Archive for August, 2021

CEEDAR Invites AACTE Members to New Affinity Group

PBLO-flyerThe Practice-Based Learning Opportunities Affinity Group will host its first meeting on September 29, 2021, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. This Affinity Group (AG) will explore practice-based learning opportunities (PLOs) as a model for supporting teacher educators’ use of high-leverage practices (HLPs) and evidence-based practices (EBPs). PLOs afford educators opportunities to apply content knowledge and pedagogy in coursework, professional development workshops, and authentic classroom situations. During interactive meetings, the AG will explore topics such as practice and the role it plays in teacher learning; practice-based learning opportunities, such as structured video analysis, simulated interactions, microteaching; strategies for connecting simulated practice opportunities with authentic practice opportunities; and strategies for developing prerequisite knowledge for candidates and teachers.

AACTE and GoReact Offer Free Workshop: How to Use ESSER Funds for Ed Prep

How to Use ESSER Funds for Ed PrepIn the past year, Congress set aside billions for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund.

To help educator preparation programs effectively allocate those funds, GoReact and AACTE put together a panel of national, state, and university teacher prep professionals. They’ll dig into one state—Tennessee—that has used ESSER funds to support a statewide Grow Your Own Program to address teacher shortages and diversify the profession.

In this free workshop, our panelists will

  • Analyze one particular state’s strategy for ESSER funds
  • Share how ALL teacher prep programs can effectively use emergency relief funds
  • Provide a resource AACTE has developed to support EPPs and Local Education Agencies to create a pathway into teaching
  • Answer participant questions

Deadline Extended: Apply for AACTE Dissertation Award

2022 AACTE AwardsHave you or do you know someone who recently completed a prize-worthy doctoral dissertation related to educator preparation? Help spread the word that AACTE has extended the deadline to Wednesday, September 15 to offer more time to submit an application for the AACTE Outstanding Dissertation Award.

This award recognizes excellence in research (or its equivalent) that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. The Outstanding Dissertation Award includes a $1,000 cash prize, as well as special recognition at AACTE’s 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, March 4-6, 2022.

Why Participate in AACTE’s Day on the Hill?

AACTE’s annual Day on the Hill, the association’s premiere advocacy event, is scheduled for September 21-23. It is a unique opportunity to engage with your Members of Congress about the critical work you do. But some may wonder, “What do I get out of participating?”

First and foremost, you can explain to policymakers the importance of the teaching profession and why it is important to invest in teacher preparation programs to help address the teacher shortage and diversify the profession. Even before the pandemic, the teacher shortage was a critical issue for our nation.  Studies and news reports indicate that COVID will make the problem more acute. Fortunately, President Biden has proposed historic funding increases for programs AACTE has long supported, like the Teacher Quality Partnerships, and doubling of the TEACH Grants, which are critical to training student to teach in high needs schools or fields. Your voice is critical to helping this legislation pass.

Let’s Work Together to Solve a Growing Demand for Skilled Teachers

A first-grade teacher at Capital City Public Charter School leads a lesson about bee colonies with her students.This article originally appeared in The Hechinger Report.

Long before the pandemic, school districts across the nation struggled to staff classrooms with skilled teachers. The crisis did not create the teacher shortage, but it accelerated teacher retirements and other departures while contributing to declining enrollments in educator preparation programs.

Our nation’s education system spans national, state, district, classroom and community levels. Many rightly wonder if this ecosystem’s demand for qualified teachers can be met in the post-pandemic era.

To do so, we need deeper—and more active—collaborations to address the multiple layers of challenges inside the teaching profession so that we can effectively recruit, train and retain more teachers.

Welcome to the New ‘Single Sign On’ System: Improving the AACTE Member Experience

New Member Portal screenshot

Have you accessed Connect360, the JTE webpage, or the AACTE Resource Library lately?  If so, you have probably noticed a few changes, including a single sign on system. 

AACTE has completed its database migration and with that you will find

  • A Seamless way to transition between your AACTE profile and Connect360
  • An Improved AACTE Resource Library
  • An Uninterrupted link to access the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE)

Time is Running Out to Register for AACTE Holmes Policy Events

There is only one week left to register for the 2021 Holmes Policy Institute, September 8-9, and the 2021 Holmes Program Advanced Policy Short Course, September 14-15! Register by 12:00 midnight EST on Friday, September 3, to experience AACTE’s policy and advocacy events curated specifically for the Holmes community.
 
