13 Apr2018
By Zachary VanHouten
To keep members informed, AACTE regularly monitors and reports on the activity of the National Council on Teacher Quality that could affect educator preparation programs. Visit our NCTQ resource page for additional information.
In the latest iteration of its Teacher Prep Review, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) asserts that graduate teacher preparation programs and alternative-route programs are facing some “severe structural problems” with what the council deems to be necessary fundamental elements of a successful teacher preparation program.
10 Apr2018
By Lynn M. Gangone
This year marks the 70th anniversary of AACTE’s founding. Created in 1948 as an alliance to boost the quality of teachers being prepared for the country’s growing public school system, our association remains steadfastly focused on the democratic ideal of providing all students equitable access to an excellent education.
AACTE’s platinum anniversary falls at a time when this ideal is still far from being realized, or even universally held, in our society. Many Americans seem to have forgotten what our nation’s founding fathers knew: that quality public education is an essential element of a democracy. John Adams called for the “whole people [to] take upon themselves the education of the whole people”; Thomas Jefferson insisted a civilization could not be both ignorant and free. Over time, persistent activism from the suffragette and civil rights movements expanded the nation’s understanding of whose voices count – of what “the whole people” really means.
10 Apr2018
By Kristin McCabe
Four new videos are available this week in AACTE’s Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series highlighting clinical preparation and partnerships of the Butler University (IN) College of Education. The latest videos feature an interview with the dean, insights on the Reggio Emilia philosophy, multifaceted benefits of the coteaching model, and advice to others who want to start a similar partnership.
10 Apr2018
By Jerrica Thurman
As educators, students, and activists across the country gear up for another demonstration this month to fight against school violence, AACTE is sharing resources and collecting member stories related to both advocacy and educator preparation for school safety.
Student activists are recruiting high school youth nationwide to participate in the National High School Student Walkout Day on April 20, which marks the 19th anniversary of the shootings at Colorado’s Columbine High School. While most high school students are too young to vote, they intend to make their voice heard by sending a strong message to politicians that the time to act to prevent school violence is now. According to change.org, school students may participate by walking out of school, wearing orange, and protesting in their local communities and online using #nationalschoolwalkout.
09 Apr2018
By Kristin McCabe
Do you know someone who recently completed a prize-worthy doctoral dissertation related to educator preparation? Please help spread the word: Applications for AACTE’s 2019 Outstanding Dissertation Award are being accepted in our online submission system now through August 20.
This award recognizes excellence in doctoral dissertation research (or its equivalent) that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. Dissertations completed since January 2017 are eligible for consideration, regardless of what institution awarded the doctorate (member or nonmember of AACTE).
09 Apr2018
By Christina Tschida, Ann Sebald and Kristen Cuthrell
The authors are leaders of the AACTE Coteaching in Clinical Practice Topical Action Group (TAG). For information about how to join or start a TAG, visit aacte.org.
On April 25, AACTE members are invited to join a virtual meeting of the Coteaching in Clinical Practice TAG, in which we plan to discuss collaborative grant-writing projects. This is a great opportunity to see what the TAG is all about and see if you’d like to join us!
The meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT. You can enter the meeting any time after 10:45 a.m. EDT through the following channels:
05 Apr2018
By Rangasamy Ramasamy and Deborah McEwan
The authors are part of the AACTE Holmes Program at Florida Atlantic University. For information about the program, visit aacte.org. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
On March 27, Holmes Scholars at Florida Atlantic University hosted a research workshop, “Understanding the Role of the Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks in Dissertation Research.” More than 30 doctoral students and faculty attended the event with the university’s four Holmes Scholars – Kalynn Hall Pistorio, Kayla Elliott, Deborah McEwan, and Brianna Joseph (pictured above, standing, along with Holmes Coordinator Professor Rangasamy Ramasamy).
03 Apr2018
By Donna Cooner and Wendy Fothergill
This article has been updated to reflect new presenter information.
On Wednesday, April 18, AACTE will host a free webinar on principal leadership, supported by The Wallace Foundation as part of the Association’s ongoing partnership to disseminate the latest research and practice innovations in principal preparation. Please join us from 3:00-3:45 p.m. EDT for Leveraging Community Resources to Strengthen Clinical Practice: Mental Health Support for School Leaders.
New principals must not only learn to seamlessly integrate curriculum, lead change, and manage personnel; they must also become first responders in times of tragedy and grief counselors, while supporting their own mental health in high-stress jobs. This webinar will discuss –
03 Apr2018
By Jerrica Thurman
AACTE is pleased to introduce a new feature in the Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series focused on the clinical practice and partnerships of the Butler University (IN) College of Education.
