universities featured in the article, along with its Associate Dean for Faculty and External Affairs Tachelle Banks. AACTE’s Caitlin Wilson commented on how CSU and the nine other institutions will help find solutions to the nationwide teacher shortage. “By better understanding what works in particular context and comparing how it is similar or different at another university helps us to learn and share with the filed how that particular strategy or promising practice might be adapted depending on local conditions,” said Wilson, the director of program improvement and practice.
Read the full article, “Network of Universities Collaborate to Solve Special Educator Shortages.“
16 Jan2020
By Katrina Norfleet
The School Superintendents Association (AASA) announce the four finalists for the 2020 National Superintendent of the Year,® a distinction that honors school system leaders throughout the country for making a positive difference in the lives of the students they serve. The four finalists for the 2020 National Superintendent of the Year® are:
- Gustavo Balderas, Eugene School District 4J, Eugene, Ore.
- Samantha Fuhrey, Newton County School System, Covington, Ga.
- Michael Nagler, Mineola Public Schools, Mineola, N.Y.
- Jeffery Smith, Hampton City Schools, Hampton, Va.
16 Jan2020
AACTE’s DEI Video on The Importance of Culturally Relevant Teaching
By Jerrica Thurman
Ed Prep Matters features the “Revolutionizing Education” column to spotlight the many ways AACTE, member institutions, and partners are pioneering leading-edge research, models, strategies and programs that focus on the three core values outlined in the current AACTE strategic plan: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Quality and impact; and Inquiry and Innovation.
The next segment of the AACTE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion video series features AACTE’s strategic priority to advocate for high-quality educator preparation. Equitable access to education for students from all cultures requires teachers to use knowledge, frame of references, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning more relevant and effective to them. In AACTE’s DEI video, “The Importance of Culturally Relevant Teaching,” leading educators discuss a teaching pedagogy that affirms students’ differences and diversity.
14 Jan2020
By Katrina Norfleet
AACTE kicks off its countdown today to the advance registration deadline for AACTE’s 72nd Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Only 10 days are left to take advantage of discounted rates. As the largest gathering of educator preparation professionals in the nation, AACTE’s Annual Meeting offers you access to essential tools to drive change at your institution, in your community, and for the profession.
Here are 10 reasons to attend #AACTE20:
- Join the conversation and tackle important issues in education today with a diverse set of peers.
- Get motivated by inspiring speakers and gain fresh perspectives.
- Tailor your learning experience by choosing among hundreds of sessions that cover a broad variety of topics.
- Discover new ideas that can make you more effective with your students, colleagues, and partners.
- Engage with attendees, form new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Bring a colleague to share in the learning!
- Build new alliances, business ventures, and partnerships to advance your work.
- Take part in hands on demonstrations of new products, and discuss solutions to your specific needs with exhibitors and sponsors.
- Step outside your comfort zone and open your mind to innovation.
- Achieve greater focus on the problems of practice to help you take your programs to the next level.
- Experience the energy of different perspectives uniting around common goals. Add your voice to the mix!
View the full lineup of the keynote speakers, schedule and preconference events on our website. To see the full list of sessions and create your personal schedule, log in to the Online Event Planner.
The January 24 advance registration deadline is quickly approaching! Act now to get the best rates.
14 Jan2020
By Jacqueline Rodriguez
AACTE and partner, Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab), an initiative of the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) and Bank Street College of Education, will host the second of a series of four webinars, Preparing educators for diverse, equitable, and inclusive classrooms, on January 30.
This collaborative webinar focuses on strategies to increase the preparation of both teachers and leaders. AACTE and EdPrepLab are excited to provide you with an opportunity to learn from and with our dynamic webinar leaders. Four dynamic experts who are advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their practice, research, and daily interactions with teachers, leaders, and community stakeholders will present during the webinar:
13 Jan2020
By Jacqueline Rodriguez
AACTE has partnered with CoSN (The Consortium for School Networking) to provide school leaders with high-quality information on emerging issues and technology trends for K-12 innovation, as a member of the advisory board. Recently, the international advisory board, about 100 education leaders, identified 15 key Hurdles, Accelerators, and Tech Enablers for schools to leverage in 2020 in order to drive innovation in K-12 education.
The next generation of teachers and leaders are being prepared at AACTE member institutions. In collaboration with our K-12 school district colleagues, educator preparation programs can leverage technology that supports the learning and social emotional growth of all our students.
Together AACTE and CoSN are committed to advancing progressive practices in the field and addressing challenges and opportunities such as data privacy & ownership, social emotional learning, and tools for privacy & safety online.
CoSN will issue its insights and findings from the advisory board in two individual free briefs. These publications, along with an implementation toolkit, will be released throughout 2020 to spur ongoing discussions and visibility that analyze the top Hurdles, Accelerators and Technology Enablers in K-12 education. This project is part of CoSN’s EdTechNext initiative, extending their long-standing work surrounding emerging technologies.
13 Jan2020
By Marquita Grenot-Scheyer
Female leaders throughout history have made significant contributions to societal advancement, in such areas as the civil rights movement and education reform. Yet to this day, women still fight for equity, be it in the boardroom or the classroom. However, the good news is this occurs less often within the educational ecosystem today.
Is equity the norm within educational leadership?
I am a Mexican-American woman, a teacher, and a first generation college student. Therefore, I approach my work from many perspectives using different lenses, and my gender is but one part of my journey. I have had many opportunities in my career to provide leadership at different levels of educational institutions, reflecting what I believe to be a trend in the last decade, where more and more women have assumed leadership positions in educational institutions. Take for example the system in which I am a leader: The California State University. We have 23 campuses and the majority of our presidents are female. And while I can’t single out my gender from my other identities as a leader, what I can tell you is that women continue to make a difference in the field because of their passionate dedication to better education for all.
10 Jan2020
By Jane E. West
This blog post is written by AACTE consultant Jane West and is intended to provide updated information. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
Happy New Year! Welcome to the new decade and the second session of the 116th Congress. Can we even imagine what it holds for us? One thing we do know – our advocacy on behalf of equity and education will only amplify!
Funding Cycle for 2021: On Schedule?
With the ink barely dry on the FY 2020 funding packages, the budget cycle for FY 2021 is already on the horizon. The Trump Administration announced this week that it intends to release its Budget Proposal for FY 2021 on February 10, thus getting the cycle moving on time. The release of the proposal will be followed by hearings in House and Senate Appropriations committees and months of deliberation.