Hear from outstanding speakers regarding advancing educational equity and policy and promoting culturally sustaining practices in education:

Call for Book Chapters on the Educator Continuum

We are currently seeking contributing authors for a book with IGI Global, for release in 2022, titled The Educator Continuum and Development for Teachers. This peer-reviewed, edited book is designed to expand upon the body of research related to the educator continuum with a holistic view of teacher development. The theoretical paradigm of the book posits that educators grow in stages and thrive when provided with support at early stages of recruitment into the profession to innovation in teacher education through continued growth in teacher leadership and demonstration of extraordinary leadership as influencers of the profession. This book combines theory, concepts, and research studies that pinpoint facets of the educator continuum, providing researchers with scholarly contributions that advance the profession. 

Education researchers and practitioners are invited to submit a 1,000 to 2,000 word chapter proposal by September 29, 2021. 

New Leadership Team Elected for Maryland Association of Colleges of Teacher Education

Maryland Association of Colleges of Teacher Education leadership team

Please welcome our new Board of Directors for 2021 – 22. The Maryland Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE) serves as the state-level affiliate for the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) and represent the institutions of higher education that prepare educators within Maryland. Chapters provide a vehicle for teacher educators to take a unified position on state-specific issues and to meet as partners or as responsible adversaries with the state departments, teachers’ organizations, and other stakeholder groups.

AACTE Board Chair Introduces Connect360

Robert E. Floden

As chair of the AACTE Board of Directors, I am delighted to introduce AACTE’s newest platform to explore and discuss the latest in educator preparation, Connect360. This resource enables you to network with colleagues, discuss topics of interest, and broaden your community. You can access the online community, along with AACTE’s other member resources, through a single sign-on.

Congressman Mondaire Jones Will Speak to Holmes Scholars at AACTE’s Washington Week

Mondaire JonesAACTE is excited to announce Congressman Mondaire Jones will participate in its 2021 Washington Week virtual conference Holmes Program. Representative Jones serves on the House Committee on Education and Labor. He is a champion of public education and understands that a quality education leads to intergenerational mobility.  

About Rep. Mondaire Jones

Congressman Jones is serving his first term as the Congressman from New York’s 17th District, encompassing all of Rockland County and parts of central and northern Westchester County.

A product of East Ramapo public schools, Rep. Jones was raised in Section 8 housing and on food stamps in the Village of Spring Valley by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to provide for their family.

Texas Woman’s Joins Program to Increase Diversity in Education

The Texas Woman’s University College of Professional Education (COPE) has been selected to participate in the Holmes Program sponsored by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), which supports racially and ethnically diverse students pursuing graduate degrees in education.

TWU is the only woman-centric university participating in the program to date. Founded in 1991 for doctoral students, the AACTE Holmes Program provides students mentorship, peer support, and professional development opportunities.

“The college is proud to be part of the prestigious Holmes Scholars program,” COPE Dean Lisa Huffman said. “Our participation — with our program’s unique focus on underrepresented women — will allow us to provide support to doctoral students that ensures their success and builds the next generation of diverse leaders in education.”

Adding your Voice to the Conversation

2021 Washington Week - Day on the Hill

The nation’s newspapers, websites, and blogs are filled with discussions about what policies Congress should address next. Currently, it seems like all eyes are on Afghanistan; yesterday was all about investing in the nation’s infrastructure; tomorrow the discussion may be on President Biden’s American Families Plan. The president’s proposal calls for historic investments in our nation’s youth, families, and economic future, including a call to invest $9 billion in teacher preparation programs. But it is unclear whether Congress will support the proposal, let alone the $9 billion in long-overdue investments in teacher preparation.

Frank Conic Named August Holmes Scholar of the Month

Frank ConicCongratulations to Frank Conic, Holmes Scholar of the Month for August 2021. Conic successfully defended his dissertation titled, “Analysis of the Impact of SB 1720 on Gateway Math Courses” this summer. 

Currently, Conic serves as an assistant program director for the Community College Futures Assembly, a University of Florida Institute of Higher Education independent policy forum, where he works to prepare students for the many facets of post-secondary education.

