29 Mar2019
By Reena Patel-Viswanath
The 71st AACTE Annual Meeting was held in Louisville Kentucky from February 22-24, 2019. The AACTE theme this year was “Sustaining and Advancing the Profession.” The attendance was impressive, surpassing the number of attendees from previous years. The meeting allowed the members and alumni of the AACTE Holmes Program to escape daily routines, work distractions, and be fully present during a vibrant and innovative experience. This special environment fostered rich dialogue, sharing of research ideas, and collaboration on finding solutions to complex problems.
Interactive Sessions, Dynamic Conversations, Innovative Solutions, and Tangible Outcomes
The AACTE Holmes preconference agenda centered around growth—both professionally and personally. While lecture-style sessions are beneficial, this year the strategic planning team implemented more interactive sessions. For example, during the Career Choice Pathway sessions, the audience was intentionally involved and invited to participate in dialogue. This year also consisted of tangible outcomes such as productive writing skills. A session was dedicated for focus based-research writing, which allowed for experimentation of a new writing tool to aid in efficient writing. Students were able to share and connect over similar writing experiences and provide guidance on how to stay motivated. Lastly, this year we were honored to have alumni host sessions, provide their mentorship, and invite collaboration on projects.
29 Mar2019
By Chandra Floyd
Spencer Niles, dean of the School of Education, College of William & Mary poses with Holmes Scholars (L-R) Okenna Egwu, Leila Warraich, Jessica Scott, Denise Lewis, Chandra Floyd, Jingjing Liu, Shuhui Fan
Twelve College of William & Mary (W&M) Holmes Scholars attended the Holmes Scholars Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY in February as part of the 71st American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting. The AACTE Holmes Program encourages diversity in education by providing mentorship opportunities to students from high school through doctoral programs who are interested in careers in education. William & Mary’s 14 current Holmes Scholars are high-achieving doctoral students from populations underrepresented in higher education.
26 Mar2019
By Katrina Norfleet
Opening keynote speakers Marilyn Cochran-Smith of Boston College and Marvin Lynn of Portland State University, explored the challenges with accountability in teacher education in a provocative discussion on Friday, February 22.
Cochran-Smith is the Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. A teacher educator for more than 40 years, she stressed that teacher educators are passionate about accountability for the learning and development of the teacher candidates they work with, as well as the students, families, and communities the future teachers will serve.
“I have never met a teacher educator who didn’t feel accountable and who didn’t want to be accountable for his/her work,” said Cochran-Smith. “The trouble with teacher education accountability is not with accountability itself; it’s what teacher education has been held accountable for.”
24 Mar2019
By Matthew Wales
Now through May 29, AACTE is accepting session proposals for the 72nd Annual Meeting, to be held in Atlanta, GA, February 28 – March 1, 2020. We also invite applications by May 15 for AACTE member faculty to review proposals.
The conference theme is “Disrupting Inequities: Educating for Change,” conceptualized as follows in the call for proposals:
Over the last year, we have witnessed a rapidly changing society. These changes are driven by policy and policymakers with limited knowledge of best practices for working with dynamic and diverse school communities. In turn, this politically-motivated process has produced a grand narrative, while claiming to be colorblind and neutral, that tends to represent a small, privileged portion of the U.S. population.
21 Mar2019
By Ward Cummings
During the AACTE 2019 Annual Meeting, panelists for the Deeper Dive session, “Innovations to Address Today’s Workforce Needs” examined inclusive education preparation and strategies to address the national teacher shortage. The session highlighted AACTE’s partnership with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center at the University of Florida and its federal supporters.
AACTE Consultant Jane West, who leads the Association’s work with CEEDAR, moderated a discussion with panelists Mary Murphy and Mark Seals (Bowling Green State University) and Marvin Lynn (Portland State University) on best practices at Bowling Green’s undergraduate teaching program and Portland State’s master’s program.
21 Mar2019
By Ward Cummings
Teacher shortages vary across the country by subject area, but the shortage is worst in high-minority, low-income schools, in lower wage states, and in districts with poorer working conditions. This topic was explored during a “Deeper Dive” session at the AACTE 2019 Annual Meeting titled “Successful Strategies for the Teacher Shortage.”
