22 Jul2021
By Michael A. Chuntz
Ed Prep Matters features the “AACTE Teacher Stories,” series to spotlight the experiences of K-12 educators who are attending or are alumni of AACTE member institutions. AACTE invites preservice and in-service school teachers to reflect on how they are applying the practices, frameworks, and strategies they acquired during their educator preparation program (EPP) studies to assure student success. Email stories to knorfleet@aacte.org.
This article is authored by Michael A. Chuntz, a 5th grade math, science, and social studies teacher at Somerset Intermediate School in North Plainfield, NJ. This story was nominated by Heejung An, his master’s thesis advisor at the College of Education, William Paterson University of New Jersey, where he obtained his master’s degree in May 2021.
Let’s face it, most of us taught to black boxes the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year. Were our students even there? Were they aimlessly scrolling through TikTok the entire class? Were they sleeping? Or were they taking care of their younger siblings while their family members worked? More importantly, were they learning?
22 Jul2021
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Kadija Moon, recent Holmes alumna of the University of Houston and Holmes Scholar of the Month for July 2021. Recently, Moon successfully defended her dissertation titled, “The Bidirectionality of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Sleep Disturbances among Firefighters with Military Veteran Status” and earned her PhD in Counseling Psychology.
Prior to attending TCU, Moon completed both her Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in human development and family studies and her master of education in counseling at the University of Houston. Moon has also interned at the Michael E Debakey VA Medical Center, the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD), Houston Fire Department, and the Krist Samaritan Counseling Center.
22 Jul2021
By Jerrica Thurman
As a member of
AACTE Connect360, you have access to more than 20 community groups to join, with more on the way! Community groups allow you to engage with like-minded peers on topics of interest and grow your network. These groups highlight important areas in educator preparation including research, leadership, advocacy and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Here’s how to explore the communities on Connect360:
22 Jul2021
By Jerrica Thurman
AACTE’s upcoming slate of events offers professional development and networking opportunities at a significant discount for our valued members. This year’s
Leadership Academy and
Washington Week will be held virtually, with
AACTE’s 2022 Annual Meeting occurring in person in New Orleans. Registration for all three events is open now, so secure your spot today!
Leadership Academy Series: August and October 2021 and January 2022
This year’s Leadership Academy will occur as a three-part series. The first session takes place August 11, with the second session occuring October 20 and the final session transpiring in January 2022. Join your colleagues at the first session, “When We All Get to Together: Returning to Campus with New Opportunities,” for a dynamic, interactive discussion on developing a positive transition to in-person learning and creating new opportunities in the post-COVID environment. Members can attend all three sessions for just $99.
22 Jul2021
By Weade James
Addressing the needs of new teachers affected by the twin crises.
Over the past year, COVID-19 created an uncertain landscape that deeply impacted our nation’s educational systems. Compounding the effects of the pandemic, another crisis emerged—racial injustice. These twin crises together have generated new obstacles and exacerbated those that have long been a concern of the educator community. As we reopen schools and return to in-class instruction, teachers face unprecedented challenges toward “getting back to normal,” including safety concerns, the need to address learning loss, and the social and emotional well-being of their students—a daunting undertaking for even the most experienced teacher.
22 Jul2021
By Michael Rose
Registration for AACTE’s second virtual Day on the Hill is now open. Day on the Hill is the Association’s premiere advocacy event and provides AACTE members with the opportunity to engage directly with their Members of Congress about the importance of teacher preparation and related legislation. Advocacy training sessions will take place September 21-22, and virtual congressional visits will be held September 23.
20 Jul2021
By Linda Minor
Join your colleagues at the first of three AACTE Leadership Academy Series sessions, “When We All Get to Together: Returning to Campus with New Opportunities” on Wednesday, August 11, 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET. This virtual session, facilitated by John Kuykendall, dean, School of Education at the University of Indianapolis and John Henning, dean of Monmouth University, will discuss transitioning to online learning in 2020 that required greater flexibility and knowledge around technology integration and the missed opportunity to see each other and work within campus office locations and meetings.
As you head into the upcoming academic year, what thoughts have you had about returning to campus? As many of you prepare to return to a more normalized academic year, you may be anxious about what to expect or wonder about possible new opportunities that may exist in your academic unit. The session will focus on developing a positive transition to in-person learning and creating new opportunities in the post-COVID environment. The presenters will share ways to approach the physical space along with the faculty and campus community. Attendees will participate in open discussions about their thoughts, feelings, and concerns and participate in breakout sessions for intimate dialogue about various campus approaches for a safe return.
Register today. Space is limited.
Visit www.aacte.org for event details. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #AACTELA21.
