Author Archive

AACTE Co-Hosts Congressional Briefing on Educator Preparation

TheStrengthening Educator Preparation: Addressing Needs and Exploring Innovative Solutions” congressional briefing organized by AACTE, University of Northern Iowa (UNI), and American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), took place today, Tuesday, July 18, on Capitol Hill. The briefing brought together a group of university presidents and deans, all AACTE members, from around the country for a candid conversation on issues impacting educator preparation and innovative solutions. 

The issue summary provided to briefing participants stated, “the educational profession is in crisis.” The summary outlined the following four legislative actions necessary to address the crisis:

  1. Removing financial barriers to entering the education profession
  2. Updating and expanding the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program
  3. Reauthorizing the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program
  4. Increasing Capacity of Educator Preparation Programs

Last Call: Apply to Become a Reviewer by July 21

AACTE invites you to step into a more influential role and help shape the content at the 2024 Annual Meeting. The deadline is fast approaching. Apply to be a reviewer by July 21. 

By becoming a reviewer of Annual Meeting proposals in this highly selective process, your service to the field will be celebrated and shared with peers and educational leaders.

  • Sharpen your skills: Stay at the forefront of educational innovation and enhance the quality of your writing, teaching, and research.
  • Bolster your portfolio: Acquire service to enhance your assessment for tenure and promotion by demonstrating your commitment to advancing the field.
  • Increase your influence: Receive a certificate of appreciation, highlighting your expertise and dedication to the field.

Service as a reviewer of Annual Meeting proposals is open to doctoral students and faculty.  And don’t forget, you can still submit an Annual Meeting proposal, even while serving as a reviewer.

Call for Entries: 2024 James D. Anderson Outstanding Dissertation Award

Have you or do you know someone who recently completed a doctoral dissertation related to educator preparation? Now is the time to submit entries for the AACTE 2024 James D. Anderson Outstanding Dissertation Award. The deadline for submission is July 28.

This award recognizes excellence in doctoral dissertation research (or its equivalent) that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation.

Overseen by AACTE’s Committee on Research and Dissemination, the award includes a $1,000 cash prize as well as special recognition at AACTE’s Annual Meeting in Aurora/Denver, CO, February 16 – 18, 2024.

Last Chance to Register: 2023 Leadership Academy

The 2023 Leadership Academy is not just another leadership program — it’s a transformative experience that will: 

  • Enhance leadership skills;
  • Address current issues; and
  • Build a professional peer network.

Join a professional network of deans, chairs, and heads of education preparation programs who have already registered. Secure your spot at this must-attend event for higher education leaders and register before Friday, July 14.

LocationEmoji_2564076.png Location: Denver, CO
DateEmoji_2564082.png Date: July 30 – August 4

AACTE Extends 2023 Leadership Academy Registration

With all the summer activities and vacation breaks, AACTE understands that you may not have gotten around to registering for the 2023 Leadership Academy, so we have extended the registration deadline to Friday, July 14.

The Leadership Academy is an exclusive opportunity for deans, chairs, and heads of education preparation programs to connect with each other. Join your peers and be part of strategic conversations to elevate the work you are doing at your institution.

AACTE Statement on the SCOTUS Decision on Federal Student Loan Debt Relief

The Supreme Court’s recent decision to deny student loan debt relief to as many as 40 million low- and middle-income Americans will have many adverse personal, economic, and social consequences. One of those consequences will be to exacerbate the nation’s shortage of PK-12 educators. By making it less affordable to become or remain a teacher, principal, or other education professional, this decision will impede our ability to build the diverse, highly qualified educator workforce that our nation’s children need and deserve.  

Student loan debt plays a significant role in shaping the education workforce. Concern about compensation—including being able to repay student loans—is the most commonly cited factor dissuading young people from choosing teaching as a career. AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) has documented that, because teachers earn less than other college-educated workers, even comparatively modest levels of student loan debt are difficult to afford. This problem is particularly acute for students of color, and so these students are far less likely to choose education as a career compared with better compensated fields such as business or healthcare. Moreover, current educators who were counting on debt relief will now be forced to leave education for better paying jobs and those who had hoped to advance in their careers by pursuing graduate education will be unable to do so. 

AACTE Statement on the SCOTUS Decision on Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard University

Since its founding in 1948, AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) has been committed to advancing the field of educator preparation and ensuring that those preparing to be teachers, principals, and other professional educators represent the diversity of the children they educate. Today’s Supreme Court of the United States decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard University is contrary to our collective efforts to build an educator workforce that is diverse and representative. 

Diversity in the college student population is important to recruiting a cadre of teachers, principals, and other education professionals who reflect the diversity of the K-12 student population. Today, 79% of public school teachers identify as white while the majority of public school students are students of color.  

Join Your Peers at #AACTELA2023: A Message from AACTE Board Chair

Are you registered for the 2023 Leadership Academy?

You still have time to reserve your seat alongside other higher education thought leaders to expand your network of supportive colleagues and peers and develop strategies together.

Hear more about this exciting opportunity from AACTE Board Chair Monika Williams Shealey, new dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University and a proud Leadership Academy Alumna.

Tips for Writing a Successful 2024 Annual Meeting Proposal

Submit your Proposal by July 18

Do you want to feature your work at AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting at the Gaylord Rockies in Denver, CO, being held February 16 – 18? This year’s theme is Ascending New Heights: Propelling the Profession into the Future; therefore, we are looking for proposals that share perspectives on addressing current issues and providing innovative ways to approach that which has yet to be considered in educator preparation. Before you submit, watch the Tips for Submitting a Successful Proposal Video in which Roben Daubler, veteran member of AACTE’s Committee on Meeting and Professional Development, provides advice that can help ensure your proposal is selected.

Proposals are due July 18.

Are You Excited to Lead Innovation and Change?

Register for the 2023 Leadership and New Deans Academy

Are you a dean or chair or head of a department looking to take your leadership skills to the next level? Join fellow educator preparation professionals at AACTE’s 2023 Leadership Academy in Denver from July 30 to August 3.

Whether you are a new or seasoned administrator in the educator preparation field, this year’s Leadership Academy will ignite your passion and equip you with practical strategies to drive real change on campus. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with other education leaders and return with valuable insights. Register by July 7 and book your hotel at the group rate.

AACTE Congratulates Board Chair Monika Williams Shealey on Being Named Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University

Monika Williams Shealey, chair of the AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) Board of Directors, has been appointed dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University. Shealey is currently the senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Rowan University, where she previously served as dean of Rowan’s College of Education. She will begin her new role on July 1.

“On behalf of AACTE, I am delighted to congratulate our board chair for being named the dean at an institution whose mission is to prepare all students as educational leaders and change agents with a focus on social justice,” said AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone. “Dr. Shealey’s experienced leadership, along with her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, will be a tremendous asset to the college in preparing the next generation of education professionals.”

Deadline Approaching: 2024 Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award Nominations

There is still time to nominate a book for the AACTE 2024 Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award. This national award recognizes exemplary books that make a significant contribution to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. The deadline to submit entries is June 9.

This award is named after renowned scholar, Gloria J. Ladson-Billings, whose work has shaped the field in many ways, and her research in cultural pedagogy and equity in educator and student instruction, including critical race theory, has transcended beyond educator preparation. The award-winning book and its author/editor(s) will be recognized at AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting, February 16 -18 at the Gaylord Rockies in Aurora/Denver, CO.