Archive for November, 2022

SUNY-ESF Graduates Launch Their Science Teaching Careers Together at the School of Education

This article was originally published by Syracuse University News

Syracuse University’s relationship with its close neighbor, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, has been a long and fruitful one. After all, SUNY-ESF was founded as a unit of SU in 1911, and today the two universities share resources, their professors collaborate, and students mingle across the two campuses, take classes together, join cross-campus organizations, and—sometimes—graduate from one college and into the other.

That last scenario is certainly the case for six SUNY-ESF graduates who, in summer 2022, enrolled in the School of Education’s (SOE) 13-month master’s degree program in science education (Grades 7-12).

Biden-Harris Administration Extends Student Loan Repayment Pause

In light of a District Court’s ruling in early November that President Biden overstepped his authority in creating a student debt relief program without congressional approval, the Administration recently announced that it would extend the repayment pause on federal student loans potentially through June 30, 2023 (the exact timing depends on any court rulings). The Biden Administration argued that this will allow the Supreme Court time to provide clarity to borrowers.

Educators as Soldiers on the Global Education Battlefield

Professional organizations with membership across the globe are serving as conduits to support and continue education for students in Ukraine during the war. Not all Ukrainian students will leave their country to find a safe haven to continue their education. With the world digital divide narrowing, a brutal pandemic forcing us globally to rethink and embrace virtual learning, and a need for creating community across the globe, we soon realized the urgency of attending to students’ needs.

UF’s CEEDAR Center Secures Additional $17.5 Million for Nationwide Effort

With a decade of marked success, this University of Florida-led effort has received an additional $17.5 million to support technical assistance efforts through 2027. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs has already invested $46.5 million in the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR) Center to improve teaching and school leadership for students with disabilities in states across the nation.

The center, which has been housed at UF since 2013, provides customized support to state departments of education and partnering educator preparation programs to develop effective teachers and leaders who can successfully prepare students with disabilities for college and career.

“We have steadily worked to move the needle for underserved learners and look forward to continuing in this vein with an even keener focus on students who are multiply marginalized based on intersecting social identities,” said Erica McCray, CEEDAR Center director and professor of special education. “Our focus remains on ensuring that each student is served by an effective, stable educator workforce that includes diverse teachers and leaders who are equipped to deliver a responsive education.”

AERA Releases the Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has released the Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers, edited by Conra D. Gist and Travis J. Bristol.

A first of its kind, the Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers addresses key issues and obstacles in ethnoracial diversity across the life course of teachers’ careers, such as recruitment and retention, professional development, and the role of minority-serving institutions.

Substitute Teaching as a Developmental Opportunity: Fellowship Program Pilot

Substitute teacher pools are a rich — and often overlooked — source of teacher candidates. In a recent survey of over 4,000 substitute teachers, nearly 30% reported that they are aspiring to become credentialed teachers. Substitute teaching is a great, low-stakes way to check out teaching. As one sub explained:

“It is a great way to get your foot into the world of teaching. You get to see how different each school is and gain great learning experience from it. It is also a nice way for you to build professional relationships with the teachers as well as students.”

Where Do the 118th Congress and Student Debt Relief Stand?

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.

It has been a busy week in Washington with Members returning after the mid-term elections and the new freshman class of Members arriving on the Hill for orientation. Speaker Pelosi made the momentous decision to step down from Democratic leadership. Speaker Pelosi is a historic figure, having become, at the time, the most powerful elected woman in U.S. history when she assumed the Speakership in 2007. The decision to step back from leadership paves the way for a new generation of Democrats to rise in the ranks; Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Vice Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) are viewed as the heirs apparent to the “big three” — House Democratic Leader, House Democratic Whip, and Democratic Caucus Chair. In remarks to her colleagues on the House floor, Speaker Pelosi recalled the first time she saw the Capitol, saying “I will never forget the first time I saw the Capitol.[…]The Capitol is a temple of our Democracy, of our Constitution, of our highest ideals[…] Indeed, American Democracy is majestic — but it is fragile.” Thank you Madam Speaker, for your years of dedicated service to the Republic.

In the States: Halting the ‘Stope-Woke’ Act, Striking for Increased Academic Pay

The new “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.

Florida Judge Blocks “Stop-WOKE” Act for Colleges

A federal judge on Thursday halted a key piece of the “Stop-WOKE” Act, blocking state officials from enforcing what U.S Chief District Judge Mark Walker called a “positively dystopian” policy that restricts how lessons on race and gender can be taught in colleges and universities.

MacKenzie Scott Donates $5M to Kansas City Teacher Residency

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given away nearly $2 billion over the last 7 months, and a Kansas City nonprofit just became the latest recipient of her generosity. Kansas City Teacher Residency (KCTR) is pleased to announce the acceptance of a $5 million donation. This award will be utilized to support KCTR’s ongoing work and secure the organization’s future for the long term. These funds will allow KCTR to recruit, cultivate, and retain more diverse teachers in the communities we are serving and in turn provide equitable classrooms for all students.

CCC&TI Joins App State, Public Schools in Inaugural NC Educator Pipeline Collaborative Cohort

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute will participate along with seven other teacher preparation partnerships from across the state in the inaugural North Carolina Educator Pipeline Collaborative cohort. The initiative will identify innovative methods for recruiting and preparing educators for North Carolina’s public schools.

The collaborative was launched by The Public School Forum of North Carolina in partnership with the NC Office of the Governor and The Belk Foundation and includes school districts, universities and community colleges working to strengthen the educator pipeline. Together, the cohort will share, develop and implement policies and practices that enhance and extend efforts to recruit, prepare, support and retain a diverse and highly effective educator workforce.

2022 Elections: A Look at State Policy

With the 2022 election results continuing to trickle in, we are learning who will serve as the states’ chief executive officer next year. 

On November 8, Americans in 36 states cast ballots to elect their state governor, with approximately a quarter of them winning their first term. As the Education Commission of the States noted, “Governors play an important role in shaping education policy in states through their power to appoint members of their state boards of education, department of education heads and other key roles. Governors also use their authority and budget proposals to advocate for specific education policies and funding.”

UNI Awarded More Than $1M Grant for ESL Teacher Preparation Project

This article was originally published by Inside UNI.

The United States Department of Education has awarded two University of Northern Iowa professors a $1.48 million grant to launch a new project to improve English as a second language (ESL) instruction for both pre-service and in-service teachers.

Aliza Fones and Carmen Durham, both assistant professors of TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages)/applied linguistics, were awarded the grant to carry out Project UNITED (University of Northern Iowa Teacher Education for Diverse Learners). 

Project UNITED will provide research-based ESL teacher preparation and professional development to current and future teachers.

Using COVID Funds to Support Apprenticeships

The Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague letter to states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to remind them that they can continue to respond to the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by using funds Congress appropriated in response to the pandemic to, among other things, expand opportunities for high-quality work-based learning, often referred to as “apprenticeships.”