Conic has been a Holmes Program participant since 2011 and continues to exhibit the values of excellence and leadership through his service as a student mentor and instructor. He is a mathematics instructor at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, and plans to continue in the professoriate at the community college level to support students who are often first-generation, low income, and minority students. 

To nominate a Holmes Scholar for the Scholar of the Month award, please use this online form

Jack Be Nimble: Series 1 Final Podcast Episode Discusses Authentic Field Experience

Revolutionizing Education

Series one, episode six of the AACTE Podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available.

The latest and final episode of series one features a discussion surrounding the critical question: How do we design authentic field experiences that equip students with evidence-based skills to support a sustainable career? Tara Mathien from the University of Florida shares how the adaptations that her educator preparation program made throughout this past year has led to lasting change that will continue to be implemented in the future.

Listen now to Episode 6: Jack Be Nimble

Revolutionizing Education Podcast -  AACTE Podcast AACTE is excited to announce its first ever podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available. The new podcast examines ways to innovate educator preparation and education for all learners. The first podcast series highlights case stories shared by AACTE members during the 2021 Annual Meeting. New episodes from the first series will be released throughout the summer. In fall 2021, the AACTE podcast will feature live interviews with members, national education leaders, students, and other influencers in the education industry.  AACTE has partnered with Resonate Recordings for high-quality podcast production that will expand the reach of members’ work in educator preparation throughout the world. AACTE’s podcast episodes are available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify. On these platforms, you can search for and access the podcast, learn about it, listen to the episodes as well as leave ratings and reviews.  Follow the AACTE Podcast on Twitter at #AACTEPodcast and #RevolutionizingEd. Be sure to tune in and spread the word!              Revolutionizing Education    Episode 1: Joy in Teacher Education In this episode, we’ll hear from AACTE members Kyle Harrison, Kelly Hayek, and Irene Ann Resenly from the University of Wisconsin on the role of joy in teacher education. They share the process of noticing, understanding, and replicating joy as critical work in teacher education, using autoethnography as a methodological tool. Through sharing their findings, we hope listeners will leave with a renewed capacity for noticing moments of joy and a protocol that will provide a baseline for naming, claiming, and considering how to leverage joy in teaching.     Episode 2: From Takeover to Take Back In this episode, Eva Zygmunt from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana details the creative efforts of a mid-sized midwestern community collaborative to reclaim its school district from a state-takeover, resulting in the legislated granting of authority over the local district to the state university. Eva shares how community voice has been privileged in school reform through a concerted advocacy effort on the part of faculty and community activists. This is an inspiring story that showcases how community and educational partnerships can make a huge impact in a community’s educational system.     Episode 3: The RockTEACH Program In this episode, we will learn about the efforts of Slippery Rock University of PA to diversify the teacher workforce by recruiting underrepresented minority high school students to the field of teaching, providing financial assistance and mentoring support through the RockTEACH Program. AACTE members Monique Alexander, Jeremy Lynch, Christine Walsh, and Linda Zane from Slippery Rock of PA share the story, the situation, and the results of the program. Through these insights, listeners will gain insight into a burgeoning and multifaceted program to support a diverse teacher pipeline and develop an understanding of the critical elements and challenges of our story.     Episode 4: Learning Together The latest episode features the story of an educator preparation program facing multiple challenges in its work to prepare teacher candidates for the classroom. Additionally, covering how their local school district faces its own pressures impacted by teacher shortages, poor teacher performance, high burnout, and issues with retention. In the fourth episode of the Revolutionizing Education Podcast, Jeff Bill and Ashley Smith from Pitt County Schools and Christina Tschida from Appalachian State University share three case stories featuring the use of co-teaching and demonstrating a partnership between university and schools that builds capacity, efficacy, and resilience in teachers at various levels of preparation.     Episode 5: Transforming Teacher Preparation One of the largest Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the nation, UTRGV, has embarked on a transformation of its teacher preparation program centered on the college mission, vision, and three priorities: quality, culture of inquiry, and positionality. In this episode, Sandra Musanti and Alma Rodriguez from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley share what they’ve identified to be the three areas of emphasis to guide the transformation work: a practice-based teacher education model, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, and technology for the 21st century.     Episode 6: Jack Be Nimble