CSUDH Receives $5 Million Gift to Address Equity Gaps in Computing Education

By CSUDH

This article originally appeared on the California State University, Dominguez Hills news site and is reprinted with permission.

Snap Inc., developer of Snapchat, announced a $5 million gift to California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) for the creation and endowment of a new institute focused on addressing equity gaps in computing education. The gift comprises the largest single donation ever given to the CSUDH campus.

Plan Your Fall Road Trip with AACTE Discounts

By Meghan Grenda

Enjoy the change in seasons and plan your fall getaway with savings from your Avis and Budget Car Rental Savings Program. AACTE members can save up to 35% off base rates with the Pay Now feature on every rental, plus receive additional offers like dollars off, a complimentary upgrade or a free weekend day.

Will Democrats Pass Long-Awaited Reconciliation Plan with Education Funding Boosts?

By Jane E. West and Kaitlyn Brennan

This blog post is written by AACTE consultant Jane West and is intended to provide updated information. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE. 

Educators watched closely as local elections around the country provided hints for what may be coming in next year’s Congressional midterms and even the 2024 presidential race. With the victory of Republican Glenn Youngkin for Virginia’s next governor, the spotlight was on education issues—particularly parental voice in local education decisions. Issues like Critical Race Theory (which is not taught in Virginia public schools but used as a proxy for teaching about race), vaccination mandates and school closures, and the rights of transgender students took center stage.

Three Reasons to Apply for a 2022 AACTE Best Practice Award

By Linda Minor

AACTE Releases New Podcast Series: The University Principal Preparation Initiative

By Nicole Dunn

AACTE has released a new podcast series that chronicles the multi-year principal program redesign initiative undertaken by the Wallace Foundation: The University Principal Preparation Initiative (UPPI). This podcast is designed to inspire learning opportunities and educational partnerships among AACTE members and stakeholders and to create highly trained and qualified principals who will influence and shape their learning communities. 

In the first episode, AACTE interviews Rochelle Herring, senior program officer at the Wallace Foundation, to introduce the initiative, though which seven principal preparation programs were selected to partner with district and state leaders in their redesign efforts, as well as investigate how state policy could be leveraged to improve the quality of principal preparation statewide. Throughout the conversation, Herring cites research proving that the principal is a multiplier of good teaching and therefore, improved learning.

AACTE Election 2021: Your Vote Matters

By Michael Dantley

I have had the pleasure of serving in several leadership positions within AACTE and, beginning in March 2022, will serve as chair of the AACTE Board of Directors.  These have been busy and challenging times for all of us, and AACTE’s volunteer leaders have been working hard with President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone and the entire National Office team to ensure that AACTE is well positioned to advance its vision of revolutionizing education for all learners.  A sample of the board’s recent activities include the following:

• Establishing a new strategic plan for the Association, including new strategic priorities on advocacy, DEI, and educator preparation policy, practice, and research
• Completing a successful sale of AACTE’s office building in Washington, DC and investing a portion of the proceeds in new technology platforms to better serve members
• Updating AACTE’s governance structure to reflect best practices in non-profit management
• Advising the National Office team on AACTE’s response to COVID-19

You’re Invited: Virtual Release of New Early Childhood Education Higher Education Report

By Jacqueline Rodriguez

Higher education is a critical part of the early childhood education (ECE) profession as it serves as the primary pipeline for the early childhood education workforce. And, like early childhood educators, most ECE higher education programs find themselves under-resourced and under-valued. As such, the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession calls for a significant investment in ECE higher education programs to shore up the ECE workforce pipeline and to ensure that practitioners are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively support the development and education of young children.

Nominate a Respected Colleague for an AACTE Award

By Linda Minor

The annual AACTE call for award nominations has been extended through November 19. This means you still have time to nominate a colleague who has made a significant impact on educator preparation for the 2022 Margaret B. Lindsey Award, David G. Imig Award, or Edward C. Pomeroy Award. AACTE will honor the 2022 award recipients at the 74^th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, March 4-6.

These professional achievement awards honor individuals who have made a meaningful contribution to the educator preparation profession with their research, policy leadership, or other service to the community. I hope you will take this opportunity to help AACTE recognize one of your peers for similar contributions to the field and profession.

Western Governors University Teachers College Announces Scholarship Programs for Teachers

By Leslie Reed

Western Governors University’s (WGU) Teachers College will mark the National Education Association’s (NEA) 2021 American Education Week Nov. 15-19 by announcing its WGU Loves Teachers and Become a Teacher scholarship programs, together totaling $6 million, for current and future education professionals who wish to pursue bachelor’s or master’s degree programs in the Teachers College.

Strengthening the Educator Workforce: The Importance of Pre-K–12 Partnerships

By Maria Hyler

Strong pre-K–12 partnerships are vital to high quality educator preparation. To ensure a diverse, effective, and sustainable educator workforce, it is important that preparation programs and district partners develop and nurture authentic, reciprocal partnerships. These cross-institutional relationships are more important than ever in the wake of the isolation and disruption caused by the pandemic. Effective partnerships are complex and require intentional structures, dedicated resources, and shared goals and values.

Stay Engaged in Revolutionizing Education: Renew Your Membership

By Monika Williams Shealey

Register for AACTE In-Person Annual Meeting at Early Bird Rates

By Linda Minor

AACTE Board of Directors Election Now Open

By Jacqueline E. King, Ph.D.

Education and Democracy: Critique of Diversity, Equity, and Race for Liberatory Practices

By Kimberly White Smith and Jacob Easley II

This op-ed originally appeared in Diverse Issues in Higher Education and is reprinted with permission.

Kimberly White-Smith and Jacob Easley

I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. – James Baldwin 

The momentum of social and racial justice fueled by recent events finds us at a significant crossroad with divergent paths—one path opening to opportunity and one leading to entropy. The approach we choose to follow will affect society and the lives of many for generations to come. Should we choose the way of opportunity, we must seriously grapple with the debates and our commitment to preserving a true democracy. Should we select the other, we accept the deterioration of hard-earned civil rights—choosing to abdicate to systems, laws, and politics that have historically disadvantaged those unable to make a living wage and people of color. As deans of educator preparation programs who work closely with the nation’s two largest school districts (New York City Department of Education and Los Angeles Unified School District), we understand the relevance of education. It is the core vehicle for liberatory practice and for championing American democracy. If education is the road to national mobility, and we believe it is, we must preserve the mechanisms and freedoms to critique and examine the governing structures of our society.

President Biden Releases Build Back Better Package

By Michael Rose

AACTE expressed its strong support and appreciation for the historic funding for educator preparation programs included in President Joseph Biden’s Build Back Better framework, which was released today.  This funding will help ensure that our nation’s classrooms are led by profession-ready and diverse educators.  AACTE strongly urges Congress to pass this legislation as quickly as possible to help address the shortage of educators our nation has been experiencing and that has gotten worse in recent years.