Discover How to Lean in and Lead Through Crisis with AACTE’s Education Deans

By Jerrica Thurman

Time is running out to register for AACTE’s upcoming webinar, “Leaning in and Leading Through Crisis,” on April 29 at 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Join Education Deans Gaëtane Jean-Marie, Kimberly White-Smith, and Marcie Wycoff-Horn in a deeper dive about how to thrive while navigating the COVID-19 and racial and social justice crises, which have impacted institutions across the nation. As equity-minded leaders, these deans will address ways to meet faculty and students’ needs by starting with empathy and ending with action.

Mark Your Calendar for AACTE’s Virtual Events

By Jerrica Thurman

Plan now to attend AACTE’s signature events, Leadership Academy and Washington Week, to be held virtually this year. Engage with fellow education administrators and AACTE members to discuss critical, timely issues in educational leadership, and join your colleagues from around the country to advocate for the profession on Capitol Hill. These are two popular conferences, so mark your calendar today!

AACTE Report Examines Imperative to Revolutionize Education for All Learners

By Jerrica Thurman

The American Association of Colleges Teacher Education (AACTE) released today its latest report, Revolutionizing Education for All Learners: A Road Map to the Future. The research closely examines the Association’s new strategic vision—to revolutionize education for all learners—for a comprehensive understanding on how best to serve the nation’s PK-12 public school students during a COVID-era. It also offers invaluable perspectives on AACTE’s key priorities for the educator preparation community to guide the profession through the coming decade from the lens of thought leaders at influential grant-making and public policy organizations, as well as a cross-section of deans of education at diverse U.S. institutions.

“This report is a compilation of interviews with key foundation, advocacy, and research stakeholders who affirm AACTE’s vision,” said Lynn M. Gangone, AACTE president and CEO. “AACTE is grateful for the insights and affirmations of these engaged, knowledgeable leaders who understand what is required for AACTE to become a visionary and effective agent of change.”   

AACTE Welcomes New Board Chair Robert E. Floden

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE announced today Robert E. Floden, Ph.D. of Michigan State University as the new chair of its Board of Directors. In a short interview with AACTE, Floden shared his vision for the Association during his one-year term. Here’s what he had to say:

What do you look forward to achieving during your time as AACTE Board Chair?

“I look forward to completing the AACTE strategic planning process we have been working on during the last many months. We have made a lot of progress on our general goals. I think the next step that we can complete during my time as the board chair is to move forward on deciding the strategies by which we are going to achieve the goals for the organization.”

What do you think are the key priorities for the AACTE community?

“One of our key priorities now is clearly recovering from the pandemic. Face-to-face instruction is an important part of education. We can draw upon what we have learned about the ways in which we make good use of remote instruction and other important lessons. I think teacher education programs in general made the pivot well, although it was challenging in the first months. But we learned how to continue to provide solid preparation for educators, and I think we can harvest what we have learned and use that as we move forward in the fall of 2021.”

In what ways do you think AACTE is poised to lead the educator preparation profession forward during these challenging times?

AACTE is the national organization of education institutions that prepare future educators, teachers, education leaders, administrators, and more. The people who work in our member institutions have tremendous capacity for advancing educator preparation policy, practice, and research that helps us both learn how to do things better and to document the effects of the things that we are doing. The capacity of our members, those involved with AACTE programs, is an important way in which we are poised to lead.

Watch the full interview with AACTE Board Chair Robert Floden in this video

Robert Floden at Michigan State University Becomes AACTE Board Chair

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE announced today Robert E. Floden, Ph.D., of Michigan State University (MI) as the new chair of its Board of Directors. During his one-year term, Floden will support AACTE and its President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone in implementing the Association’s strategic goals, incorporating lessons learned from the pandemic to advance educator preparation and policies, and growing AACTE’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

“Our key priority now is clearly recovering from the pandemic. Face-to-face instruction is an important part of education. We can draw upon what we have learned about the ways in which we make good use of remote instruction and other important lessons,” said Floden. “I think teacher education programs in general made the pivot well, although it was challenging in the first months. But we learned how to continue to provide solid preparation for educators, and I think we can harvest what we have learned and use that as we move forward in the fall of 2021.”

AACTE Announces 2021 National Award Winners

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE is pleased to announce the 2021 recipients of its annual awards for innovative research, best practice, and exemplary leadership in educator preparation. The following member institutions and individuals will be honored at the virtual AACTE 73rd Annual Meeting Awards Forum today, 2:45-3:30 p.m.

America’s Teacher Educators Convene to Address Challenges

By Jerrica Thurman

The 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) begins today. The conference, themed “Resisting Hate, Restoring Hope: Engaging in Courageous Action,” is being held virtually February 24 – 26. Attendees include deans, faculty, students, and administrators from undergraduate and graduate education programs, community colleges, and PK-12 schools, as well as representatives from state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and foundations. 

