13 Feb2023
Register Today for Two Preconference Tours
By AACTE
Attendance at the AACTE 75th Annual Meeting demonstrates your advocacy in educator preparation — and your priority in serving institutions with goals to support and increase diverse educators, equity in access to high-quality instructional environments, and the inclusion of all students in PK-20 classrooms.
Preconference programs, open to members and nonmembers, and tours are not included in the AACTE Annual Meeting pricing. Preregistration and an additional fee are required to participate. If you’ve already registered for the conference and would like to register for a preconference activity, contact the registration team at gjones@aacte.org.
13 Feb2023
By Michael Rose
President Joseph Biden gave his State of the Union address on February 7 to a Joint Session of Congress. The President touched on numerous subjects, including a call to increase the salaries of public-school teachers, support student and educator mental health, lower student debt, and pass the bipartisan Equality Act to “ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.”
As is customary, the president invited members of the public to attend the speech. Among his guests were Maurice “Dion” Dykes, who is working to become a teacher through a Registered Apprenticeship Program in Tennessee. As you may know, AACTE is working with a coalition of partners to develop a National Guideline Standards (NGS) for registered apprenticeship programs in teaching. When approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, these standards will serve as guidance for all organizations seeking federal recognition of an apprenticeship program in teaching.
10 Feb2023
By Weade James
AACTE invites its members to attend a preconference on character formation during its 75th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN. This event, sponsored by the Kern Family Foundation, will take place on Thursday, February 23 at 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and will feature growing research on character education and exemplary models of character integration across educator preparation programs. The event will open with a plenary session, moderated by Carole Basile, Dean of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. The plenary panelists will include:
- Stanton Wortham, Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean, Carolyn and Peter Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College
- Meredith Critchfield Ph.D., Dean, College of Education, Grand Canyon University
- Deborah M. Boyd, Ed.D., College of Education, Dean Emerita & Professor, Lipscomb University
Read below to learn more about Carole’s take on character in teacher preparation and what participants can expect to learn from attending this event. Space is limited. View the full agenda and register today.
07 Feb2023
By AACTE
There is a growing trend by state lawmakers to propose and, in some cases, pass legislation that censors and penalizes K-12 and higher education teachers and faculty members, as well as educational leaders in both sectors. It is vital for the educator preparation community to support intellectual freedom as a core component of a democratic society and oppose the censorship of content and knowledge that would disallow educators to promote empathy and engage students in positive inquiry into social issues.
Given AACTE’s unique role in bridging K-12 and higher education, our future leaders — scholars and practitioners in colleges of education and school districts — have been invited to explore, from their perspective and experience, the impact of this burgeoning state and national movement on who they are as educators and what they see as the effect on our profession.
07 Feb2023
By AACTE
Between now and the first day of the 75th Annual Meeting on February 24 in Indianapolis, AACTE encourages you to get social and spread the news on how to support educators and education through the 75 Days | 75 Ways to advocate campaign. Join your colleagues in engaging with the more than 50 tips that have been shared so far on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Hit the like button, leave a comment, share a post, or retweet tips that resonate with you and spread the word.
For information on how to share your tip, visit the AACTE 75 Days | 75 Ways social media toolkit and use the #AACTE75Days75Ways hashtag on your social media timelines.
07 Feb2023
By AACTE
The Annual Meeting is AACTE’s most innovative and collaborative event of the year, and it’s only weeks away. This year, as we gather together to celebrate AACTE’s 75th anniversary, attendees may access the Annual Meeting online community to discuss research, ask questions, and connect with other attendees.
AACTE encourages all attendees to take a moment and connect with other advocates who are passionate about education preparation.
07 Feb2023
By GoReact
Looking for strategies to support teachers throughout their career? GoReact will host a live discussion on teacher support with a panel of education experts to gain revolutionary insights on how best to motivate and support teachers at every stage in their career. Register today for this complimentary event.
On Wednesday, February 15 at 4:00 p.m. EST, AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone will share her insights with Machel Mills-Miles, Vice President of Standards Implementation and Outreach at Learning Forward; Brent Raby, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning for West Aurora School District in Illinois; and Ann Stark, an experienced educator with over 22 years as a classroom teacher and 14 years as an induction program mentor.
07 Feb2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The new “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.
SHEEO Releases Top Policy Priorities
Last month, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) released a report detailing the top policy priorities for state higher education leaders across the country. Economic and workforce development, along with the K-12 teacher workforce, tied for the top two state policy priorities of SHEEOs. Rounding out the top five priorities are (3) state funding for financial aid programs, (4) state operating support for public colleges and universities, and (5) higher education’s value proposition. Other issues include declining enrollment and college affordability, tied for sixth, (8) public perception of higher education, (9) addressing equity gaps, and (10) college completion/student success. Rising issues outlined in the report include a focus on student health and safety and student basic needs, like food, housing, and childcare.