Jessica Cardichon of the Learning Policy Institute led the panel discussion, which included Patricia Alvarez McHatton (University of Texas), Selma Powell, (University of Washington), and Mario Santos (Newark Public Schools). Each participant shared their strategies for addressing the teacher shortage in three critical areas: recruitment, completion, and retention.
08 Mar2019
By Tracy Spesia
AACTE is pleased to share excerpts from a testimonial by one of the 2019 Annual Meeting attendees, Tracy Spesia of the University of Saint Francis in Joliet, IL. In a letter to AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Spesia shared how the AACTE Annual Meeting has consistently influenced and brought value to her work as the edTPA coordinator at her institution:
“It was a professional and personal pleasure to attend the 71st AACTE Annual Meeting in Louisville. This annual conference’s tremendous impact on me, and the ripple impact it has had on my college and community, is clear. I actually have the documentation to prove it!
In 2010, I accepted the full-time position of Field Experience Coordinator (and Partnership Liaison) at the University of St. Francis. In 2012, my dean asked me to assume the edTPA coordinator position. The toolbox needed some new tools. By a stroke of luck, the AACTE annual conference was in nearby Chicago in spring 2013, and the dean suggested I attend to learn more about edTPA. I had never heard of AACTE. I had no idea what edTPA was about. I had never really attended a professional conference. This opportunity marks such a turning point in my career.
25 Feb2019
By Jerrica Thurman
Over the last three days, AACTE held its 71st Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY. Themed “Sustaining and Advancing the Profession,” the conference convened practitioners and partners from across the nation to present research and highlight practices that address opportunities and challenges in educator preparation, including preparing classroom-ready educators, increasing teacher and college faculty diversity, and framing the role of education in ensuring an engaged citizenry in a liberal democracy.
“Cataclysmic changes in our schools, and indeed our country, are forcing us all to reassess, recalibrate, and dare I say, reimagine and invent in the ways that teaching has always been a reflective practice,” said AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone during her welcome address. “Together we can turn obstacles into opportunities.”
13 Feb2019
By Jerrica Thurman
Are you within driving distance to Louisville, KY? Then join AACTE for the 2019 Annual Meeting, February 22-24!
AACTE’s Annual Meeting is your chance to experience the most informative, innovative, and collaborative conference for the educator preparation profession. Connect with approximately 2,000 educators and colleagues from across the country to discuss common challenges and explore new practices and strategies.
You won’t want to miss the full lineup of conference activities – from the preconference programming to a variety of Annual Meeting offerings, including learning labs, general and deeper dive sessions, the Conference Community Center, and the AACTE Gallery.
13 Feb2019
By Ward Cummings
In our ongoing quest to provide the most timely and useful informational resources to our members, AACTE has added two important new features to the State Policy Tracker page of the website. The State Legislatures Session Chart and StateNet Capitol Journal will help you stay informed about the latest developments in your state and around the country regarding education and education policy.
The Session Chart is an easy to read graphic guide to the legislative calendars of every state. The start and end dates of each legislature, the length of session and the amount of legislative activity in each state will help you maximize the timeliness and effectiveness of your political engagement.
The StateNet Capitol Journal is a 50-state roundup of a wide range of policy matters designed for every type of user. Whether you are interested in a bird’s eye view of education or other policy matter or a deep dive, the Capitol Journal can help you stay up-to-date on the latest state and national legislative and regulatory news.
12 Feb2019
By Terrance McNeil
The AACTE HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Teacher Education topical action group (TAG) will convene a business meeting on February 21 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. a day before the 2019 Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY. The convening, which will take place in the Louisville Marriott Downtown Hotel, will also include a special award ceremony to honor an exceptional educator who has advanced HBCU issues in teacher education.
The purpose of the TAG is to promote dialogue, collaboration, research, and the advancement of the HBCU voice in the teacher education discussion. Since its inception in 2016, more than 20 teacher educators have joined the TAG. This special group will develop plans and a research agenda during the HBCU TAG business meeting in Louisville.
As the administrator of the HBCU Teacher Education TAG, I envision a robust discussion at this year’s annual meeting as we work to build a presence within the AACTE community. HBCUs are responsible for the production of half of the nation’s African American teachers, and I believe that a forum to promote the unique perspective of those who teach or were trained in these institutions is extremely valuable.
