A New Education Leader Resource for School Safety and Crisis Planning

By Jerrica Thurman

As students and educators head back to school this month, there is a growing concern about school safety. One in 3 parents fear for their child’s physical safety in school, according to the 2018 PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.To help education leaders navigate disruptive and potentially traumatic events in schools, The School Superintendents Association (AASA) released in July the School Safety and Crisis Planning toolkit. The online resource features a select group of safety leaders throughout the country who are ready to provide guidance about a variety of crises that come without notice. AASA has also set up a crisis hotline that education leaders can call with questions and concerns about school safety. The 24-hour hotline gives access to mentors with experience dealing with floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and school shootings.

Americans Trust and Support Teachers, But Most Do Not Want Their Children to Join the Profession, PDK Poll Finds

By Jerrica Thurman

While most Americans have high trust and confidence in teachers, a majority also draw the line at wanting their own children to join a profession they see as undervalued and low-paid, according to a report released August 27 on the 50th annual PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. For the first time since 1969, a majority of respondents (54%) indicate they would not like their children to take up teaching in public schools as a career.

Meet the Presenters for Next Week’s Holmes Retreat

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE is excited to share the confirmed list of presenters for the AACTE 2018 Holmes Dissertation Retreat & Research Symposium, July 26-28 at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. The 2½-day event will offer expert-facilitated, interactive sessions for Holmes Scholars and other graduate students to receive the latest strategies and best practices for their research and dissertation work.

Education Policy Fellowship Program Recruiting for 2018-19 Cohort

By Jerrica Thurman

The Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) is currently recruiting participants for the 2018-19 fellowship year. EPFP is a 10-month professional development experience delivered in partnership by the Institute for Educational Leadership and 17 site partners.

What makes the Fellowship unique is its intentional focus on three pillars:

AACTE Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE joins the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in celebrating excellent teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11, and National Teacher Day, May 8.

The NEA and National PTA invite you to get involved by thanking a teacher in the following ways:

Thank a Teacher on Social Media May 7-11

Promote Your Program – National Campaign Opportunity

By Jerrica Thurman

UPDATE: Deadline to participate extended to May 25

AACTE is pleased to partner with Mediaplanet on an upcoming campaign to help celebrate and inspire those who teach. The campaign, aptly titled “Empowering Our Educators,” will take the form of a set of articles and resources to be published June 20 online and in print, with printed copies to be distributed at a variety of conferences and events (including AACTE’s Leadership Academy!). As part of our partnership, Mediaplanet is extending AACTE members a 20% discount on any ads they wish to place.

As the everyday demands of the teaching profession in our country are compounded by persistent staffing shortages, inadequate pay, and low public esteem, it’s no wonder that many teachers feel forced to leave the field, mobilize for walkouts, or discourage young students from pursuing teaching as a career. This campaign aims to serve as a guide to teachers who feel underappreciated or burned out by celebrating the importance of their work, highlighting opportunities for professional engagement and growth, and rekindling their passion for education with inspiring stories and fresh ideas. As the leading voice on educator preparation, AACTE has long advocated on behalf of teachers as well as the institutions that prepare them to enter the profession, and we’re proud to partner with other education organizations on this work.

AACTE Supports School Safety Advocacy, Calls for Stories From Ed Prep Programs

By Jerrica Thurman

As educators, students, and activists across the country gear up for another demonstration this month to fight against school violence, AACTE is sharing resources and collecting member stories related to both advocacy and educator preparation for school safety.

Student activists are recruiting high school youth nationwide to participate in the National High School Student Walkout Day on April 20, which marks the 19th anniversary of the shootings at Colorado’s Columbine High School. While most high school students are too young to vote, they intend to make their voice heard by sending a strong message to politicians that the time to act to prevent school violence is now. According to change.org, school students may participate by walking out of school, wearing orange, and protesting in their local communities and online using #nationalschoolwalkout.

Butler University Featured in Clinical Practice Spotlight Videos

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE is pleased to introduce a new feature in the Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series focused on the clinical practice and partnerships of the Butler University (IN) College of Education.

