Archive for July, 2022

VSU Graduate Program To Address Richmond And Petersburg Teacher Shortage

The Virginia State University College of Education has announced an innovative program which will enhance the experience of future teachers serving Richmond and Petersburg, while earning a Teacher License and Masters degree “free” of charge.
  
In the new teacher residency program, graduate students will co-teach and earn a Master of Education within one year, while gaining real-world experience in a classroom under the supervision of a master teacher. Once the co-teacher earns the degree, they must commit to full-time teaching positions in their residency school division for an additional 3-years.

Innovative Teacher Pathway Program Removes Barriers for Career Changers

The Kansas State University College of Education is adding a new pathway to the teaching profession for career changers who want or need to work full time while pursuing their teaching license and master’s degree in education.

The Kansas State Board of Education recently approved the Master of Arts in teaching residency, which leads to elementary licensure. It is an 18-month online program with three entry points each year: August, May and December. The equivalent program for those seeking licensure for secondary classrooms was approved in March.

The Family Engagement Core Competencies: Preparing Educators to Reflect, Connect, Collaborate, and Lead Alongside Families

Last summer, the National Association for Family School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) released, in partnership with AACTE and other vital partners, findings of our national survey of educator preparation programs. We thank many of the AACTE members who responded to the survey the purpose of which was to investigate how educators are prepared to engage families and communities in their practice.  Results of the research showed that only half of educator preparation programs have a standalone course on family and community engagement and nearly all struggle to embed family and community engagement topics throughout their curriculum meaningfully.  This is unfortunate, particularly in light of the teacher shortage crisis,  given that strong respectful relationships with families and communities are key reasons that educators choose to stay in the profession.

AACTE Names Outstanding Book Award After Renowned Educator Gloria J. Ladson-Billings: Entries Open

AACTE announced today that it named its annual Outstanding Book Award in honor of the prominent American pedagogical theorist and teacher educator Gloria J. Ladson-Billings. Distinguished for her work in the field of education, her expertise is in cultural pedagogy and equity in educator and student instruction, including critical race theory.

The Outstanding Book Award, given annually, recognizes an author or book that makes a significant contribution to the knowledge base of educator preparation. The award, overseen by the AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination, acknowledges those that offer a fresh lens on current assumptions or practices, reorient thinking in the field, and show potential for significant impact on policy or practice in educator preparation.

Florida to Let Veterans, Spouses Teach Without Bachelor’s Degree

This article originally appeared on K-12 Dive.

In an effort to combat teacher shortages, the Florida Department of Education is enlisting military personnel, veterans and their spouses to teach in the state’s classrooms without a bachelor’s degree requirement.

Requirements for the five-year temporary teaching certificates for veterans include:

  • At least 48 months of military service with an honorable or medical discharge.
  • At least 60 college credits with a 2.5 grade point average.
  • Passage of a Florida subject area exam for bachelor’s level subjects. For temporary certificates, these exams are available in more than 30 subject areas.
  • Employment in a Florida school district, which can include charter schools.

Department of Education Releases New Discipline Guidance for Students with Disabilities

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.

Time is winding down in Congress as Members prepare for the summer recess. While there is always much to be done- we don’t expect much movement on FY2023 appropriations until the fall.  As always, your voice at the table is imperative to ensuring investments in the special educator and specialized instructional support personnel workforce remain at the forefront.

CCU’s Spadoni College Partners with TEACH South Carolina for Educator Recruitment

Coastal Carolina University’s Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences has partnered with TEACH South Carolina to help recruit students to its undergraduate and graduate education licensure programs, which include the following: early childhood education, elementary education, middle-level education, physical education, special education: multi-categorical, music education, and Master of Arts in Teaching. TEACH South Carolina is a partnership between the S.C. Department of Education and TEACH, a 501(c)(3) organization founded by the U.S. Department of Education.

AFT Unveils Report on Teacher and School Staff Shortages

After seven months of meeting, listening to members, and sharing our on-the-ground experiences, the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT’s) national Teacher and School Staff Shortage Task Force — made up of 25 leaders from state and local affiliates across the country — released a report, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?which was considered at the union’s biennial convention; the report outlines targeted solutions to ensure educators have the tools, time, trust, and training they need to do their jobs and to stay in their jobs.

Literacy Leaders Undergo Transformative Experience Through Warren Fellowship

This May, a group of students in the Texas Christian University’s College of Education took a week-long trip to the Holocaust Museum of Houston as part of the Warren Fellowship program. The trip was a culmination of studying the Holocaust and antisemitism in Jan Lacina’s Literacy Leadership class. Lacina is the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Education and associate dean of graduate studies in the TCU College of Education.

“I was compelled to integrate course goals, readings, and discussions about the Holocaust into my Literacy Leadership class because of recent antisemitic acts that took place in Texas,” Lacina said.

University of Iowa $15M Gift to Support School Mental Health

This article was originally published by the University of Iowa College of Education.

Thanks to a generous $15 million gift from the Scanlan Family Foundation, the Iowa Center for School Mental Health in the University of Iowa College of Education will be renamed the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, pending approval from the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, at its July 27 board meeting.

In addition to the new name, the gift will expand clinical support for school mental health in collaboration with the Belin-Blank Center, not only across the state but across the nation.

Discover Summer Savings from AACTE

Members can book online and save up to 35% off rentals with Pay Now rates. AACTE encourages members to explore additional offers such as complimentary upgrades and find out the benefits of enrolling in Avis Preferred® or Budget Fastbreak® to receive even more free perks like the following:

  • Expedited Service: Skip the line and go straight to your car at most rental locations.
  • Accelerated Rewards: Earn points for every qualifying dollar you spend and redeem them for rental day rewards, additional upgrades, and accessories.

The Importance of Community Engagement and Freedom of Expression in Higher Ed

Educational institutions must engage with their communities to illuminate the systemic injustices experienced by those hypermarginalized, including people and communities of color.

In the Spring 2022 issue of AAC&U’ magazine, Liberal Education, AACTE member Tania Mitchell reflects on the killing of George Floyd to highlight these structural inequities. She urges those in higher education to rethink how community can be created and how to engage differently within the context of racism, economic inequality, and COVID 19:

“Our community engagement work of colleges and universities should be revealing. It should illuminate the systemic injustices that reify and deepen the marginalization already experienced. Moreover, it should focus on the policies, practices, conditions, and experiences that shape the everyday realities of the poor and people of color.”

AACTE President Addresses the Educator Workforce Crisis at NGA Session

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.