Join the Discussion on The Current State of Education: Challenges, Opportunities and the $125 Billion Dollar Question

Exactly two months to the day after President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 with $125 billion carved out for education, Mursion will host Jacqueline Rodriguez, vice president for research, policy, & advocacy at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), for a candid discussion on the challenges and opportunities ahead. From her unique perspective, Rodriguez will share AACTE’s continuing important work for addressing learning loss, critical societal matters that affect education, and the shortage of teachers that has not abated.

Service on the AACTE Board of Directors: An Investment in Yourself, Your Association, and Your Profession

board of directors, meeting room with long table and whiteboard

These are challenging and exciting times for leaders in educator preparation. As our institutions strive to recover from the pandemic, there is the promise of dramatically expanded funding from Washington to address the teacher shortage. And as we continue to reel from acts of racial violence, educator preparation is playing a leadership role in helping teachers and school leaders understand and address systemic racism.

With all that we have to do in our “day jobs,” service on the AACTE Board of Directors may seem like an obligation that isn’t worth the effort. I have found it to be just the opposite. Serving on the AACTE Board of Directors has been a valuable way to make a difference, and has given me insights and connections that significantly added to my ability to serve my institution. I have grown as a leader, broadened my professional network, and gained a deeper understanding of our field and the wider political and social environment. It also has been deeply gratifying to contribute to AACTE’s work in advancing educator preparation.

What Is It Like to Serve on an AACTE Programmatic Advisory Committee?

Engage as a Volunteer

It is the time of year when AACTE puts out a call for nominations to its programmatic advisory committees. These committees serve the association by providing expert member advice on a wide range of topics related to AACTE’s programs and services. Whatever your professional interests, there is likely a committee that would benefit from your participation.

Have you thought about nominating yourself, but wondered whether serving on one of these committees would be right for you? I can assure you that serving on a programmatic advisory committee is enjoyable, rewarding, and a great professional networking and learning experience. By serving on a committee, you will:

  • Ensure that AACTE’s programs and services meet your needs and the needs of your colleagues and institution
  • Broaden your professional network to include colleagues from a wide range of institutions around the country
  • Deepen your understanding of educator preparation
  • Have fun interacting with smart and committed AACTE members and staff

AACTE Celebrates Educators During National Teacher Appreciation Week

A middle school science team collaborates on their upcoming lessons.

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

On behalf of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone issued the following statement to celebrate educators during National Teacher Appreciation Week:
 
“One of the most pervasive truths in American public education is that great teachers transform lives. COVID-19 illuminated the vital role teachers play in our communities. As parents struggled to balance work, supervise virtual classrooms, and co-educate their children, a new awareness and appreciation arose for the influence, importance, and value of teachers. Educators across America have learned new technologies, created innovative ways to reach students online, and, above all, kept education moving forward. As we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week, AACTE thanks these critical front-line workers for their adaptability, ingenuity, and dedication and recognizes the difficult circumstances they face in returning to the classroom. 

Apply by May 5 for the AACTE Simulations for Secondary Science Teachers Conference

AACTE Simulations for Secondary Science Teachers Conference

Teacher candidates benefit from exposure to a range of diverse clinical experiences. Often, the clinical placements teacher candidates experience during their preparation program are limited and do not encompass the variety of settings they will encounter during their careers. While simulations are not a substitute for in-person clinical practice, well-crafted simulations can:

  • expose teacher candidates to student populations that are more diverse in terms of learning needs and socio-cultural experiences than they may encounter in their clinical placement
  • allow candidates to practice pedagogical approaches that they do not have the opportunity to employ in their clinical placements and to receive immediate feedback on their professional practice
  • offer the opportunity to teach courses and/or categories of content beyond the scope of their clinical placements

Our Democracy Depends on Teachers

Teachers sitting in a meeting

Editor’s note: This essay was submitted to AACTE days before Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York, died on April 15, 2021. It is from his last writing project and focuses on a subject he held dear — teaching and learning. This is an edited excerpt of an essay published in the Spring 2021 edition of Carnegie Reporter magazine.

On Teacher Appreciation Day and every day, teachers play a central role in shaping our society.

America has always been and will always be a work in progress. Every generation has contributed and must contribute to that ongoing progress.

Join AACTE in Thanking Teachers During National Teacher Appreciation Week 2021

Teacher Appreciation Week banner

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 3-7, 2021

Each year, the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), in partnership with Office Depot and Office Max, celebrates educators. The theme, #ThankATeacher, invites all Americans to take time to honor the service teachers provide. Now more than ever, it is critical to recognize the difficult and sometimes at-risk work teachers face in the classroom during the health pandemic. Schools across the country face teacher shortages so this week’s celebration conveys an important message that teachers matter.This year’s #ThankATeacher activities include collecting imagery for scrapbooking to encourage students and parents to remember all the good from educators this year. The National PTA asks participants to share on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, hashtags and resources from the toolkit available on their website. All of the resources within the toolkit are available in English and Spanish.

MSU launches Appalachian Future Educators Scholar Program

This article originally appeared in the Morehead State University news webpage and is reprinted with permission.

