22 Oct2024
By Tyler Pointer
Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D.
AACTE announced today that Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., will become the new president and CEO, beginning January 6, 2025. Holcomb-McCoy joins AACTE after serving as a distinguished professor and dean of the School of Education at American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., for over eight years.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors of AACTE, I welcome Dr. Holcomb-McCoy as our next president and CEO,” said Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, Ph.D., chair of AACTE’s Board of Directors. “Dr. Holcomb-McCoy’s vision and passion for educators, students, and their families are clear, and her collaborative experiences in PK-12 through higher education will serve her well as she leads our organization forward.”
During her tenure at AU, Holcomb-McCoy implemented various programs that heightened the visibility of the school within the University and on a national stage. Notably, at the start of her tenure at AU, the School of Education was housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, serving approximately 250 students. Under her direction, the unit became a stand-alone school in 2019 and now supports more than 1,500 students.
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.
27 Aug2024
By Tyler Pointer
“As a leader, I think it’s important to know your values and where you stand… For me, educational equity has been the cornerstone for my work as an educator in all the different roles that I’ve had,” said AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., CAE.
Gangone was recently featured on EDUP Xcelerated Excellence‘s episode “Dr. Lynn M. Gangone—Leading for High Quality Educator Preparation,” where she engaged with host, Jacob Easley II, Ph.D., PMP, on the history of AACTE and her legacy as she prepares for retirement.
Gangone assumed the role of AACTE president and CEO during a turbulent period in education and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her commitment to the association’s well-being drove key strategic developments, with a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
11 Jun2024
By Tyler Pointer
Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., CAE, who just celebrated her seventh year of serving in the president and CEO position at AACTE, was recognized by AACTE leaders and staff at the 2024 Washington Week before her official retirement later this year.
Gangone began her tenure of service at AACTE in 2017, as her fourth leadership role within a higher education association. During her time in the association, Gangone has advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion, as one of the core values of the Association, which feeds directly into its mission to revolutionize education for all learners in the PK-12 spaces.
“Under her stewardship, the organization underwent significant transformation,” said Anne Tapp Jaksa, Ph.D., chair elect of AACTE’s board of directors and professor at the College of Education at Saginaw State University. “She championed inclusivity and ensured diversity and equity were not just woven into the fabric of our programs but were also a cornerstone of our strategic objectives.”
29 May2024
By Tyler Pointer
Theresa Canada, Ed.D., host of “The Silk Stocking Sisters Podcast”
Seventy years ago, the course of education in the United States changed forever with the historic passing of Brown v. Board of Education, a landmark decision that determined that state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools were unlawful.
AACTE member and researcher Theresa Canada, Ed.D., who received an education during the 1960s desegregation efforts in New York City, recounted this experience through the lens of her and six other Black and brown girls in a recent podcast series.
Canada, a professor in the Education and Educational Psychology Department at Western Connecticut State University, and host of “The Silk Stocking Sisters Podcast,” was a student at P.S. 6, the Lillie Devereaux Blake School, (PS 6), which is nestled on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City and was one of the first schools in the city to launch desegregation efforts. Now documenting her memories of the school through the podcast, Canada explores the historical legacies of the shared experiences of PS 6 alumni and what it demonstrated for the desegregation movement in the northern United States.
07 May2024
By Tyler Pointer
The Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) turns 75 in 2025. Now celebrating its 75th year of publication, JTE’s co-editors Cheryl J. Craig, Ph.D., and Valerie Hill-Jackson, Ed.D., sit down in a video discussion and reflect on its history and future. The duo also unpacks three special issues for Volume 75 on perennial issues in teacher education, family-school-community engagement, and a curated tranche of articles that nod to revolutionary research and leadership in teacher education.
“There’s a feeling of accomplishment in getting this far,” Craig said. “We have to be resilient because our context is so contested.”
24 Apr2024
By Tyler Pointer
AACTE is grateful for the service and contributions that Weadé James, Ph.D., vice president for organizational advancement, brought to AACTE during her four-year tenure. She will complete her time with the Association at the end of this month.
Through her service, James has expanded AACTE’s impact and non-dues revenue through grants and contracts and has strengthened relationships with education partners. Under her guidance, the AACTE Holmes Scholars Program has flourished, providing invaluable support and opportunities for emerging leaders of color in the field of educator preparation.
