25 Jul2024
By Charles A. Barnes II, JD
The AACTE Holmes Scholars Program is proud to feature Ayana Bass as the July 2024 Holmes Scholar of the Month. Bass is a dedicated and influential figure in special education, focusing on adult learners and teacher diversity.
As a doctoral student at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, her academic and professional journey highlights her commitment to improving education through research, policy, and practice.
22 Jul2024
By Casey Kelly
This article was originally published on the University of Maine’s website and is reprinted with permission.
The University of Maine College of Education and Human Development and the Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC) have agreed to extend their partnership focused on advancing the preparation and professional development of high-quality rural teachers and school leaders throughout New England.
The parties recently signed a new memorandum of understanding to continue the collaboration through fiscal year 2027, allowing UMaine to remain the home of the RSC’s New England Rural Education Hub.
22 Jul2024
By Lidia Gutierrez
This article is reprinted with permission from Sam Houston State University.
Professors Francisco Usero-Gonzalez and Burcu Ates led students from Sam Houston State University to venture into Costa Rica for a unique study abroad program from May 11 to May 20. This trip was designed for students interested in pursuing a career in English as a Second Language (ESL) education, offering them an invaluable opportunity to experience teaching in a different cultural context and assist local educators.
“Study abroad programs significantly impact teacher candidates by enriching their teaching practices and preparing them to engage with diverse student populations,” Ates, the faculty lead for this study abroad program, said. “This global perspective enables them to create more inclusive curricula and foster a classroom environment that respects and celebrates ALL students.”
22 Jul2024
By Brooke Evans
On May 2, 2024, the inaugural National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) State Dinner was held at the White House. The event welcomed National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) Missy Testerman from Tennessee, state teachers of the year, members of the NTOY selection committee, sponsors, and esteemed guests to honor Testerman as well as celebrate the work of the state teachers of the year in camaraderie.
The event, hosted by First Lady Jill Biden, Ed.D., made history as it was the first time being held at the White House, with distinguished guests Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Secretary of Health & Human Services Xavier Becerra, with a special appearance from President Joe Biden, who addressed the audience with celebratory remarks for the state teachers of the year in attendance, “Teaching is not what you do, but who you are. I realize how hard you all work every day. I just want to say how much I appreciate all you do.”
22 Jul2024
By Tennessee Department of Education
The Tennessee Department of Education announced over $2.6 million in Perkins Reserve Grant (PRG) grant funds have been awarded to 55 school districts for the 2024-25 school year to support Career and Technical Education (CTE) across the state.
The PRG grant awards support the implementation of programs of study aligned with emerging technology in regionally identified high-skill, high-wage, and/or in-demand occupations or industries, implement STEM in all CTE classrooms, and increase support for special education students. Additionally, the PRG grant opportunity is designed to support districts in rural areas and maintain high CTE student participation rates.
22 Jul2024
By Margaret Caspe
Over the past four years, the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) has partnered with AACTE to understand the landscape of educator preparation for family and community engagement and to develop a framework to bring together educator preparation programs, families, schools, and policymakers to create systemic change in this space. This partnership prepares educators to develop the competencies to reflect on their work with families and to connect, collaborate, and lead alongside them is one of the most important ways to impact students in classroom settings positively.
Continuing this work, Reyna Hernandez and I are honored to provide the commentary for the upcoming special issue of the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) focused on family, school, and community partnerships and edited by Valerie Hill-Jackson, Ed.D. In our commentary, we share the cumulative findings of nine collaboratives working to enhance how educators are prepared to engage families. These collaboratives linked educator preparation programs nationwide with families, communities, and school partners. The collaboratives then carried out and collected data on short-term projects that enhanced family engagement in educator preparation through changes to coursework, clinical experience, and other programmatic areas.
22 Jul2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) released proposed regulations that would increase college access for high school students, provide better public data on student outcomes, including increased oversight over distance education programs, and ensure the student aid programs work in the best interests of students. The regulations propose changes to three distinct areas, including the federal TRIO programs, Distance Education, and Return to Title IV (R2T4). The proposed regulations build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to increase college access and affordability and improve the quality and value of postsecondary education.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, we continue our relentless push to make higher education more affordable and accessible to all Americans. The regulations proposed today, if enacted, would help expand both access and affordability to our most disadvantaged students: those from low-income backgrounds, students without immigration status, and students with disabilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “By broadening eligibility for federal programs and placing guardrails that help protect against situations that leave students with debt but no degree, we can open more doors to the life-changing potential of higher education.”
15 Jul2024
By Arizona Department of Education
State schools chief Tom Horne says the newly passed state budget includes a change that he has long sought: the elimination of the Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) program, which many educators consider an unnecessary bureaucratic requirement and a waste of classroom time.