Butler University offers clinical experiences for teacher candidates through a variety of partner sites within the Indianapolis Public School (IPS) system as well as district partnerships with Pike, Lawrence, and Washington Townships. The IPS-Butler partnership contains three laboratory schools: IPS/Butler Lab School 60, IPS/Butler Lab School 55 (to open in fall 2018), and Shortridge High School: An IB World School. Butler also leverages community/business partnerships to further early childhood programs, such as the PNC Bank partnership and the “Grow Up Great” program. The IPS/Butler Lab School 60, for example, was awarded a second $150,000 grant over several years to continue funding the early childhood programs implemented from a previous grant.
03 Apr2018
By Robert Toy-Giles
Panelists from the AACTE Holmes Program speak during the March 1 Deeper Dive session.
As an AACTE intern this semester, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the 70th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, including attending several sessions in between my other staff assignments. One of the events I enjoyed attending addressed the challenge that education systems face with the lack of minority teachers, especially Black and Hispanic/Latino men, in today’s diverse classrooms.
Being a college student who is both Hispanic and Black, I found this topic intriguing and the discussion valuable as members of the AACTE Black & Hispanic/Latino Male Teachers Initiative Networked Improvement Community (NIC) and students in the AACTE Holmes Program interacted with each other and with the audience.
03 Apr2018
By Kristin McCabe
Although violence and hate permeate our society, there is reason for hope: It is an amazing time to be in education. We are in a profession that has more to do with what we might do to change this society than any other profession. So how do we reframe the way we work with young people to make a better world?
These words were part of Deborah Loewenberg Ball’s introduction of a March 2 Deeper Dive session at the 70th AACTE Annual Meeting, organized by TeachingWorks under the theme “Outrage to Action: Disrupting Inequity Through Teacher Education.” Ball, of the University of Michigan, invited the audience to combat today’s fragmented society by intentionally building more connections, including with the “invisible” people who play supporting roles in our lives.
03 Apr2018
By Shardae Proctor
Clinical Practice Imperative Deeper Dive presenters Michael Alfano, Rene Roselle, Jennifer Robinson, Laurie Henry, Valeisha Ellis, and Christine Slattery
A Deeper Dive session at the AACTE 70th Annual Meeting emphasized the criticality of incorporating clinical practice in educator preparation, drawing on the recent report of the AACTE Clinical Practice Commission (CPC). Commissioner Michael Alfano of Sacred Heart University (CT) moderated “The Clinical Practice Imperative: A Pivot Toward Clinical Practice, Its Lexicon, and the Renewal of Educator Preparation” where a panel of experts discussed the CPC’s paper and its 10 proclamations for effective clinical preparation, the impact of clinical practice within the profession, and future plans to advance the work.
03 Apr2018
By Janine Allen
The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
On February 28, AACTE hosted a daylong preconference workshop titled “A Global Lens to Educator Preparation: Shared Knowledge and Advocacy for Diverse and Multicultural Perspectives,” organized by the AACTE Committee on Global Diversity (GDC). The event, held just prior to the 70th AACTE Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, was attended by higher education faculty and administrators interested in exploring opportunities for a global focus in educator preparation. Participants discussed innovative experiences and partnerships that prepare mindful teacher candidates who will advocate for diverse global perspectives in curricula, policy, and practice.
03 Apr2018
By Dana Dunwoody
The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
Facilitators Candace Burns, William Paterson University, and Dana Dunwoody, Boston University, address Holmes students (seated, L-R) Yanfang Wang, SUNY Oswego; Aylie Moya, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; and Alex Caston, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; standing (L-R) are NIC leaders Ernest Black, California State University, Fullerton, team; Nanette Missaghi, University of St. Thomas team; and Michael Dennehy, Boston University team
During the 2018 AACTE Annual Meeting, a Deeper Dive session pursued insights into effective strategies for improving the recruitment and retention of teachers of color. In this interactive session, “Promising Practice and Lessons Learned: Pathways for Recruiting, Retaining, and Supporting a Diverse Educator Workforce,” discussants included members of the AACTE Holmes Program joined by representatives from the AACTE Black & Hispanic/Latino Male Teachers Initiative Networked Improvement Community (NIC).
03 Apr2018
By Jerrica Thurman
AACTE is excited to announce the dates for our 2018 summer events, offering a variety of targeted professional development for teacher educators. You can join your colleagues from around the country in Washington, DC, to learn to advocate for the profession; meet with fellow new deans and administrators in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for intensive leadership development and networking; and discover best practices for quality assurance in Columbus, Ohio, to help enhance your programs. Group discounts are available for each of these three events, so plan now to bring your friends and colleagues to these popular summer conferences.
WASHINGTON WEEK: JUNE 3-6
