26 Jun2023
By Kelly León
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.
Note: the AACTE Call for Awards is open for the 2024 Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives, which recognizes exemplary practice in the intercultural, global, cross-cultural, and international arenas. The 2024 Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity is also open and recognizes the infusion of diversity throughout all components of a school, college, or department of education (SCDE) as critical to quality educator preparation and professional development. If you wish to apply for one of these awards, please visit aacte.org. Applications must be received by September 1, 2023.
We believe preparing educators to be globally competent should be at the heart of our work as teacher educators. At San Diego State University, my colleague Gina Vattuone and I co-lead a single-subject credential cohort with the goal of preparing globally-competent teacher candidates. Each year, the cohort invites secondary teacher candidates from all subject areas to self-select into the cohort. After eight years, we have realized the importance of helping teacher candidates understand their own positionality in relation to others. We invite them to reflect on their own cultural ways of knowing and being and how these relate to the dominant, mainstream cultures of most American schools. We also want them to understand how they relate to the histories, geographies, and cultures of the young people they teach. By better understanding themselves in society, we believe teacher candidates are more able to understand their students and how to teach them.
21 Jun2023
Register for the 2023 Leadership and New Deans Academy
By AACTE
Are you a dean or chair or head of a department looking to take your leadership skills to the next level? Join fellow educator preparation professionals at AACTE’s 2023 Leadership Academy in Denver from July 30 to August 3.
Whether you are a new or seasoned administrator in the educator preparation field, this year’s Leadership Academy will ignite your passion and equip you with practical strategies to drive real change on campus. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with other education leaders and return with valuable insights. Register by July 7 and book your hotel at the group rate.
20 Jun2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
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.
The College Board is rejecting a proposed change by the Florida Department of Education (DOE) to a high school Advanced Placement (AP) psychology course. Under the proposal, the AP psychology course would modify or completely remove lessons on gender and sexual orientation.
19 Jun2023
By Laura O'Brien
Sen. Tim Kaine took part in a visit in February to the Franklin Military Academy classroom taught by Christal Corey, a graduate of VCU’s RTR teacher residency program and Richmond Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year for 2023. (Photo contributed by Andrew Daire)
This article was originally published by Virginia Commonwealth University News.
The funding will help recruit and support more teacher candidates from diverse backgrounds and provide them with the skills to teach in high-need schools, including those in Richmond Public Schools. The VCU School of Education’s RTR program is an undergraduate and graduate teacher residency program.
19 Jun2023
By AACTE
While traveling throughout Scandinavia to attend the International Women’s Forum conference, AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone took time in Helsinki, Finland to visit with Katarina Murto, president, Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö OAJ, the Finnish Teachers Union.
16 Jun2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
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.
Following the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which raises the debt ceiling and limits federal funding for the next two years, Members of Congress, their staff, and education advocates alike have shifted their focus towards an FY 2024 spending bill. House Appropriations Committee chair Kay Granger (R-TX) announced on Monday that the Committee will continue to produce FY 2024 funding bills with new funding capped at the FY 2022 level, which is $119 billion below the FY 2024 discretionary level set in law by the debt limit deal. The level for the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee is $60 billion or 29% below its FY 2023 level of $207 billion in discretionary funding. Your voices and advocacy efforts will be critical as we move toward an FY2024 spending bill.
16 Jun2023
By Nicole Dunn
On June 19, 1865, the emancipation of enslaved Black people in the United States was realized when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to enforce the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation for these citizens. The newly freed people called this day “Juneteenth.” Also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is the commemorations of Black and African American people in the United States seizing their freedom that was denied to them despite their contributions to the growth of the nation’s economy and culture. While organizations around the country, including AACTE, will close their offices to give time to celebrate, reflect, and appreciate this history, more than half of the states in the country have introduced or passed legislation to prohibit teaching about structural racism, and you cannot fully teach and appreciate Juneteenth without acknowledging structural racism.
15 Jun2023
By Cole Hatcher
This article was originally published by Ohio Wesleyan University.
Ohio Wesleyan University’s Sarah Kaka, Ph.D., has testified before Ohio lawmakers, collaborated on research, and presented to peers on the impact of so-called “divisive concepts” teaching laws now adopted in more than half of the nation.
The chair of OWU’s Department of Education, Kaka also has been discussing the topic with multiple media, including The Columbus Dispatch, Education Week, and the “TeachLab with Justin Reich” podcast.
“I think it depends on who you talk to what they say the goal of the legislation is,” Kaka told Reich during their June 8 podcast, “but the reality is that all of the laws – divisive issues concepts – seek to limit what teachers can say or do in their classes.”
