18 Apr2023
By National Center for Teacher Residencies
The National Center for Teacher Residencies’ (NCTR) Black Educators Initiative (BEI) recently released a report focused on state, higher education, and school district recommendations to support the recruitment and preparation of Black educators.
Informed by the work and impact of NCTR’s BEI-supported teacher residency programs, the report, “Doing Better for Black Educators: Six Policy Recommendations for Improving the Recruitment and Preparation of Black Educators,” provides six policy recommendations and action steps that are meant to help teacher preparation programs, school districts, and states use what BEI grantees are learning in order to improve the recruitment, preparation, and support of Black educators across the country.
18 Apr2023
By AACTE
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, AACTE thanks all members who give their time to advance AACTE and its vision to revolutionize education for all learners. AACTE is grateful to those who support the organization in a number of ways:
It does not go unnoticed that volunteering your time, while fulfilling your role at your institution, is a great sacrifice. AACTE not only thanks you but also acknowledges that without your efforts, the organization’s mission and programs could not succeed or move forward.
18 Apr2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Chicago Mayoral races garnered national attention with some analysts suggesting the results could offer a gauge on voter issues heading into the 2024 Presidential election. However, across both states a slate of races that fell relatively under the radar were the highly contested and politicized school board seats. Roughly 30,000 school board elections will occur in more than two dozen states across the nation this year. National, conservative education groups have backed a number of candidates and have highly emphasized issues surrounding critical race theory, parental choice, and transgender students. Yet, following the April 4 election GOP backed candidates did not fare as well as their supporters had hoped. As reported in Politico, Ryan Girdusky, founder of the conservative 1776 Project political action committee said, “We lost more than we won.”
11 Apr2023
By AACTE
AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone recently joined other leaders from higher education, politics, media, and civil society in exploring ways for institutions of higher education to protect democratic freedoms during the fifth annual #SpeechMatters conference. Themed “Fighting for our Democratic Freedoms,” the conference was held virtually in March to respond to the increasing number of state legislation aimed at censoring curriculum and democratic values significantly weakened by political polarization and misinformation.
11 Apr2023
If Not You, Then Who? Apply to Join an AACTE Committee
By AACTE
Have you considered volunteering for a leadership position in AACTE? Now is a great time to volunteer and lend your talent and expertise to one of AACTE’s programmatic advisory committees. Nominations are due by April 28.
Educator preparation is an essential element in revolutionizing education for all learners and advancing the profession. AACTE is at the center of efforts to ensure that all students receive the expert instruction and support they need and deserve.
I wanted to seek out leadership opportunities within a national organization and AACTE seemed like a good fit for me. I have had experience with conferences and programming with other organizations and this committee seemed to fit my area of expertise and interest. — Tori Colson, Meetings and Professional Development Committee
11 Apr2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
On Monday, employees at Rutgers University went on strike for the first time in the institution’s nearly 260-year-old history. As reported by Politico, three unions — AAUP-AFT, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ — which collectively represent 9,000 workers are striking after working without a new contract since last summer. In a statement, Todd Wolfson, general vice president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT said: “The strikes that are happening right here in New Jersey and in other parts of the country right now are building on a historic strike wave in higher education.”
In the last year there has been an uptick in the number of faculty and staff from institutions of higher education who have gone on strike. Generally, the move comes following a breakdown in contract negotiations over low wagers and poor benefits. Just in November, there was a historic strike at the University of California with 48,000 employees taking to the picket line, in Philadelphia hundreds of graduate students at Temple University walked off the job to fight for a living wage.
In addition to low wages and poor benefits, educational gag orders are targeting higher education more frequently. According to PEN America, in 2022, 39% of legislation introduced across the United States targeted higher education as compared to 30% in 2021. In several states, including Florida, South Dakota, Mississippi, and Tennessee these bills have been signed into law.
11 Apr2023
By Nicole Dunn
This month, AACTE joins together with cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, state legislatures, public servants, and non-profit organizations around the country to celebrate the immeasurable contributions of Arab Americans to our nation. As part of National Arab American Heritage Month this April. AACTE recommits to the work of making sure that all people have the opportunity to be a part of an exceptional and equitable education system as part of the American dream. AACTE encourages its members to share the history, culture, and achievements of Arab Americans in their classrooms and on their campuses during the month of April, such as the Arab American National Museum offers Educator Resources for free.
As part of its strategic plan to increase access and opportunities for diverse voices in educator preparation programs, AACTE will set up a database where members — faculty and teacher candidates — can post their research and publications to be cited by the field. If you identify as Arab or Arab American, you are encouraged to share your educator preparation research with your peers. This form also provides you with an opportunity to create a profile so that people can learn more about your research interests and other works.
Please take a moment to fill out the AACTE Cited Research Database Form or send it to your Arab/Arab American colleagues who may want to take advantage of the opportunity to highlight their work on AACTE’s website.
