23 May2023
By Stephanie Barrette
MTSU’s College of Education continues to strengthen its relationship with Murfreesboro City Schools, this time through math literacy training for K-5 teachers who will return to their district and share their new knowledge with teacher colleagues.
“We love the teachers teaching teachers model,” said Katie Schrodt, assistant professor of education and one of three faculty running the professional development. “Teachers want to hear from other teachers like them who are in the classroom, so it’s a really effective professional development model.”
23 May2023
By Northern State University
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.
16 May2023
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, 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.
16 May2023
By Tim Neubert
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.
15 May2023
By UNC Charlotte
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.
15 May2023
By Jennifer L Parks
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education (COE) Professor of Mathematics Education Linda Furuto has been selected as one of 105 Obama Foundation Global Leaders. The program trains participants around the world in leadership development and civic engagement to help build their skills and scale their work across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Furuto will be among just 34 leaders participating in the Asia-Pacific program, representing a cohort of 22 countries/territories across the region.
“I can’t think of anyone more qualified than Linda to represent the COE as an Obama Leader,” Department of Curriculum Studies Chair Patricia Espiritu Halagao said. “Her cutting-edge work with ethnomathematics and involvement as the UH Ambassador to the PVS Moananuiākea Voyage will greatly contribute to better understanding how education can serve our global communities. And, above all, she exudes the values of a humble, caring, and committed servant leader.”
15 May2023
By AACTE
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.
15 May2023
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.
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.”
15 May2023
A Q&A with Paul Katnik
By Nicole Dunn
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 Hammond, Developing 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.
09 May2023
By AACTE
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.
09 May2023
By Brooke Evans
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.
09 May2023
By Taraneh M. Haghanikar
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.
09 May2023
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.
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.
09 May2023
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.
As school districts across the nation struggle to find qualified educators to fill classroom vacancies, one Arizona school district will utilize an unconventional recruitment tool: tiny houses. As reported by CNN, the Chino Valley Unified School District is using federal money to build 10 studio units, each 400 square feet, on a vacant lot behind an elementary school, where teachers will pay roughly $550 per month in rent — well below the market rate for the area.
09 May2023
By Brooke Evans
AACTE is pleased to honor P-20 educators during National Teacher Appreciation Week. Typically held the first full week of May, this week is dedicated to America’s educators who commit their lives to service by educating, encouraging, and advocating for all students. Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1953 call to Congress to create a National Day of Recognition for Teachers, and through the contributions of both the National Education Association (NEA) and National Parent Teacher Organization (PTA), America celebrated its first Teacher Appreciation Week in 1984.
