Member Institutions Invited to Exhibit at Holmes Career Fair in Indy

By Nicole Dunn

Is your institution looking to connect with or recruit diverse new faculty? Look no further than the Holmes Program, which supports students who self-identify as racially and ethnically diverse and are pursuing graduate degrees in education at AACTE member institutions. AACTE is inviting your institution to be an exhibitor — at no cost — at the Holmes Career Fair on Friday, February 24 at 3:45 – 5:15 p.m. at the Indianapolis JW Marriott Hotel during AACTE’s 75^th Annual Meeting.

Biden-Harris Administration Releases Regulatory Agenda with Renewed Focus on Higher Education

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.

Early Saturday, after a historic 5-day, 15 ballot fight- with major concessions made to the so called “never Kevin” holdouts, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) secured his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Many analysts and DC insiders believe that the political theatre surrounding the Speaker vote foreshadows just how difficult it could be to govern in an exceedingly narrow Republican majority. However, in speaking with reporters Speaker McCarthy downplayed concerns, saying: “This is the great part … Because it took this long, now we learned how to govern.” I suppose only time will tell if the Speaker’s projection reigns true.

FY2023 Spending Bill Passes with Increases to Critical Programs that Address the Educator Workforce

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.

Just before the holiday break, Members of Congress completed their final task as the 117^th Congress — passing the FY2023 omnibus spending package. The bill provides a $3.2 billion increase over the FY2022 level of funding provided to the Department of Education, with several significant increases in programmatic funding to address the educator workforce.

National Program Seeks to Advance Underrepresented Faculty through Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

By Amy Ginsberg and David Fuentes

Next month, members will gather for AACTE’s 75^th Annual meeting and immerse ourselves in several days of sessions within the theme of “Innovation through Inspiration: Remembering the Past to Revolutionize the Future.” As representatives of an institution of higher education that was founded in 1855 as the Paterson City Normal School in response to the growing demand for professional preparation of teachers-in-service in the emerging free public schools of Paterson, New Jersey, and one that is now a comprehensive university that proudly wears its designation of Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and is led by a president who is a first-generation college graduate and a member of LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education, we are excited to share an initiative that aligns with AACTE’s Annual Meeting theme.

In fall 2023, William Paterson University will welcome two pre-doctoral fellows into the College of Education, one in teacher education (preferably with a specialization in early childhood education or secondary education), and one in special education. Applications are now being accepted for this unique pre-doctoral fellowship program aimed at supporting career development of faculty from underrepresented backgrounds.

ASU Invites You to Virtual Next Education Workforce Summit 2023

By Deirdre Smith

We are excited to share information about Arizona State University’s upcoming Next Education Workforce Summit on Feb 8–9. There will be opportunities to engage with experts and speakers around diverse topics and see what this work looks like in the field from featured school partners. The conversation will be better with you in it. Learn more and register before the early bird rate expires on December 23.

This fifth annual event is hosted by ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and includes sessions from experts from K–12, research, policy, government, advocacy, nonprofit, edtech, and business.

Department of Education Dissolves National Parent and Family Engagement Council

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.

The final countdown is on for Congress to pass a FY2023 spending bill with the current Continuing Resolution (CR) expiring next Friday. There is considerable speculation on whether or not a bill will pass before January, but many on the Hill remain hopeful that we will see an omnibus package before Christmas. Stay tuned as next week is sure to be a busy week in Washington.

GACTE Works to Elevate the Teaching Profession throughout Georgia

By Joseph Peters and Cindi Chance

The Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE) has been looking at the teacher pipeline in our state and receiving input on ways to increase teacher recruitment and retention. Several state reports confirm the shortage in Georgia and GACTE’s goal was to get everyone on board to look for ways to help reduce shortages. GACTE convened an initial meeting where three main action items were identified including (1) Elevate Teacher Voice in the school and in policy and legislation; (2) Re-imagine induction and mentoring to increase the dignity and honor of the profession; and (3) Raise the profile of teachers in Georgia. A second meeting at Kennesaw State University, brought the collaborative together to turn general strategies from the first meeting into action items.

SUNY-ESF Graduates Launch Their Science Teaching Careers Together at the School of Education

By Martin Walls

This article was originally published by Syracuse University News. 