“Over time, the KEA had ballooned into an endless morass of paperwork that meant teachers had to spend too much time on bureaucratic requirements versus time with students,” Horne said. “Now the legislature has taken the welcome step of entirely removing the legal requirement for the KEA, which frees up more time for teachers to spend on classroom instruction.”
15 Jul2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released three new resources with information for students, parents and families, and schools addressing the civil rights of students with sickle cell disease, epilepsy, and cancer. OCR issued these resources during a month that marks World Sickle Cell Day and National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week.
The resources inform students with disabilities, and their families and schools, about relevant legal rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities by institutions that accept federal financial assistance, which includes almost all public schools and public and private institutions of higher education. These new resources, which are applicable to all levels of education, explain when these medical conditions trigger protections under Section 504, what kind of modifications an educational institution may need to take to avoid unlawful discrimination, and what an institution may need to do to remedy past discrimination.
15 Jul2024
By UNI College of Education
More than 60 new educators are ready to launch their own elementary school classrooms for the first time, thanks to an innovative new program at the University of Northern Iowa. This group of teachers are the first graduates of the Purple Pathway for Paraeducators program, which launched in 2022 to provide practicing paraeducators a pathway for earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
“This program involved a large amount of work, across multiple departments at the University of Northern Iowa. Thanks to this program, we now have 62 new elementary educators ready to lead their own classrooms,” said Colleen Mulholland, dean of UNI’s College of Education.
15 Jul2024
By Dickinson State University
Dickinson State University (DSU) and Mayville State University (MSU) are proud to announce the establishment of the Border to Border Education Consortium. This innovative partnership aims to enhance educational opportunities and resources across North Dakota by combining the strengths of both institutions. The first programs to be launched under this consortium will focus on mathematics and chemistry education, with further exploration into music education programs.
Holly Gruhlke, DSU vice president, expressed her enthusiasm for the new collaboration, stating, “This consortium represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide accessible, high-quality education to students across the state. By pooling our resources and expertise, we can offer programs that are both comprehensive and innovative. The collaborative efforts between our institutions will lead to a richer educational experience for our students. We are excited to begin exploring additional program opportunities.”
15 Jul2024
By Gayle E. Hutchinson
At its June meeting, the AACTE Board of Directors voted to suspend adding new members to the board in 2025. This decision is based on recommendations by the Board Composition Task Force, which I chair. The board created the task force in June 2023 to review and reexamine the current board structure that has been in place for at least 50 years.
The task force, which is composed of current and former AACTE board leaders, reviewed the literature on best practices in association governance and examined the structures in place at sister organizations. As a result of this study, our preliminary recommendations are to shift from the current representative structure for the Board of Directors — which is a 20th century model — to a competency-based board for which all AACTE members would be eligible. We also recommended reducing the size of the board from 20+ to no more than 12 to facilitate and promote board engagement in all aspects of association governance.
15 Jul2024
By AACTE
AACTE’s Holmes Program continues to grow, onboarding new programs and Scholars throughout the summer. Join AACTE in welcoming Holmes Scholars from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Old Dominion University to this vibrant community.
15 Jul2024
Study will focus on creating and implementing a curriculum grounded in historically responsive literacy and Black historical consciousness.
By Jane Fusco
This article was originally published on the University of Rhode Island’s website and is reprinted with permission.
Tashal Brown, assistant professor of urban education and secondary social studies at the University of Rhode Island (URI), has been awarded a $70,000 Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship grant from the National Academy of Education (NAEd), to research the influence of anti-Blackness in U.S. education and promote comprehensive representations of Black experiences in middle and high school curriculum.
Brown’s project, entitled, “Disrupting Anti-Black Logics in Education: Cultivating Critical Perspectives and Expansive Representations of Black Histories and Cultures in School Curriculum,” explores curricula that neglect Black histories and cultures, often portraying Blackness through a lens of trauma that harms Black students by denying their humanity, promoting deficit narratives, and distorting or prohibiting teaching Black history.
“Drawing from critical race theory and employing intersectional methodologies, the research aims to disrupt prevailing narratives and elevate the voices and experiences of Black students and other youth of color,” Brown said. “These frameworks are designed to authentically engage with students’ backgrounds, identities, and literacy practices, fostering a more inclusive understanding of Blackness.”
09 Jul2024
By Kyle Mittan
Photo courtesy of AILDI
A new center at the University of Arizona is one of only four designated by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to lead a collective effort to empower tribal communities across the country to revitalize and maintain their languages.
A five-year grant of $1.7 million from the Department began funding the new West Region Native American Language Resource Center in the fall.
The new center, administratively housed in the university’s American Indian Language Development Institute, is one of four inaugural centers doing similar work at other institutions. The others are a national center at the University of Hawaii and three regional centers at the University of Oregon and Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, Nebraska. The U of A center will primarily serve Indigenous communities in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah.
