15 Oct2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is highlighting a series of resources available for students, families, borrowers, and schools and institutions of higher education impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. These resources include guidance, on-the-ground support, technical assistance (including in accessing federal resources), and peer-to-peer connections for state and local leaders; resources for recovery needs such as mental health support for students and educators and to restore learning environments; flexibilities to help institutions of higher education continue to manage the federal financial aid programs; and automatically enrolling affected borrowers with missed payments into a natural disaster forbearance. Thanks to regulations issued by the Biden-Harris Administration, this forbearance will count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness.
The Department is urgently working to support impacted states with recovery efforts. The Department’s Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) provides leadership, financial and technical resources, and support to assist education communities with recovery following a natural disaster. The DRU also collaborates with Federal recovery partners to support disaster recovery and connects education entities with disaster recovery experts to support specific recovery solutions. Following Hurricane Helene, the DRU reached out to state educational agencies and over 500 institutions of higher education in the impacted disaster areas to inform these entities of financial assistance opportunities, including Project SERV funds, which provide short-term funding for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that have experienced a violent or traumatic crisis, including weather-related natural disasters, to assist in restoring a safe environment conducive to learning. The Department will conduct similar outreach following Hurricane Milton. The Department is exploring options to offer program flexibilities, including extending grant application windows and waivers.
08 Oct2024
By Marquita Grenot-Scheyer
After serving as AACTE’s first dean in residence, Leslie T. Fenwick completed her five-year tenure this month. On behalf of the AACTE Board of Directors, I offer our sincere gratitude for her years of service in this leadership role.
“While meeting Dr. Leslie Fenwick in 2018, I knew she was the person to become the inaugural AACTE dean in residence,” said former AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone. “As dean emerita of Howard University’s School of Education and a former AACTE board member, Leslie had the depth and breadth of experience and gravitas for the dean in residence position. I am grateful for all her contributions to AACTE over these past five years and even more so for her colleagueship and friendship.”
07 Oct2024
By Tunara Moore
As the AACTE 2025 Annual Meeting approaches, we are bringing you a preview of some of Long Beach’s most exciting attractions through our #RoadToAACTE25 social media campaign. The meeting, taking place February 21 – 23 in Long Beach, CA, promises to be both a professional and personal adventure for attendees.
Here are five must-see destinations to explore during your time in Long Beach:
- The Queen Mary
A historic ocean liner permanently docked in Long Beach; The Queen Mary is not only famous for its grandeur but also its reputation as one of the most haunted places in America.
07 Oct2024
By Illinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) today released early results from a $45 million state investment that show improved recruitment and retention in the state’s most understaffed school districts. The Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program, which was launched in the 2023-24 school year, provided 170 school districts that have the greatest teacher shortages state funds to invest in initiatives to recruit and license new hires and support retention of current educators.
Data is still being collected to assess the full impact of the funding, but ISBE and IWERC announced today that school districts participating in the Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program have hired nearly 5,400 new teachers and retained approximately 11,000 additional educators with the funds so far. The districts receiving the Teacher Vacancy Grant collectively serve approximately 870,000 students.
07 Oct2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced $65.4 million in 12 new Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) awards and $1.7 million for two new awards under the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant Program (FDS).
These awards build on the $20 million in MSAP grants the Biden-Harris Administration announced in May ahead of the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision and further the Administration’s commitment to providing every student with a well-rounded education and improving the opportunities for every student to successfully learn and achieve.
07 Oct2024
By Learning Policy Institute
High teacher turnover undermines student achievement, and replacing teachers consumes valuable staff time and resources. Turnover also has an important impact on teacher shortages because most open positions each year are created by teachers leaving the profession before retirement.
The research used to create the teacher turnover calculator indicates that larger districts can, on average, spend nearly $25,000 on replacing a departing teacher when school and district expenses related to separation, recruitment, hiring, and training are factored in. High turnover can have additional fiscal impacts, as the investments made for hiring do not pay their full dividend when teachers leave within a few years.
07 Oct2024
By Tyler Pointer
AACTE is pleased to announce that the following 12 member institutions are FY24 grantees under the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program (Hawkins Program):
- CSU Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation (California State University, Fullerton)
- East Central University
- Fort Lewis College
- National University
- North Carolina Central University
- Prairie View A&M University
- Sonoma State University
- Texas A&M University Kingsville
- Texas State University
- The University of Nevada-Las Vegas
- University Enterprises Corporation at CSUSB (California State University, San Bernardino)
- University of Colorado Denver
The Hawkins Program is one of several federal initiatives to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Tribal colleges or universities (TCUs), and minority-serving institutions (MSIs), such as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Hawkins program funds the expansion of high-quality teacher preparation programs at institutions that serve many students of color. These grants address the teacher shortage and will further diversify the teacher workforce.
01 Oct2024
By Tyler Pointer
Chief Operating Officer (COO) Marta Perez Drake, will serve as interim president and CEO of AACTE through the remainder of 2024, positioning the Association to welcome the next president and CEO into their role in the coming months.
Drake has worked as COO of AACTE since January 2023. She has led all internal operations of the Association, from leading its groundwork in events like the Annual Meeting and Leadership Academy to assisting the president and CEO in carrying out the Association’s strategic priorities and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and making AACTE membership an equitable opportunity for all educator preparation professionals.