Syracuse University’s relationship with its close neighbor, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, has been a long and fruitful one. After all, SUNY-ESF was founded as a unit of SU in 1911, and today the two universities share resources, their professors collaborate, and students mingle across the two campuses, take classes together, join cross-campus organizations, and—sometimes—graduate from one college and into the other.

That last scenario is certainly the case for six SUNY-ESF graduates who, in summer 2022, enrolled in the School of Education’s (SOE) 13-month master’s degree program in science education (Grades 7-12).

AACTE and Education Community Urge Congress to Support EDUCATORS for America Act 

By Michael Rose

AACTE recently sent a letter to all members of Congress urging them to cosponsor the EDUCATORS for America Act (S 3360/HR 6205), which would invest in and revitalize federal educator preparation programs. These programs are critical to addressing the shortage of profession-ready, fully licensed teachers in our nation’s classrooms. The letter was cosigned by 41 other education groups. 

Real Classroom Experience and Real Pay

A Snapshot of a Teacher Preparation Program in America’s Most Diverse Small City

By Michelle Rosen and Mary McGriff

New Jersey City University, a minority serving institution, is home to the innovative “Teacher Intern Program” (TIP) — a preservice collaboration that supports the preparation, placement, and retention of diverse educators. TIP includes vital elements that address financial and pre-professional learning needs, graduating educators that often return to teach in their home communities. 

Indiana’s CREA State Team Examines Standard-Setting Process for Licensure Exams

By Alexander Cuenca

In 2021, Indiana joined the Consortium for Research Based and Equitable Assessments (CREA), an initiative by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education to examine state-level certification assessment scores and their impact on promoting a diverse educator workforce. Our state team consisted of faculty from Indiana University’s School of Education, representatives from the Indiana Department of Education, and school district administrators from Indiana’s public schools. Together, we looked at our state-level data on entrance and content area licensure exams and reached the same conclusion many have reached for decades in Indiana and across the United States: significant pass rate gaps between white and Black teacher candidates.

AACTE President Addresses the Educator Workforce Crisis at NGA Session

By Natalie Khairallah

As school districts prepare for the 2022-23 school year, policymakers are determined to prioritize comprehensive solutions to address staffing shortages, a long-standing issue exacerbated during the pandemic.

AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone recently shared insight on this topic at a virtual session hosted by the National Governor Association’s (NGA) Community Renewal Task Force. Led by Co-chair and Missouri Governor Mike Parson, the discussion also included Penny Schwinn, Tennessee commissioner of education, and Roberto Rodriquez, assistant secretary of planning, evaluation, and policy Development at the U.S. Department of Education.

NEA and PDK International Announce Expanded Partnership to Inspire the Next Generation of Highly Effective Educators

By NEA and PDK International

The National Education Association (NEA) and Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) announced today significant steps to strengthen their partnership to ensure every P-12 student in the Nation has access to a great teacher and opportunities for learning success. This partnership will continue to inspire middle and high school students who reflect the demographics of their communities to serve as the next generation of highly effective educators. Students will have opportunities to explore programs, curricula and additional resources to prepare them for a career in education through Educators Rising, an ongoing project of PDK developed with the support of NEA.

Shortage to Surplus: 5 Shifts to Address the National Educator Shortage

By Kelly Coash Johnson, Jacqueline Rodriguez and Jacqueline E. King, Ph.D.

AACTE participated in this past spring’s National Educator Shortage Summit, to promote conversations across traditional silos, hosted by the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA). The Summit convened PK-20 stakeholders to discuss educator workforce and pipeline shortages with a culminating report, Shortage to Surplus: 5 Shifts to Address the National Educator Shortage.

Governor Lamont and Education Commissioner Russel-Tucker Announce Investments to Support Aspiring Educators

$2 Million Will Be Dispersed to Educator Preparation Programs Over the Next Two Years

By David Bednarz and Eric Scoville

Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker today announced new investments to defray certification-related testing costs for aspiring educators in Connecticut.

A total of $2 million dollars of federal, state-level reserve American Rescue Plan Act, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP-ESSER) funding is being dedicated over a two-year period, which includes $750,000 in year one and $750,000 in year two. The remaining $500,000 is being set aside for educators of color and other educators who will be completing their student teaching in urban school districts.