Coalition Objects to Final Teacher Prep Regulations

On October 20, a coalition of higher education, PK-12, and state-level organizations released a statement citing concerns about the final teacher preparation program regulations released last week by the U.S. Department of Education. AACTE is one of nearly 30 organizations signing on to the statement.

Among these organizations’ concerns about the new rule are that it will decrease the likelihood of every student having access to a fully prepared teacher, disadvantage programs serving the communities that most need well-prepared teachers, and impede progress toward increasing the diversity of the teaching profession.

The regulations require that each of the 26,000 teacher preparation programs nationwide be rated annually – a demanding and costly enterprise – and that the rating be used to determine access to federal student financial aid (specifically TEACH grants) – an unprecedented move in higher education policy.

Read the full statement here.

The list of cosigners is as follows:

  • AASA, The School Superintendents Association
  • American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
  • American Association of State Colleges and Universities
  • American Council on Education
  • American Federation of Teachers
  • American Indian Higher Education Consortium
  • ASBO International
  • Association of Education Service Agencies
  • Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
  • Association of Teacher Educators
  • Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations
  • Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
  • Higher Education Consortium for Special Education
  • Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
  • Learning Disabilities Association of America
  • National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education
  • National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
  • National Association of School Psychologists
  • National Association of Secondary School Principals
  • National Association of State Directors of Special Education
  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  • National Conference of State Legislatures
  • National Education Association
  • National Governors Association
  • Public Advocacy for Kids
  • Rural School and Community Trust
  • STEM Education Coalition
  • Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
  • UNCF

For more information about the regulations, AACTE’s and other organizations’ responses, media coverage, and more, visit our resource page at http://aacte.org/resources/regulations.


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Deborah Koolbeck

Senior Director of Government Relations, AACTE