Butler University offers clinical experiences for teacher candidates through a variety of partner sites within the Indianapolis Public School (IPS) system as well as district partnerships with Pike, Lawrence, and Washington Townships. The IPS-Butler partnership contains three laboratory schools: IPS/Butler Lab School 60, IPS/Butler Lab School 55 (to open in fall 2018), and Shortridge High School: An IB World School. Butler also leverages community/business partnerships to further early childhood programs, such as the PNC Bank partnership and the “Grow Up Great” program. The IPS/Butler Lab School 60, for example, was awarded a second $150,000 grant over several years to continue funding the early childhood programs implemented from a previous grant.

AACTE Announces Summer Events for 2018

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE is excited to announce the dates for our 2018 summer events, offering a variety of targeted professional development for teacher educators. You can join your colleagues from around the country in Washington, DC, to learn to advocate for the profession; meet with fellow new deans and administrators in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for intensive leadership development and networking; and discover best practices for quality assurance in Columbus, Ohio, to help enhance your programs. Group discounts are available for each of these three events, so plan now to bring your friends and colleagues to these popular summer conferences.

WASHINGTON WEEK: JUNE 3-6

Protected: DeRay Mckesson to Deliver Closing Keynote at #AACTE19

By Jerrica Thurman

Marching for School Safety

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE staff members and friends participate in the March for Our Lives March 24 in Washington, DC.

Thousands of Americans rallied from coast to coast to demand lawmakers take action to make our nation’s schools safer during the March for Our Lives held Saturday, March 24, in response to last month’s shooting at a Florida high school. Student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting led the protests emphasizing the importance of school safety for all communities across the nation. Among the massive group of activists in Washington, DC, were several staff members from AACTE.

Addressing a Common Problem of Practice: Recruiting and Retaining Candidates for the Profession

By Jerrica Thurman

The March 1 Opening Keynote Session at the AACTE 70th Annual Meeting featured an interactive panel discussion on recruiting and retaining profession-ready candidates in teacher preparation programs as well as increasing the number of teacher candidates of color. AACTE President/CEO Lynn M. Gangone, who facilitated the discussion, was joined by special guests Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, assistant vice chancellor of Teacher Education and Public School Programs for the Chancellor’s Office of the California State University (CSU) System, and Kimberly Tobey, executive director of the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP).

The conversation began with identifying ways for how teacher preparation programs are effectively implementing programs and practices that reaffirm strengthening and diversifying the teacher candidate pool. The panelists highlighted successful strategies such as developing community college partnerships, creating capacity for students to have ease of transfer, and providing support to assist first-generation college students and others to pass through required pathways to completion.

Join AACTE in Support of Public Schools Week, March 12-16

By Jerrica Thurman

Today kicks off national Public Schools Week, March 12-16, celebrating the success of public schools around the country. AACTE is among the 50 national education groups representing teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, and other civic organizations that have issued a joint statement in support of public education and are celebrating the critical roles for public schools in developing future generations of successful citizens.

Sponsored by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the weeklong event provides opportunities for supporters to speak out about the value of public education. Using the hashtags #PublicSchoolsWeek and #LovePublicEducation, participants are encouraged to express their own feelings toward public education and why the success of public schools is essential to the future of education in America.

AACTE Radio Show Partner Offers Promotion for Members

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE has partnered with Education Talk Radio for more than a year to broadcast interviews about the success and innovation in educator preparation. Through monthly episodes, AACTE member institutions, partners, and staff have been featured on the online radio show, which reaches over 70,000 listeners each month, to highlight their work on a variety of topics, including combating teacher shortages, creating a diverse teaching workforce, and building strong university-school partnerships for clinical practice initiatives. (View the complete lineup of recordings of AACTE interviews on the radio show in recap blogs here.)

Larry Jacobs, president and show host of Education Talk Radio, is a graduate of an educator preparation program and a strong advocate for the profession. “I believe the work of teacher preparation is critical to producing high-quality teachers,” Jacob said. “With so many colleges of education facing a decline in enrollment, I would like to offer my show as a platform to promote the good work that happens at these institutions.”

Experience the Benefits of AACTE’s Annual Meeting

By Jerrica Thurman

Dean Pamela Carroll of the University of Central Florida (center) enjoys a presentation at the AACTE Annual Meeting with hundreds of colleagues from around the nation.

In a recent survey of AACTE members, the highest rated member benefits are the opportunity to stay current with news, information, and trends related to the profession; support the advocacy efforts conducted on behalf of the profession; and share knowledge and best practices. At the 2018 AACTE Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, you can enjoy these valued benefits through sessions such as these:

Deeper Dive Sessions