AACTE will host its annual Holmes Program Research and Dissertation Retreat in Boca Raton, FL on November 9 – 10. The event, co-sponsored by the PNC Foundation and Florida Atlantic University, is AACTE’s annual flagship event to advance research and scholarship of graduate students of color who are pursuing doctorate degrees in education.
What are the three best reasons to apply for a 2023 AACTE Best Practice Award?
A federal district court recently ruled against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, saying that President Obama overstepped his authority to create the program in 2012.
The ruling legally strips Dreamers of their ability to live and work in the United States, but the appellate judges prohibited immigration officials from deporting anyone that was granted legal status until the US Supreme Court makes a final ruling on the program.
At the start of the pandemic, the federal government paused the repayment requirements for most federal student loans. More recently, the Administration announced that it would forgive a certain amount of student debt to eligible borrowers. Both announcements were meant to help borrowers through economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and regain their financial footing after seeing student debt balloon to over $1.6 trillion. These are unique opportunities that could see thousands of dollars eliminated from your balance. But time is running out.
AACTE has been a voice in recent news coverage, shining a light on solutions to declining enrollment in teacher education programs, nationwide teacher shortages, as well as some solutions opening the door to students, new teachers and career changers entering the education profession.
Over the past several weeks, AACTE has appeared in media outlets including PBS, Education Week, Inside Higher Ed, Univision and Yahoo!News.
Mercer University’s Tift College of Education will partner with five local school districts on a three-year, $9.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant project aimed at strengthening the teacher pipeline in order to increase and diversify the teaching workforce.
The award is the largest federal grant in the history of the College of Education, which was formed by the merger of Tift College with Mercer in 1986 and is the largest private preparer of teachers and other educators in Georgia.
In response to the recent hurricane impacting its members in the Southeast region, AACTE has extended the submission deadline. You still have time to contribute to the educational content at the 75th Annual Meeting, February 24 – 26 in Indianapolis, IN. Complete your proposal by Sunday, October 9.
Themed, Innovation through Inspiration: Remembering the Past to Revolutionize the Future, this year’s conference features five strands:
Attempts to pass educational gag orders and ban books with “divisive concepts” have increased in 2022 and are projected to continue in 2023, policies that AACTE opposes because they impede the quality and content of what can be taught in our nation’s public schools and universities. As the leading voice in educator preparation representing more than 800 postsecondary institutions, AACTE has its pulse on the effects of censorship climate and legislation on both PK-12 practitioners and teacher educators.
There has never been a more critical time to work together to support public education and students’ success. AACTE is joining forces with Learning First Alliance and partners across the country to support a critical effort to help ensure a bright future for our children.
The Here for the Kids campaign brings together families, educators, and community members to shine a light on local public schools and tell the stories of the amazingly positive things happening in classrooms and school buildings nationwide.
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.
On Friday, Congress passed a short-term spending measure that keeps the government funded at its current levels through December 16 and averts a government shutdown. Now is the time to flex your advocacy muscles — tell your story and encourage your Members of Congress to advocate for and support the highest possible investments in the educator workforce and pipeline in the final FY23 spending bill.
The new “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.
Arizona: Peoria Unified School District to Remedy Discriminatory Harassment of Students
This week, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the resolution of a complaint of racial harassment filed against Peoria Unified School District in Arizona. Following an investigation, OCR determined that the district failed to address harassment of students on the basis of race, color, and national origin, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations.
Education systems must adapt and tailor its programming to meet the needs of every learner. The Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR), a technical assistance center, aims to successfully educate and train educator and leader preparation programs to support inclusive education. The center’s aim is to create quality education for every student — with a focus on preparing students with disabilities to achieve college and career-ready standards. This is done by implementing evidence-based practices within multi-tiered systems of support.
CEEDAR, an AACTE partner organization, recently announced two new resources based on evidence-based practices:
AACTE is currently accepting entries for the 2023 awards. The AACTE Awards Program recognizes excellence in both member institutions and individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of educator preparation.
For most of the awards, programs and individuals can be either self-nominated or nominated by a third party. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2022. Learn more about the 2023 AACTE Awards, eligibility and criteria.
In September, Congress passed legislation that permits both borrowers of a joint student loan to apply to the Education Department to have their joint loan split up into two separate loans. President Biden is expected to sign the legislation into law.
Previously, married couples were able to combine their student loan debt into joint consolidation loans, which would make them both liable for repayment of the loan. Congress eliminated the joint consolidation program effective July 1, 2006, but it did not provide a means of severing existing loans, even in the event of domestic violence, economic abuse, or an unresponsive partner.
As the 2022-23 school year continues, teacher morale remains front of mind for educators, students, and families. After almost three years of instability, teachers are demoralized, and in some parts of the nation, teacher vacancies abound.
Still, teachers have been clear about what they need — beyond better pay and respect for their expertise — teachers are calling for collaboration with colleagues, meaningful professional support, and support for work-life balance.