Archive for February, 2023

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IGlobal Program to Receive 2023 AACTE Best Practice Award In Support Of Global And International Perspectives

AACTE announced that the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the recipient of the 2023 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives for the efforts of its IGlobal Program (IGlobal). This award, sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity, recognizes exemplary practice in the intercultural, global, cross-cultural, and international arenas, and is part of its mission to assure that a global/international perspective is brought to policy and programs associated with the preparation of education professionals. The award will be formally presented to Allison Witt, Director of International Programs in the College of Education, during the AACTE 75th Annual Meeting, February 24 – 26, in Indianapolis, IN.

Rutgers to Receive 2023 AACTE Best Practice Award In Support Of Multicultural Education And Diversity

AACTE  today announced that Rutgers University Graduate School of Education (GSE) Dean Wanda J. Blanchett and Associate Dean and Faculty Director of Teacher Education Nora E. Hyland will accept the 2023 Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity Award for their work with the Urban Social Justice Teacher Preparation Program. This award, sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity, recognizes the infusion of diversity throughout all components of a school, college, or department of education as fundamental to quality teacher preparation and development. Blanchett and Hyland will formally accept the award on behalf of Rutgers University at the AACTE 75th Annual Meeting on Feb. 24-26, in Indianapolis, IN.

Just Released: Access #AACTE23 Event Planner

Ready to make the most of your experience in Indy? The schedule is now available! Take a look at the online planner to organize your days ahead of the conference.

  • Browse the Full Schedule. Use the search field at the top to locate sessions by presenter name, title, keywords, and other fields.
  • Access Session Information. Click on the session title to access a description and list of presenters.
  • Build your itinerary. Click on “My Itinerary” to create your personalized experience for the AACTE 2023 Annual Meeting.

Not yet registered?

Reserve your spot today for the largest professional gathering for the educator preparation field. Be among the nation’s leading thought leaders exploring the latest research and practices in revolutionizing education. Members receive the lowest rate.

AACTE Offers Livestream Program to California and Washington State Faculty

AACTE is well aware that some states have banned their employees from work travel to Indiana due to its policies. To assist state college and university faculty who are impacted by the travel ban but would like to be part of the 2023 Annual Meeting, AACTE is offering a livestream option. This special programming is exclusively available to those affiliated with public institutions in California and Washington.

Countdown to the Annual Meeting with the #AACTE75Days75Ways

AACTE’s 75th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis is only 10 days away. Do you have 75 seconds to spare to advocate for educators?

AACTE invites its members to share their thought leadership in the field of educator advocacy by joining the 75 Days | 75 Ways to Advocate for Educators campaign, wrapping up on February 24 during the launch of the Annual Meeting.

Share a tip of 75 seconds or 75 words in the form of a short, recorded video or written tip on how to elevate the role of educators, advance educator preparation, and support educators serving in the field. If you have already shared a tip, please share another!

Washington Update: An Address, a Hearing, and New Resources for Educators

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.

This week, President Biden delivered his annual State of the Union address — touting economic and legislative achievements made throughout his first two years in office. This year’s State of the Union address was the first time since 2019 that the President and Congressional leaders were permitted to bring guests to the event, which is generally attended by every member of the House and Senate. Five of the Supreme Court’s nine justices were in attendance, along with most of the President’s Cabinet and the Diplomatic Corps. Throughout the speech the President called on Congress to work together to address key legislative priorities and to “finish the job.” The President highlighted education issues, many of which he campaigned on in his 2020 Presidential run — including increasing in teacher pay and universal Pre-K. Following the speech, the President again expressed his support for teachers, tweeting “Let’s give public school teachers a raise.” Teacher pay was again a focus on Capitol Hill on Monday, February 13 when Senator Sanders, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hosted a town hall on the state of teacher pay in America that was livestreamed on Senator Sanders’ official Twitter and Facebook pages.

Aspiring Elementary Teachers Are Unlikely to Get Essential Social Studies and Science Content They Need to Teach Students

Gaps in Teacher Preparation Program Requirements for Coursework in World History, Economics, and Engineering Will Leave Students Unprepared for the Future of Work and Engaged Citizenry

New data and analysis released from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds significant opportunities for teacher preparation programs to improve their coursework requirements to ensure that aspiring elementary school teachers receive the essential social studies and science content knowledge they need for the classroom.

The new NCTQ report, Teacher Prep Review: Building Content Knowledge, shows that while most teacher preparation programs have sufficient course options available, only 3% require aspiring teachers to complete courses in most of the social studies and science topics an elementary teacher needs to know in order to promote students’ literacy and learning. Key topics most often absent in program requirements include world history and economics in social studies (required by fewer than 20% of programs), and engineering design in science (required by only 10% of programs), potentially leaving future teachers unprepared to provide their students with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the modern world.