20 Jul2021
By Meenakshi Sharma
I recently had an incredible learning opportunity to be a part of the AACTE Simulations for Secondary Science Teachers conference. The goal for the convening was to introduce participants to the simulation design process and to support them to create a secondary science simulation scenario in smaller teams. Large group zoom meetings with almost 55 participants provided a valuable opportunity to listen, ask questions, and reflect on matters that concern science teacher preparation. The convening provided just the right amount of stimulation and sense of community that probably many of us were missing due to the recent pandemic. Until now, I saw myself as a user—employing simulations to help my teacher candidates understand and practice core teaching practices. However, being a part of the scenario development team afforded an insider or “behind the scenes’ perspective.” I was able to understand the complexities, affordance, and constraints of the simulation designing process.
20 Jul2021
By Lynn M. Gangone
AACTE provides interactive tools and innovative solutions to advance educator preparation. Our new initiatives in 2021 support our vision to revolutionize education for all learners. To learn about our newest offerings, please take a few minutes to watch this video.
In just a few weeks, AACTE will kick off its 2021 Leadership Academy Series on August 11, as well as its 2021 Washington Week in September. Registration is open for these events, as well as the 2022 AACTE Annual Meeting, so secure your spot today. I hope to see you there!
20 Jul2021
By Sarah Wood
This article originally appeared in Diverse Issues in Higher Education and is reprinted with permission.
The “fragility of our democracy” was made evident by the events of Jan. 6 at the United States Capitol, which was incited by rhetoric around election fraud, according to Harvard University’s James Bryant Conant University Professor Dr. Danielle Allen.
As misinformation and government-related conspiracy theories continue to divide the nation, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the Educating for American Democracy initiative co-hosted a webinar on Tuesday to discuss the need to promote civic readiness within the K-12 education system.
The event, “Monitoring Civic Learning Opportunities and Outcomes: State of the Field and Future Directions,” noted inadequate support for civics education from policymakers and education leaders.
20 Jul2021
By Jane E. West and Kaitlyn Brennan
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.
It’s been a week for celebration for education advocates. The House Appropriations Committee delivered on President’ Biden’s goal of a 41% increase for education for next year. This unprecedented investment is beyond gratifying. It feels like the decades of advocating that we have all been engaged in has really paid off! We still have a long way to go, but we are out of the gate with great momentum!
House Appropriations Committee Approves FY2022 Education Spending Bill
On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The Committee voted in favor of the bill by vote of 33 to 25, a party line vote. No substantial amendments were made to any education provisions during the full committee markup.
20 Jul2021
By Amaya Garcia and Joseph Hood
Minnesota is home to an increasingly racially and linguistically diverse student population, yet the diversity of the state’s teacher workforce has remained stagnant. To help address this racial and linguistic match, school districts are partnering with educator preparation programs to develop and implement Grow Your Own programs that seek to recruit and prepare community-based teachers.
As outlined in a recent New America report, Minnesota is one of nine states in the country that offers a competitive GYO grant designed to promote teacher residency programs for adult community members and opportunities for high school students to gain exposure to teaching as a career. While the state provides funding, there are few directives about how GYO programs should be designed, reflecting the importance of local control and governance.
20 Jul2021
By AACTE
On behalf of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone issued the following statement on the House Appropriations Committee passage of the fiscal year 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill:
“AACTE is deeply gratified to see such an historic investment in education, and particularly in educator preparation. While our members have advocated for years, indeed decades, for such investments, this is the first time Congress has responded with such a robust bill. These unprecedented increases will make a significant difference in addressing the long-term deficits in our nation’s education system. They will enable our nation to address the critical shortage of educators and the lack of diversity in our profession in transformative ways. AACTE urges Congress to pass this legislation and send it to President Biden for his signature as soon as possible.”
15 Jul2021
By Meghan Grenda
The AACTE membership team would like to extend our sincere gratitude to you, your institution, and your colleagues for your ongoing support of AACTE. This past year has been unlike any other. A global pandemic, a historic number of natural disasters, and the continuation of violence and racial injustices towards members of our community all impacted our pursuit for high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are ready to teach all learners. Yet despite everything our community faced, we were still able to amplify our united voice to invest in educator preparation.
As AACTE opens the 2022 renewal season for the coming year, I’d like to remind you of the network of resources at your disposal. Below are just a few of the essential tools and initiatives AACTE has developed in the past year.
15 Jul2021
By Karelia Pitts
On July 1, 2021, Trenton E. Gould, dean of The University of Southern Mississippi College of Education and Human Sciences, became president of the Mississippi Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE), an affiliate of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
During a two-year appointment, Gould will lead the statewide organization composed of faculty and administrators from all public and private institutions of higher education in Mississippi engaged in the preparation of professional school personnel.
“MACTE serves as a voice for teacher education faculty on a broad range of issues. Each of our individual institutions are working diligently to offer excellent educational opportunities that prepare K-12 teachers, and MACTE provides a hub to increase our influence,” Gould said. “In this new role, I am most excited about helping bring teacher educators together from across the state to exchange best practices and problem solve our challenges. Getting the sharpest minds around one table benefits everyone and helps develop consistency across the state in the practices we’re using to train teacher candidates.”