The past year has presented the educational system with many challenges. The onset of the pandemic, incidents of racial injustice, and the digital divide magnified the systemic challenges occurring in PK-16 environments that serve the nation’s most vulnerable populations—students of color, students with disabilities, students from immigrant families, students from low-income families, and LGBTQ students. Under its 2021 theme, the AACTE conference offers attendees hundreds of concurrent sessions that explore how to revolutionize U.S. educational systems and practices to better serve all learners, dismantle inequities, and assure that no child’s future is determined by their race or socioeconomic background. 

Thank You to Our 2021 Annual Meeting Sponsors

By Jerrica Thurman

Celebrate Excellence in Educator Preparation at #AACTE21

By Jerrica Thurman

The Opening Keynote session will also offer a stellar lineup of presenters, including distinguished guests U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, U.S. Representative Alma Adams, Dr. Karen Marrongelle, and Dr. Leslie T. Fenwick. Learn more about the keynote speakers.

Register by February 19 for #AACTE21

By Jerrica Thurman

Friday, February 19, is the last the day to register for the virtual AACTE 2021 Annual Meeting, February 24-26. Prepare to revolutionize education with innovative tools and resources on display in the Conference Community Center. Connect with our sponsors and exhibitors through hands-on demonstrations of new products, discuss solutions to your needs, and gain new insights to grow your programs!

Engage in Courageous Action at #AACTE21

By Jerrica Thurman

Attend the Leadership Academy Sessions at 2021 Annual Meeting

By Jerrica Thurman

Join your colleagues at the 2021 Annual Meeting for a deep exploration of “Leading During Difficult Times.” AACTE will continue the conversation from its 2020 Leadership Academy in two sessions focused on ways education leaders can navigate the challenges of the current global environment. This second part of the Academy will include guided panel discussions and a close examination of successful case stories.

The Leadership Academy sessions at this year’s Annual Meeting include

Strategic Planning and Leadership: COVID-19 Edition
Wednesday, February 24              
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

In this session, leaders will engage in strategic planning for the coming months as we approach a post pandemic world. Attendees will assess what has been tried and learned so far during the pandemic, envision the upcoming year, using what has been learned to outlining new initiatives post pandemic. Participants will discuss how to engage faculty and staff, organize their interactions, and process their experience. Participants will leave with an action plan for developing new initiatives.

Senator Elizabeth Warren To Headline AACTE Opening Keynote Series

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE is excited to announce U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren will address the AACTE community during its 2021 Annual Meeting Opening Keynote session on February 24. New this year, the conference session will feature a series of mini presentations from influential politicians and education leaders making a difference in shaping our post-COVID world.

Senator Warren will deliver an important message on paving the way forward for educators during this global pandemic. A former elementary teacher and law professor, Warren works to advance the U.S. educational system in her role on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Warren is recognized as one of the nation’s top experts on the financial pressures facing middle class families. Boston Globe has called her “the plainspoken voice of people getting crushed by so many predatory lenders and under regulated banks.”

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Warren served as Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Her independent and tireless efforts to protect taxpayers, to hold Wall Street accountable, and to ensure tough oversight of both the Bush and Obama Administrations won praise from both sides of the aisle. Read Senator Warren’s full bio at www.aacte.org.

Get Inspired to Take Action During #AACTE21 Opening Keynote

By Jerrica Thurman

• What does it mean to “build back better” from a national landscape, as well as within the education field?
• How do we raise awareness to the important role educators play in redefining our national and global future?
• What reform can be enacted to ensure a more equitable education for all students?
• What policies are on the horizon that will address low pay as a barrier to attracting and retaining teachers?
• How will leaders address the affordability of college education and its impact on recruiting students to become teachers?

Engage in AACTE’s Learning Labs at #AACTE21

By Jerrica Thurman

AACTE’s engaging concurrent sessions, known as Learning Labs, will offer attendees hundreds of topic options during the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting. Come experience these enhanced sessions, categorized by these types:

• Case Stories sessions feature quality storytelling designed to illuminate real world case studies that demonstrate innovation or breakthrough practices.
• Data to Action sessions release recent data in ways that encourage attendees to discuss its relevance and practicality in everyday settings.
• Future Casting sessions explore the creation of “next practices” as opposed to and/or in addition to exploring current best practices.
• Paper Sessions feature two presentations focused on a similar topic centered around the event strands.
• Perspectives sessions address a current topic or concern that is germane to educator preparation framed as a research, policy, or program question.
• Roundtables sessions focus on a particular topic and are led by an individual or a small group.
• Scenario Planning sessions help attendees consider and discuss a variety of actions that might take place because of changing conditions.