Deeper Dive Panelists Discuss MSIs as Drivers of Educational Equity at #AACTE22

By Thelma Quardey Missedja

The “Minority Serving Institutions as Drivers of Educational Equity” Deeper Dive session at this year’s Annual Meeting provided insight on the essential role minority serving institutions (MSIs) play in providing postsecondary access to students of color, preparing diverse educators for the workforce, and increasing the economic mobility of low-income, first-generation college students. The session focused on unique programs, supports, and partnerships that these institutions offer to attract and prepare diverse teachers. The panel for the session included deans from four MSI schools or colleges of Education: J. Fidel Turner (Clark Atlanta University), Chinaka DomNwachukwu (California State University-San Bernardino), Stephen Silverman (Florida Atlantic University), and Denelle Wallace Alexander (Norfolk State University).

New Leadership Academy Format, New Opportunities for All Leaders

By Matthew Wales

What’s new at AACTE’s 2022 Leadership Academy? In response to requests for tailored programming, AACTE will offer its high-quality leadership training in two distinct program sessions—one for new chairs and academic leaders, the other for new and seasoned deans.

With a focus on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both sessions explore critical components of academic leadership. Attendees will understand the complex roles and functions of their positions while building key leadership skills and forging networks with other professionals in similar leadership roles.

Department of Education to Host Webinar on Strengthening Partnerships to Increase Teacher Candidates

By Jacqueline Rodriguez

The U.S. Department of Education invites you to join the Strengthening Partnerships Between States, School Districts, and Higher Education to Increase the Number of Teacher Candidates Prepared to Enter the Classroom and Provide Immediate Support to Schools Webinar. The webinar will be held Thursday, April 7 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT

As states, districts, and schools are working hard to address the impact of COVID-19 on students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs, many of them are facing significant challenges in attracting and retaining teachers. Preexisting teacher shortages in critical areas such as special education; bilingual education; science, technology, engineering, and math; career and technical education; and early childhood education have only been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — directly impeding student access to educational opportunity. Research shows that shortages disproportionately impact students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and, often, rural communities.

During this roundtable we will

• Discuss the U.S. Department of Education’s call to action for states, institutions of higher education, and school districts to commit to using American Rescue Plan and other federal relief funds to help address teacher shortages.
• Share how federal relief funds and opportunities through the U.S. Department of Labor can and are being used to address teacher shortages and provide support to schools by establishing or scaling up teaching residency and apprenticeship programs.
• Hear from states increasing their investments in a diverse educator pipeline and from educator preparation programs at institutions of higher education that a re partnering with districts to scale up their programs and leveraging their residency and apprenticeship programs to provide immediate support to schools.

AACTE Participation

AACTE’s vice president for research, policy, and advocacy, Jacqueline Rodriguez, will present a national perspective on the ongoing educator shortages and promising practices to address them. Two of AACTE’s member institutions, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and University of Northern Colorado (UNCO), will present their work during the roundtable. Andrew Daire, dean of College of Education at VCU, and Corey Pierce, professor at UNCO, will discuss how they are increasing recruitment of diverse learners to their education programs.

If you are interested in joining this roundtable, register and please submit any questions you would like to have answered during the conversation. After you register, you will receive a Zoom link to join the meeting on Thursday, April 7 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT.

White House Unveils FY2023 Budget Proposal

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 Biden-Harris Administration FY2023 Budget Proposal is here and again provides substantial increases for education funding. Your voices are being heard.

 Biden-Harris Administration Unveils FY2023 Budget Proposal

On Monday the White House unveiled the complete version of the Biden-Harris Administration’s full budget proposal for FY2023. The proposal comes just weeks after the President signed into law the $1.5 trillion FY2022 omnibus spending bill, avoiding a full year continuing resolution at the FY2021 levels.

The budget proposal calls for $88.3 billion in discretionary funding to the Department of Education- a $12.9 billion or 17% increase over the 2022 net enacted level.

Profoundly Antiracist Questions About Schools

By David Fuentes

This article was originally published in Teachers College Record and is reprinted with permission.

There are deeply ingrained structural inequalities in schools that require immediate action. As antiracist educators, we must ask questions about school equity to disrupt the inequality of school outcomes we continue to see today. Who teaches the students? Who gets new schools? Who graduates from high school, and who goes to college? Who gets labeled and sorted? What can (antiracist) educators do? These questions are profoundly antiracist because they are overwhelmingly multicultural. By asking profoundly antiracist questions about schools today, I highlight areas and issues of schooling that require immediate action, antiracist efforts, to address the inequalities that exist as evidenced by educational statistics. Based on the analysis of school outcomes presented in this research note, it becomes clear that Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students continue to experience disparate school outcomes in America. Such inequalities reveal that BIPOC children are taught by underpaid teachers, learn in schools that are falling apart, are labeled and sorted at disproportionate rates, and endure a curriculum about other people, and generally are being underserved in schools, as evidenced by the school outcomes. Educators must take immediate antiracist actions to ensure that school equity does not continue to be defined by racial inequality.

AACTE and UFLI Invite Participation in Science of Reading Focus Group

By Weade James

AACTE in partnership with the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) invites faculty and in-service teachers to share their experiences relating to literacy development and effective reading instruction. In 2019, 35% of grade 4 and 34% of grade 8 students scored at or above proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a decline since 2017.  The longstanding reading achievement gap has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a growing number of states sounding the alarm on solutions to increase literacy development and reading proficiency in students.

Join AACTE’s Leadership

By Janae Blanscet

As AACTE works to revolutionize education and combat divisive issues arising throughout the country, educator preparation is essential to our efforts. Now more than ever, your association needs committed, talented, and thoughtful leaders.

Are you ready to assume a leadership role in the national educator preparation community, or do you know someone who is? Nominate yourself or a colleague by April 30 to serve on the AACTE Board of Directors or a programmatic advisory committee.

New Report Highlights Civic Learning Opportunities and Outcomes

By Laura S. Hamilton and Ace Parsi

“Educators are actually our nation’s first responders for democracy,” said Jacqueline Rodriguez, AACTE vice president, policy, advocacy, and research, at the Educating for American Democracy and ETS Symposium.

Our democracy is facing deep challenges that demand an educational response. The Educating for American Democracy (EAD) Roadmap responds to this challenge, not through answers, but rich questions that animate the underlying themes and tensions of our democracy, ensuring students develop key civic capacities while engaging in civil discourse and civic friendship. The EAD Roadmap was the product of collaboration among more than 300 academics, historians, political scientists, K–12 educators, district and state administrators, civics providers, students and others representing viewpoint, professional and demographic diversity. Now in its implementation phase, the EAD initiative represents a call to action for investments in strengthening history and civic learning, and to ensure that civic learning opportunities are delivered equitably throughout the country.

You’re Invited: Complete a Needs Assessment on Technology in Educator Prep

By Ling Zhang

The Center of Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL) is seeking voices and inputs about innovative use of technology in teacher preparation programs from all AACTE members. 

CIDDL is the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)’s funded center focused on increasing the capacity of faculty to use educational technology in special education, early intervention, related services personnel preparation, and leadership personnel preparation programs.