Dr. Antony Norman

Since its founding, Morehead State University has always prioritized training teachers and serving the Appalachian region. Both priorities have come together in the development of the Appalachian Future Educators (AFE) Scholars program.  

Created by Dr. Antony Norman, dean of the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education, the AFE Scholars program encourages qualified students from MSU’s 22-county service region to enter the education profession through scholarship, support, and mentorship. The program will enhance the pipeline of qualified educators and educational leaders by strengthening partnerships with school districts in identifying, recruiting and mentoring students to return and give back to their home communities as rural educational leaders. 

Biden Proposes American Families Plan: $9 Billion for Teacher Development

Mother and father playing

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.  

If your head is spinning with President Biden’s massive proposals for new investments in education, you are not alone!  In addition to the recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), two more proposals are on the table. And these are in addition to the annual appropriations process yet to unfold.  This could be a banner and historic year for education investments; but there is a long road ahead and advocacy is a must.  

Call for Proposals, Reviewers for 2022 AACTE Annual Meeting

Be a part of the AACTE 74th Annual Meeting.  Submit a proposal or be a reviewer and join us in New Orleans, LA, March 4-6, 2022, as we prepare to “Rethink, Reshape, Reimagine, Revolutionize: Growing the Profession Post Pandemic.

Call for Reviewers
May 14 is the deadline for submitting a reviewer application. Peer reviewers serve an important role in ensuring that exemplary learning opportunities are selected from the proposals submitted. Only current AACTE member institutions may serve as reviewers. Applicants must commit to evaluating up to 10 session proposals during June and July of 2021. You are still eligible to serve as a reviewer, even if you are submitting a proposal!

Call for Proposals
May 28 is the deadline for submitting session proposals. Proposals must align with the conference theme, “Rethink, Reshape, Reimagine, Revolutionize: Growing the Profession Post Pandemic,” and focus on one of the four strands listed below:

AACTE 2022 Book Award Applications Due May 14

2022 AACTE Awards - Outstanding Book Award

The AACTE Book Award recognizes exemplary books that make a significate contribution to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. Now is your chance to nominate an author’s book for one of AACTE’s prestigious awards. Applications for AACTE’s 2022 Outstanding Book Award are being accepted in our online submission system now through May 14, 2021.

This award is reviewed by the AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination.  The award-winning book and its author/editor(s) will receive special recognition at AACTE’s 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 4-6, 2022.

Tennessee Grant Funding Available to EPPs in and around the State: Apply by May 7

Farm field - Grow Your Own Teacher Program

The Tennessee Department of Education is offering Grow Your Own grants to educator preparation programs (EPPs) who work with the state’s school districts. The $2 million grants are available to help remove barriers and increase access to the education field for prospective teachers in Tennessee. The May 7 application deadline is quickly approaching! Application requirements and additional information are available here.

The Grown Your Own initiative supports partnerships between EPPs and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to provide innovative, no-cost pathways to the teaching profession by increasing EPP enrollment and growing the supply of qualified teachers to serve the state’s diverse student population. It provides no-cost access to a pathway to teaching to meet the need for increased diversity as well as to address the state’s teacher shortage. The second round of grants will provide 20 EPPs with $100,000 for their programs.

Holmes Program Welcomes New Scholars from Indiana University-Bloomington

AACTE is excited to welcome the inaugural Holmes Scholars at Indiana University Bloomington. The cohort of nine students are pursuing doctorate degrees in education with concentrations in teacher education, higher education and curriculum studies, and special education.  Led by Carl Darnell, associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion, and Alexander Cuenca, assistant professor, the IU Holmes Program demonstrates IU’s commitment to supporting racially diverse students in higher education.

Below are excerpts from the Indiana University Bloomington School of Education website.

Loukisha AndersonLoukisha Anderson is a doctoral student studying higher education and student affairs at IU. She received her master’s degree in educational psychology, with a concentration in human development from Ball State University. She is currently an associate instructor, supporting the student development and retention of Hudson & Holland Scholars. Some of Anderson’s research interest include traditionally underrepresented students’ retention, persistence, and success, mentoring experiences of Black women in higher education, and wellness experiences of Black women pursuing higher education at predominantly white institutions (PWIs).

Considering the Impact of COVID-19 on Teacher Education: What Really Matters

This article originally appeared in Diverse Issues in Higher Education and is reprinted with permission.

Marquita Grenot-ScheyerThe COVID-19 pandemic shed a harsh light on the systemic inequities in schools and communities. If we believe schools are the epicenter to dismantle racism and inequities, then we must examine our role as teacher educators to address these issues of inequality. How can we use this inflection point to positively and substantively change educator preparation?

Both at the system level and on individual campuses, colleges of education must ensure that programs prepare graduates to enter the teaching profession ready to advocate for and implement racial and social justice and advance the transformation of inequitable structures in schools. The pandemic has opened a window into the complexities of the teaching and learning process, which has resulted in greater collaboration among educators and families. As we move forward, we must ensure that candidates’ dispositions reflect and respect the importance of collaboration with students, families, and educational colleagues.