15 Jun2023
By Guy Trainin
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have opened up a world of possibilities in various fields, including education. On May 23, AACTE’s Committee on Innovation & Technology hosted the webinar, “An Introduction to Using AI Tools in Educator Preparation Programs,” that explored the fundamentals of generative AI and its potential to revolutionize learning. The speaker panel was moderated by the committee’s co-chair, Rachel Karchmer-Klein. Panelists included Punya Mishra (Arizona State University), Eleazar Vasquez III (University of Central Florida), and Marie Heath (Loyola University), who discussed the ethical considerations, personalized learning, and the transformative impact of AI in education.
Generative AI, as explained by Mishra, involves the use of machine learning algorithms to generate new content in various formats. However, the complex nature of these AI systems means even their creators cannot fully understand how they work. He stressed the importance of recognizing generative AI as a social technology and setting clear boundaries to ensure responsible implementation.
13 Jun2023
By AACTE
Monika Williams Shealey, chair of the AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) Board of Directors, has been appointed dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University. Shealey is currently the senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Rowan University, where she previously served as dean of Rowan’s College of Education. She will begin her new role on July 1.
“On behalf of AACTE, I am delighted to congratulate our board chair for being named the dean at an institution whose mission is to prepare all students as educational leaders and change agents with a focus on social justice,” said AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone. “Dr. Shealey’s experienced leadership, along with her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, will be a tremendous asset to the college in preparing the next generation of education professionals.”
13 Jun2023
By Dawn Lewallen
Join AACTE in recognizing excellence in the best practices and professional achievements of individuals and institutions whose contributions strengthen and advance the field of educator preparation. You are invited to submit nominations for 2024 AACTE Awards by September 1 in the following award categories:
Best Practice
- Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology
- Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives
- Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity
- Best Practice Award in Increasing Educator Diversity
- Best Practice Award for Exemplary Holmes Program
Professional Achievement
- Margaret B. Lindsey Award for Distinguished Research in Teacher Education
- David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education
- Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education
For more information on the criteria for each award, please visit aacte.org and review the Call for Entries.
AACTE is also accepting entries for 2024 James D. Anderson Outstanding Dissertation Award. The submission deadline is July 28. Learn more.
All 2024 AACTE Award recipients will be officially recognized at AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting, February 16 – 18 in Aurora/Denver, CO.
13 Jun2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
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.
Last week, President Biden vetoed a Republican-led piece of legislation that would have canceled his plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt for millions of Americans. While Republicans led the bill, a handful of moderate Democrats joined their colleagues across the aisle to nullify the Biden-Harris Administration’s student debt relief program — citing the plan as too costly for tax payers and unfair to Americans who did not attend college.
13 Jun2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
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, Oklahoma state officials approved a bid to open the country’s first publicly funded religious charter school. In a statement, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt praised the decision, saying in part, “Oklahomans support religious liberty for all and support an increasingly innovative educational system that expands choice … Today, with the nation watching, our state showed that we will not stand for religious discrimination.”
The application for the Catholic-led bid was originally shot down in April — but the timing afforded church leaders the opportunity to address the state charter board members’ concerns and then refile a request before last week’s vote. Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, in a statement said: “We are elated that the board agreed with our argument and application for the nation’s first religious charter school … Parents continue to demand more options for their kids, and we are committed to help provide them.”
13 Jun2023
By Sue Rieg
This article was originally published by Altoona Mirror and is reprinted with permission.
Pennsylvania’s children — many of whom face academic and social-emotional challenges — deserve high-quality, well-prepared teachers, but due to teacher shortages many school districts are struggling to hire and retain well-qualified candidates.
The teacher shortage is real and alarming, but there is hope.
The shortage has been building for many years.
Since 2010, new in-state teacher certifications have decreased by nearly 70% to record low levels. In response, the state has issued more emergency teaching permits than new certificates.
12 Jun2023
By Idaho State University
The Idaho State University Albion Center for Professional Development, housed in the College of Education, has partnered with Ed3 DAO to offer a suite of online professional development courses for K-12 educators nationwide.
Co-founded by two educators, Vriti Saraf & Michael Peck, Ed3 DAO is a global launchpad and community for educators who wish to seek innovation and reimagine education using modern technology. The Ed3 DAO courses will help educators leverage concepts and tools including artificial intelligence, decentralization and democratization, financial literacy, cyber ethicism, digital cultural sensitivity, and more in their classrooms.
“The goal of our courses is to equip educators with the knowledge and skills to navigate and illuminate the power of a decentralized web,” said Mike Peck, co-founder of Ed3 DAO. “Our courses will help bridge the gap between the traditional classroom and the digital frontier.”