07 Feb2023
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.
Nearly a month into the 118th Congress, Democratic and Republican leadership are finalizing committee and subcommittee assignments. Senate Democrats announced committee assignments last week — including a few changes. In the Senate HELP and Appropriations committees, the changes from the last Congress are as follows: Senate Appropriations Committee —Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has retired, and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) is now on the Committee. Senator Peters priorities include affordable higher education, student loan debt relief, funding for STEAM research, career technical education, and apprenticeship programs. Senate HELP Committee Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is no longer on the Committee, and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) has joined the HELP Committee. Republicans in the Senate have not yet finalized committee and subcommittee assignments. In the House, Republicans and Democrats have finalized rosters for all Appropriations subcommittees. Additionally, the final roster of all House Education and the Workforce Committee members has been finalized and can be found here.
06 Feb2023
By Monika Williams Shealey
This article was originally published by Education Week and is reprinted with permission.
Dear Florida Educators,
When I was growing up in Florida and I would hear church folks describe a troubling event that ran afoul of their moral compass, they would say, “it’s just not sitting right with my spirit.” That’s how I’ve been feeling lately when I hear about recent efforts in my home state of Florida to limit academic freedom in higher education; stifle intellectual curiosity in schools; ban books; obliterate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in higher education; and silence the questions of pre-K-12 learners who may be struggling with their gender identity and sexuality.
I was educated in public pre-K-12 schools and graduated from three major Florida universities with my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the area of special education. I’m a former special education teacher who worked in Pinellas, Seminole, and Miami-Dade counties and was a tenure-track faculty member at Florida International University. Yet today, when I think about the education landscape in my home state, I’m grieved that instead of being lauded as a leader in innovation and delivering high-quality, equitable educational opportunities to all learners, Florida is applauded by its governor as “the place where woke goes to die.”
02 Feb2023
By Nicole Dunn
Join AACTE as we celebrate Black History Month. This year, AACTE’s 75th Annual Meeting falls in February, the theme of which is Innovation through Inspiration: Remembering the Past to Revolutionize the Future; and how could we revolutionize the future of education and education and education preparation to ensure all learners receive a high-quality, equitable education without Black educators? AACTE is excited to offer programming throughout Annual Meeting and its preconference events, February 23 – 26, dedicated to supporting Black Educators and the representation of Black history and perspectives and curriculum and educator preparation policy and practice.
31 Jan2023
By Nicole Dunn
“AACTE meets the challenges of the 21st century through hosting career fairs that endeavors to diversify the post-secondary faculty pipeline. The outcomes of their efforts speak for themselves,” said Amanda Wilkerson, University of Central Florida, Holmes Program Alumna. “Through the Holmes Scholars program and innovative professional development training, I was able to showcase my research skills that ultimately led to acquiring a tenure-track academic role at a Research 1 Institution.”
Perhaps your institution is looking to connect with or recruit diverse faculty like Amanda Wilkerson. You need to look no further than the Holmes Program, which supports students who self-identify as racially and ethnically diverse and are pursuing graduate degrees in education at AACTE member institutions.
31 Jan2023
By Nicole Dunn
At this year’s 75th Annual Meeting, AACTE is featuring several Deeper Dive sessions that cover topics most relevant to you, including a closer look and celebration of the JTE Article of the Year, a conversation on how apprenticeships can address the shortages, and many more. These sessions were curated to reflect the association’s top strategic priorities: to build and sustain high-quality preparation and pipeline of teachers, expand policies that diversify the field, and advance the educator preparation field through innovative research, practices, and advocacy.
To attend AACTE Deeper Dive sessions and more cutting-edge content at the 2023 Annual Meeting, be sure to register for the 3-day conference before February 17.
31 Jan2023
By AACTE
Engaging classroom discussions have been found to deepen learning, create community, and help students along their academic path. It has also been credited with building more democratic learning environments that are broadly inclusive and enhancing student learning. Contrary to this evidence, researchers find there are few high-quality discussions in most classrooms across the educational landscape. What might we do to ensure that students in PK-12 and higher education experience both discussion for learning and learning to discuss?
Join this pertinent closing session at the Annual Meeting with Diana E. Hess, dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who will describe what she and colleagues are learning from The Discussion Project — a professional development program designed to help instructors build the knowledge and skills needed to teach their students how to engage in rich and inclusive discussions.
31 Jan2023
By Brandi Palmer
AACTE members are still offering tips on supporting educators, students, and educator preparation through the 75 Days | 75 Ways to advocate for educator preparation campaign. Every day until the launch of the 75th Annual Meeting on February 24 in Indianapolis, AACTE will share a new tip from a member.
