17 Jan2017
By Rodrick Lucero
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement is offering free mentoring services for educator preparation programs to help design, implement, and improve teacher and principal development initiatives. State education agencies, school districts, and other organizations that are actively working to improve teacher and principal preparation or development are also encouraged to participate.
The services will be provided by nonprofit organizations that have received federal Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grants and that are experienced in implementing educator preparation and professional development initiatives.
17 Jan2017
By Deborah Koolbeck
As the new Congress and the new administration get under way, I want to remind AACTE members of an exclusive and free resource: AACTE’s monthly Federal Update webinars. We offer the same webinar twice each month, at different times and days to accommodate more members’ schedules and time zones. The presentations are recorded and posted online so that even if you miss them, you can catch up as your schedule permits.
17 Jan2017
By Mark LaCelle-Peterson
The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification held its annual Ted Andrews Winter Symposium January 4-6 in San Diego, California, convening educators from varied settings around the topic “Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Innovation Through Collaboration.”
The theme of partnership-driven innovation was reinforced through a number of sessions in which AACTE members presented along with colleagues from the PK-12 sector and from state education authorities. I was pleased to address the group on the topic of teacher recruitment policy and practice from providers’ perspective. Other notable sessions on the program included these:
17 Jan2017
By Jerrica Thurman
AACTE collaborated with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology last month to host a 2-day summit focused on advancing educational technology in teacher preparation. Participants were chosen based on their pledged commitment to the “Educational Technology in Teacher Preparation Challenge” announced last fall.
AACTE President and CEO Sharon Robinson welcomes attendees to the Advancing Educational Technology in Teacher Preparation Summit.
More than 30 AACTE members and partners attended the first day of meetings in the AACTE building, with workshops highlighting how to develop a culture for active use of technology in teacher preparation programs; promote standards, competencies, and credentials for higher education faculty and preservice teachers in educational technology; and build a sustainable system of professional learning.
On the second day, participants visited the White House for the Advancing Educational Technology in Teacher Preparation Innovation Summit. The event highlighted the forward-thinking work of providers advancing the four principles of educational technology in teacher preparation as outlined in the 2016 National Educational Technology Plan:
17 Jan2017
By Deborah Koolbeck
If you have not registered for the AACTE Action Alerts, you’re missing out on chances to advocate on behalf of the profession!
You don’t need to be an AACTE member to engage through this system; you just need to create a profile in our database (which is free and easy to do), if you don’t have one already.
13 Jan2017
By Aaron Goldstein
Ed Prep Matters is pleased to bring you this special feature on state policy and AACTE state chapter activity. For prior monthly recap articles, browse the “State Directions” section of the blog.
2016 began with some clear themes for state education policy showcased in governors’ State of the State Addresses. According to a report from the Education Commission of the States (ECS), the following issues topped the governors’ lists:
13 Jan2017
By Linda McKee
In just a couple of weeks, I’ll be leading AACTE’s first online course with FutureLearn, “Designing Assessments to Measure Student Outcomes.” I am thrilled to be bringing AACTE’s online professional seminars to this robust global platform with enhanced content and an innovative social-learning model. Won’t you join me for this enriching experience?
The assessment course opens January 30 and runs for 3 weeks, requiring about 3 hours per week of your time. Each week, we’ll explore a different aspect of assessment, starting with an overview of foundational issues such as validity and reliability before moving on to designing and using rubrics and surveys.
11 Jan2017
By Jerrica Thurman
Wondering what’s happening at AACTE this year? Come visit our all-new AACTE Gallery at the 2017 Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, to interact with the latest offerings from the Innovation Exchange and the Quality Support Center. You’ll have an opportunity to peruse the featured showcases, network with members and partners engaged with AACTE’s initiatives, and maybe even win a prize!
The Gallery will be located in Room 21, directly across from the Conference Community Center, in the Tampa Convention Center. It will be available during four time blocks:
10 Jan2017
By John F. Snyder
AACTE is partnering with the American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) to increase input from educator preparation providers in the organization’s annual teacher supply and demand survey. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
The annual American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) Educator Supply and Demand Report needs your input! If you have not already done so, please complete this year’s survey by January 27.
10 Jan2017
By Jerrica Thurman
Registration is now open for the preconference events at the AACTE Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida. All three will be held Wednesday, March 1. Sign up now to secure your spot – space is limited! – at one of the following:
10 Jan2017
By Zachary VanHouten
On January 9, the Council of Chief State School Officers announced the four finalists for the 2017 National Teacher of the Year award. AACTE is proud to announce that each of the four finalists received preparation from a member institution. These year’s finalists teach in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin.
10 Jan2017
By Jerrica Thurman
How do you do continuous improvement? Are you looking to make better use of data to move your program forward? Is your institution working toward accreditation or other quality assurance targets?
AACTE’s new Quality Support Workshops provide a forum for educators to address these questions and develop viable solutions with guidance from expert facilitators. These regional events were developed in response to the needs of the field and offer opportunities to share resources and build actionable strategies for program assessment, accreditation, and continuous improvement goals.
This year, AACTE will bring these workshops to three regions: Fort Worth, Texas, April 24-26; Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 10-12; and Seattle, Washington, November 9-11.
05 Jan2017
By Rodrick Lucero
It is my pleasure to introduce the George Mason University (VA) College of Education and Human Development as the next featured institution in the AACTE Research-to-Practice Spotlight series. Continuing our focus on exemplary models of clinical practice, this series highlights the long-standing professional development school (PDS) partnership cultivated by George Mason and schools in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mason is the state’s largest producer of PK-12 teachers and largest comprehensive research university.
03 Jan2017
By Meghan Everette
The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
It has taken approximately $500 and 7 months to convince my new home state that I’m a worthy teacher candidate – even though I have two master’s degrees and 11 years of classroom experience, am a National Teacher Fellow, and was a state elementary teacher of the year. It will take an additional 3 years and 36 credit hours of graduate work, at my expense, to retain my position in my new state. It’s a good thing that I’m committed to a career in education, because the process of moving states presents repeated opportunities to step away from the field.