19 Mar2024
By Tyler Pointer
Join AACTE on Tuesday, March 26, at 1:00 p.m. EST for Lunch with Lynn, to learn about the work of AACTE 2024 Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education Winner, Kimberly A. White-Smith, Ed.D.
White-Smith, dean and professor at the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego and vice president of the California Council on Teacher Education, will join AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D. to share her insight on the realm of teacher education. White-Smith has over 25 years dedicated to urban schooling and educator development and has been a fervent advocate for academic justice, particularly for marginalized communities.
22 Feb2024
By Tyler Pointer
As the realm of education continues to evolve, it is essential to pause and reflect on the milestones that have shaped the landscape of teaching and learning. The newest edition of Journal of Teacher Education (JTE 75.1) offers a profound opportunity to do just that.
At the forefront of this edition is an editorial penned by AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., and AACTE Dean in Residence Leslie T. Fenwick, Ph.D.
15 Jan2024
By Tyler Pointer
AACTE is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of its annual awards for innovative research, best practices, and exemplary leadership in educator preparation. Through a rigorous selection process carried out by the AACTE Standing Committees, the AACTE Awards Program honors member institutions and individuals who have made bold, extraordinary, and innovative contributions to the field of educator preparation.
“The selection of this year’s winners represents the impact that research, practice, and innovation make in advancing and strengthening the educator workforce,” said Lynn M. Gangone, AACTE president and CEO. “AACTE congratulates all winners on their distinguished achievements, which show commitment to the field of educator preparation across all levels.”
The distinguished honorees listed below will be formally recognized during the 2024 AACTE Annual Meeting Feb. 16-18, 2024, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora/Denver, Colo.
03 Jan2024
By Tyler Pointer
In their work to prepare aspiring teachers with pathways to paid residencies, Prepared To Teach is offering a six-part webinar series titled “Foundations to Futures” to support building new residencies. Foundations to Futures is a free, exploratory webinar series on residencies that will culminate in an invitation to join the Prepared to Teach Community of Practice to launch residencies.
The series will launch on January 29, 2024, with its first webinar, “Foundations for a Strong Residency” which will focus on the potential teacher residencies have to fundamentally transform both how individuals enter the profession and how students and teachers experience schooling. This webinar will share the following:
- A vision for residencies as a unique approach to preparation—and why we need them today,
- How preparation programs and school/district partnerships form the backbone of a strong residency,
- The basics of co-constructing residency designs,
- And tools and resources—all Creative Commons Licensed—for you to use in your local context.
12 Dec2023
By Tyler Pointer
AACTE’s Senior Advisor Jacqueline King, Ph.D., was recently featured in The EdSurge Podcast where she discussed enrollment trends in teacher education programs across the United States with host Jeffrey R. Young.
The episode, entitled “The Growing Push to Recruit New Teachers,” goes in-depth on recruitment efforts from schools of education and how some of those efforts focus on further diversifying the profession.
The episode is available to listen to on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and other major streaming platforms.
21 Nov2023
By Tyler Pointer
As the teacher shortage in Michigan continues to affect the state, national shortages like the ones for special education teachers have led to new approaches to finding solutions for the issue.
According to Lansing City Pulse, in a survey of 46 out of the 56 intermediate school districts in Michigan, most districts selected special education teachers as one of their most critical shortages.
Special education teacher pay differs by district in the United States, with 2022 median pay at $62,950 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earlier this school year, the city of Detroit began offering bonuses to attract more special education teachers to district programs, an initiative that has shown positive results in other states.
14 Nov2023
By Tyler Pointer
PEN America’s new report, America’s Censored Classrooms 2023: Lawmakers Shift Strategies as Resistance Rises, written by program director Jeremy C. Young and research consultant Jeffrey Adam Sachs has now been published, highlighting the progress of educational gag orders as a result of state legislative sessions in 2023.
The report finds that, while the threat of gag orders has not diminished this year, the form and structure of such laws have changed dramatically. According to the report, more gag orders became law this year than in 2022, though fewer were introduced.
In PK-12, there was a major shift away from critical race theory (CRT) bans toward “Don’t Say Gay” bills, many of them as a result of Florida’s law last year. These bills attempted to censor any mention of gender, sexuality, or identity in the classroom, including extending some bans all the way through grade 12. In higher education, there was a shift away from classroom restrictions and toward limits on university governance processes that protect academic freedom. Diversity and inclusion bans, curricula, general education courses, accreditation agencies, and even university mission statements were censored, particularly in Florida, and Texas, and a bill still under consideration in Ohio.