01 Oct2024
By AACTE
As the education landscape continues to evolve, the importance of robust leadership in state affiliates and leaders cannot be overstated. The Fall 2024 Virtual State Leaders Institute (SLI) on November 15, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET, is an essential opportunity for both current and emerging leaders within AACTE state affiliates. The following are four reasons to attend:
30 Sep2024
By Andrew Staples
Chico State’s School of Education is poised to alleviate financial obstacles for dozens of aspiring teachers across Northern California. The U.S. Department of Education awarded the University an $8.5 million grant, allocated over five years, to establish the Belong, Engage, Support, Transform (BEST) Teachers Residency program, which will place the next generation of educators at elementary schools in the region.
The BEST program will support 60 credential candidates, particularly from underrepresented groups, to earn elementary teaching credentials and masters of art degrees in teaching. They will be placed in high-need schools in the North State during a year-long residency.
The grant proposal was drafted and submitted by School of Education professors Jennifer Oloff-Lewis, Rebecca Justeson, Mimi Miller, and Claudia Bertolone-Smith.
30 Sep2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced $46 million in new grants to establish dedicated technical assistance centers through the Comprehensive Centers program to support state and local educational agencies (LEAs) in advancing resource equity in schools, accelerating academic recovery, strengthening the educator workforce, promoting early school success, and supporting English and multilingual learners.
The Comprehensive Centers program provides a national network of support for states, districts, and schools to promote student achievement, increase performance among schools designated for improvement under the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and equip education leaders with evidence and tools to address emerging challenges facing K-12 schools. The Department is newly awarding funds for one National Center; 14 Regional Centers covering geographic areas of the U.S. aligned to the Department’s Regional Educational Laboratories; and four Content Centers reflecting key priorities from a public input rulemaking earlier this year. Together, these 19 centers form the Comprehensive Center Network and help states and LEAs improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, close opportunity and achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction, particularly for groups of students who are most underserved, including students from low-income backgrounds and students attending schools in need of additional supports.
30 Sep2024
By Courtney Crown
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) recently provided an update on the state’s special education teacher pipeline and the targeted solutions that are showing a positive return on investment, connecting schools with high-quality special education teacher candidates and maximizing learning for students.
“When we looked at our state data, we knew that we had a challenge when it came to recruiting special education teachers,” said Katie Jenner, Ed.D., Indiana Secretary of Education. “Rather than admiring the problem, we brought together educators and key partners to help us find solutions. In just a few years, our data now shows that our investments are working, placing many more special education teachers in Indiana classrooms.”
26 Sep2024
By Jacqueline E. King, Ph.D.
On Wednesday, September 25, the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on “Innovative Teacher Preparation: Properly Equipping America’s Educators.” Witnesses included AACTE members Carole Basile, Ed.D., dean of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, and Melba Spooner, Ed.D., dean of the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University. They were joined by Sharif El-Mekki, CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, and Greg Mendez, Ed.D., principal of Skyline High School in Mesa, AZ.
CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development Sharif El-Mekki, and AACTE Members Melba Spooner, Ed.D., and Carol Basile, Ed.D. during Wednesday’s hearing.
In addition to describing the teacher shortage, which Chairman Aaron Bean (R-FL) likened to a car dashboard warning light for the education system, the hearing focused on solutions. Witnesses and members described initiatives including Grow Your Own programs for high school students, residencies and apprenticeships, and student loan forgiveness. Members raised concerns about teacher compensation and diversity, staffing for special education, trauma-informed instruction, and the affordability and convenience of educator preparation programs. Several members, including Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT), described legislation they support to address concerns they raised.
A major focus of the hearing was strategic staffing as a systemic approach to redesigning teaching, the school environment, and educator preparation. Basile and Mendez described how a team-based approach to teaching works and the benefits that it conveys to teachers, students, and schools.
25 Sep2024
By Anne Tapp Jaksa
This article is authored by the following:
- Anne Tapp Jaksa, Saginaw Valley State University
- Dan Dao, University of Iowa
- Jill Waliczek, Saginaw Valley State University
- Alex St. Clair, Caro Community Schools
As the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational environments continues to grow, so does the need for clear, ethical guidelines that ensure AI’s use is responsible, equitable, and transparent. Colleges of Education, in partnership with P-12 schools, are embarking on an important research project focused on the theme of “Ethics and Digital Citizenship in Colleges of Education and P-12 Environments.”
Our goal is to develop comprehensive ethical guidelines for the use of AI in instructional design, emphasizing data privacy, algorithmic fairness, and the transparency of AI tools. These guidelines will support educators, students, and institutions in navigating the complexities of AI technology while fostering a digital culture rooted in responsibility and ethics.
24 Sep2024
By AACTE
As Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., CAE, prepares to retire from her role as president and CEO of AACTE, it is an opportune moment to reflect on her impactful leadership from 2017 to 2024. As she leaves AACTE in her eighth year of service, Gangone has not only navigated significant changes in the landscape of educator preparation but has also laid a solid foundation for the future of AACTE and its commitment to revolutionizing education for all learners.
Navigating Change in Teacher Preparation
Gangone’s tenure coincided with pivotal shifts in education preparation program accreditors and the growth of non-higher education alternative preparation programs. Under her guidance, AACTE adeptly adapted to these challenges, ensuring that comprehensive educator preparation programs maintained their relevance while embracing innovative pathways to educator preparation. Her foresight in recognizing these trends allowed the association to remain a leading voice in representing colleges of education and their educator preparation programs, shaping the future of innovative educator preparation.