12 Feb2019
By Linda Minor
The AACTE Gallery will be offered again this year at the 2019 Annual Meeting in Louisville. It will feature mini presentations and a dedicated coffee and conversation space where Annual Meeting participants can chat with representatives from AACTE member and partner initiatives, as well as AACTE staff, to learn more about programs and opportunities of interest. The AACTE membership booth will also be located nearby, and staff will be on hand to share information and answer questions.
Come learn more about what’s been happening at AACTE this year! You can receive the latest updates on the AACTE Strategic Planning initiative, gain access to AACTE’s new research publication, Education Students and Diversity: A Review of New Evidence, and connect with AACTE members and partners for information about their innovative projects. For all of this and more, be sure to add the AACTE Gallery time blocks to your personalized 2019 Annual Meeting Online Event Planner schedule. The Gallery will offer opportunities to network while learning about promising innovations in educator preparation.
06 Feb2019
By Conra D. Gist
On February 21, the Third Annual Diversified Teaching Workforce Institute (DTW) will convene teacher educators, aspiring teachers, school leaders and deans from across the nation to address one of the most pressing teacher education issues—diversifying the teacher workforce. Over 200 people, including the AACTE Holmes and Networked Improvement Community Members, have joined DTW Topical Action Group (TAG) members in Tampa, FL and Baltimore, MD at the first two Institutes. The Third Annual DTW Institute, part of the 2019 AACTE Annual Meeting Preconference, is organized by leaders of the DTW TAG, with the support of AACTE’s Member Engagement and Support team.
The Institute will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The morning activities will begin with opening comments by Marvin Lynn, College of Education Dean at Portland State University and be followed by an opening plenary, “Examining Teacher Diversity Across U.S. Policy Contexts,” to explore current teacher diversity initiatives and policies taking place in various states committed to addressing the recruitment and retention of teachers of color in the profession. Following the opening panel, the morning will offer four concurrent breakouts sessions by teacher diversity experts in growing your own initiatives, culturally responsive pedagogy, and program development focused on strategies and approaches that they are utilizing at their home institutions.
05 Feb2019
By Katrina Norfleet
AACTE is delighted to announce Butler University College of Education as the recipient of the 2019 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives for its Global Network for Teacher Preparation program. Kelli Esteves, Butler College of Education (COE) associate professor and global coordinator, will be presented with the award at the AACTE 71st Annual Meeting, February 22-24, in Louisville, KY.
Butler’s Global Network for Teacher Preparation is a comprehensive program designed to bring international and multicultural perspectives into their teaching through experiential learning in other countries. Made up of local and global partners, the network has sent faculty and students around the world and has hosted educators on Butler’s campus and in its lab schools from Sweden, Colombia, Italy, Australia, and China to ensure its teacher candidates are exposed to international perspectives and curriculum. The network’s local partners include the College of Education’s two Reggio-inspired Lab Schools, Shortridge International Baccalaureate World School (lab high school) and Butler’s Center for Global Education. Global partners are the Institutes of Higher Education student exchange partners, including Uppsala University, Sweden, University of Tasmania, and the Education University of Hong Kong; and School partner for student and educator exchange—Vallentuna Gymnasium in Sweden.
05 Feb2019
By Katrina Norfleet
AACTE’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability has selected Jane S. Bray as the recipient of the 2019 AACTE Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education. Bray, dean of the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, will be presented with the award at the AACTE 71st Annual Meeting, February 22-24, in Louisville, KY.
The Pomeroy Award, named for longtime AACTE Executive Director Edward C. Pomeroy, recognizes distinguished service either to the educator preparation community or to the development and promotion of outstanding practices in educator preparation at the collegiate, state, or national level.
Bray joined the AACTE Board of Directors in 2013 as a representative of the Advisory Council for State Representatives (ACSR), a coalition of leaders from AACTE’s state chapters. During her tenure on the AACTE Board, she was elected to serve as a member of the AACTE Executive Committee. She became chair of the AACTE Board in March 2016 and led the national search for the next president and chief executive officer of AACTE. Bray chaired the national search committee while completing her normal responsibilities as board chair. This daunting task included leading interactions with the search committee and the AACTE Board of Directors, and managing the intricacies of a national search that included a wide range of individuals and constituents. Bray is being honored for her exceptional contributions to AACTE at a time of great significance and importance to the Association.