10 Apr2023
By Weade James
AACTE is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration and mentoring opportunity with the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE), AACTE’s flagship journal, and the Holmes Scholars Program. Through this collaboration, the JTE leadership team will select and mentor Holmes Scholars to co-write an editorial or manuscript that will appear in one of JTE’s special anniversary issues in 2024! This opportunity is specifically for Holmes doctoral and post-doctoral scholars who would like to learn how to write and publish a piece of quality scholarship in a high-impact academic journal. JTE helps ensure that the next generation of teacher education scholars are supported as they take on real-world challenges for the professoriate.
04 Apr2023
By Alice Ginsberg, Marybeth Gasman and Andrés Castro Samayoa
While the majority of U.S. K-12 students are children of color, only 20% of teachers are people of color — and 40% of the nation’s public schools do not have a single teacher of color on record. Despite a now decades old, nationwide effort to diversify the teaching profession, there is obviously still much work to be done. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) hold great promise towards the goal of bringing more teachers of color to the profession. They also provide teacher candidates opportunities to do their student teaching in schools and communities that are racially diverse. Of importance, these teacher candidates share a common interest in remaining in multicultural and high-needs schools after getting certified.
A related, but significantly less prominent issue, concerns the diversity of teacher educators. Across higher education, 75% of professors are White and teacher educators are over 76% White, demonstrating that many teacher candidates will not have a single professor of color as they make the transition through their teacher preparation programs. This challenge has huge ramifications for what happens in teacher education programs, including how candidates are recruited, how the curriculum is designed, and how urgently a program works to address critical issues of race and equity. Moreover, as Galman, Pica-Smith, and Rosenberger note: “It’s important that teacher educators have examined their own implicit biases before asking preservice teachers to engage with [them].”
04 Apr2023
By AACTE
As AACTE continues its work to revolutionize education and advance the educator profession, the Association celebrates the committed, talented, and thoughtful volunteer leaders who serve on its programmatic advisory committees. Are you ready to lend your expertise and assume a leadership role in the national educator preparation community, or do you know someone who is? Nominate yourself or a colleague by April 28 to serve on one of the following programmatic advisory committees:
- Educator Diversity
- Global Diversity
- Government Relations and Advocacy
- Holmes Program
- Innovation and Technology
- Meetings and Professional Development
- Membership Development and Capacity Building
- Research and Dissemination
04 Apr2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
It was a busy week in Washington as lawmakers prepared to head back to their home states and districts for the two-week spring recess. From oversight hearings to the Congressional Review Act, we have much to cover this week — let’s dig in.
Education Leaders Push Back on Attacks Against the Public Education System
This week, following House Republicans passing the “Parent Bill of Rights,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, American Federation of Teachers’ President Randi Weingarten and several Democratic Members of Congress and advocacy groups have pushed back on what they are calling a dangerous effort to undermine and politicize public schools.
04 Apr2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Recently published data shows that the Commonwealth of Virginia is relying more heavily on provisionally licensed teachers than ever before. As reported, Virginia issued a total of 8,434 provisional licenses in 2021–22 compared to an average of 6,787 in the years prior to the pandemic.
04 Apr2023
By Weade James
To commemorate AACTE’s 75th Anniversary and vibrant history, AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone and Dean-in-Residence Leslie Fenwick — in collaboration with the co-editors of the Journal of Teacher Education, Valerie Hill-Jackson and Cheryl Craig — have co-authored a historical paper of AACTE’s impact leading educator preparation since 1948. Published in JTE’s Issue 2, volume 74, this issue encapsulates AACTE’s 75th Anniversary theme, “Remembering the Past to Revolutionize the Future” by featuring well-regarded articles of the 21st century and reflexive rejoinders from the authors.
The Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) is AACTE’s flagship journal and ranks 43 out of 267 Education and Educational Research Journals and has a five-year Impact Factor of 4.9. JTE’s mission is to serve as a research forum for a diverse group of scholars invested in the preparation and continued support of teachers who can have a significant voice in discussions and decision-making. JTE has been in continuous production since 1950 elevating scholarship that has shaped educator preparation research, policy and practice.
Read AACTE’s 75th Anniversary Editorial featured in the Journal of Teacher Education.
04 Apr2023
By Weade James
During its 75th Annual Meeting, AACTE recognized outstanding dissertation proposals submitted by Holmes Scholars as part of the Annual Holmes Dissertation Funding Competition (DFC). The competition awarded three non-renewable awards to support Holmes scholars’ dissertation expenses, including data collection and analyses costs, software fees, and editing services. Congratulations to Leslie Ekpe of Texas Christian University, Latifa Sebti of Rowan University, and Takeshia Pierre of University of Florida for placing in the top three of the competition.
This year’s competition was sponsored by AACTE, the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges of Teacher Education (AILACTE), Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU), and the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI).
04 Apr2023
By Brooke Evans
Educators play a crucial role in how students are welcomed both into the classroom and within their communities — and understanding how to integrate international, intercultural, and global experiences and perspectives into the curriculum of teacher education is vital in a globally connected and diverse world.
As part of the first webinar in the Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Development Series, AACTE members are invited to join a panel of faculty experts and international scholars as they discuss educator prep program recruitment and support for international students on April 17. Save your spot and register today.