Explore Indy’s Diverse Culture with a Local at #AACTE23

Register Today for Two Preconference Tours

Attendance at the AACTE 75th Annual Meeting demonstrates your advocacy in educator preparation — and your priority in serving institutions with goals to support and increase diverse educators, equity in access to high-quality instructional environments, and the inclusion of all students in PK-20 classrooms. 
 
Before you arrive to Indy, be sure to register for two pre-conference activities, as well as a special opening session on Saturday about the importance of supporting intellectual freedom in the classroom.
 
Preconference programs, open to members and nonmembers, and tours are not included in the AACTE Annual Meeting pricing. Preregistration and an additional fee are required to participate. If you’ve already registered for the conference and would like to register for a preconference activity, contact the registration team at gjones@aacte.org.

President Biden Gives State of the Union Speech

President Joseph Biden gave his State of the Union address on February 7 to a Joint Session of Congress.  The President touched on numerous subjects, including a call to increase the salaries of public-school teachers, support student and educator mental health, lower student debt, and pass the bipartisan Equality Act to “ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.” 

As is customary, the president invited members of the public to attend the speech. Among his guests were Maurice “Dion” Dykes, who is working to become a teacher through a Registered Apprenticeship Program in Tennessee. As you may know, AACTE is working with a coalition of partners to develop a National Guideline Standards (NGS) for registered apprenticeship programs in teaching.  When approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, these standards will serve as guidance for all organizations seeking federal recognition of an apprenticeship program in teaching.

Join AACTE for a Convening on Character Formation in Education

AACTE invites its members to attend a preconference on character formation during its 75th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN. This event, sponsored by the Kern Family Foundation, will take place on Thursday, February 23 at 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and will feature growing research on character education and exemplary models of character integration across educator preparation programs. The event will open with a plenary session, moderated by Carole Basile, Dean of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. The plenary panelists will include:

  • Stanton Wortham, Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean, Carolyn and Peter Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College
  • Meredith Critchfield Ph.D., Dean, College of Education, Grand Canyon University
  • Deborah M. Boyd, Ed.D., College of Education, Dean Emerita & Professor, Lipscomb University

Read below to learn more about Carole’s take on character in teacher preparation and what participants can expect to learn from attending this event. Space is limited. View the full agenda and register today.

Emerging Scholars Consider the Impact of Academic Censorship at #AACTE23 Saturday Keynote Session

There is a growing trend by state lawmakers to propose and, in some cases, pass legislation that censors and penalizes K-12 and higher education teachers and faculty members, as well as educational leaders in both sectors. It is vital for the educator preparation community to support intellectual freedom as a core component of a democratic society and oppose the censorship of content and knowledge that would disallow educators to promote empathy and engage students in positive inquiry into social issues.

Given AACTE’s unique role in bridging K-12 and higher education,  our future leaders — scholars and practitioners in colleges of education and school districts — have been invited to explore, from their perspective and experience, the impact of this burgeoning state and national movement on who they are as educators and what they see as the effect on our profession.

Get Social with the #AACTE75Days75Ways

Between now and the first day of the 75th Annual Meeting on February 24 in Indianapolis, AACTE encourages you to get social and spread the news on how to support educators and education through the 75 Days | 75 Ways to advocate campaign. Join your colleagues in engaging with the more than 50 tips that have been shared so far on TwitterFacebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Hit the like button, leave a comment, share a post, or retweet tips that resonate with you and spread the word.

For information on how to share your tip, visit the AACTE 75 Days | 75 Ways social media toolkit and use the #AACTE75Days75Ways hashtag on your social media timelines.

AACTE Launches Online Community for #AACTE23 Attendees

AACTE Connect360The Annual Meeting is AACTE’s most innovative and collaborative event of the year, and it’s only weeks away. This year, as we gather together to celebrate AACTE’s 75th anniversary, attendees may access the Annual Meeting online community to discuss research, ask questions, and connect with other attendees.

AACTE encourages all attendees to take a moment and connect with other advocates who are passionate about education preparation.

Tips for Supporting Teachers at Every Phase of Their Career

Looking for strategies to support teachers throughout their career? GoReact will host a live discussion on teacher support with a panel of education experts to gain revolutionary insights on how best to motivate and support teachers at every stage in their career. Register today for this complimentary event.

On Wednesday, February 15 at 4:00 p.m. EST, AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone will share her insights with Machel Mills-Miles, Vice President of Standards Implementation and Outreach at Learning Forward; Brent Raby, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning for West Aurora School District in Illinois; and Ann Stark, an experienced educator with over 22 years as a classroom teacher and 14 years as an induction program mentor.