Teacher of Refugee, Immigrant Students Named 2018 National Teacher of the Year

mandy-manning

The 2018 National Teacher of the Year was announced today on CBS This Morning: Mandy Manning, a National Board Certified Teacher of high school English and math in Spokane, Washington, has been named to the honor, following the announcement of four finalists earlier this year.

Manning began her teaching career almost two decades ago working with the Peace Corps in Armenia. Since then, she has taught in Japan and in classrooms throughout the United States. Manning’s global perspective has been instrumental in her current classroom in the Newcomer Center at Ferris High School in Spokane, a place where immigrant and refugee students are provided the opportunity to study English, foundational reading skills, mathematics, and computers.

Learn About TQP Grants, Federal Updates in Member Webinars

Join AACTE next week for two members-only webinars! Learn about the latest developments in Washington to inform your advocacy as well as resources to support you in applying for Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grants, for which funding was recently renewed in the omnibus legislation.

Teacher Quality Partnership Grants – Are You Ready to Apply?

On April 23, 3:00-4:00 p.m. EDT, we will highlight the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant program and how institutions can begin preparing for an anticipated new grant cycle. This webinar will point you to resources developed by the U.S. Department of Education to support you in developing your application. Current grantees have been invited to participate to offer their expertise as you craft your grant proposal. Click here to register.

Radio Interviews Spotlight ‘Nevada Leads,’ Advocacy, Innovation in Teacher Prep

AACTE members Melissa Burnham and Jafeth Sanchez of the University of Nevada Reno were featured guests on a recent Education Talk Radio show, discussing the “Nevada Leads” principal preparation initiative with their district partner Salwa Jafi. Other guests included AACTE’s Deborah Koolbeck, highlighting current advocacy work in Washington, and Interim Dean Vanessa Anton and Interim Provost Deb Landry of Northeastern State University (OK), who described their award-winning Robotics Academy of Critical Engagement (RACE) program.

The interviews took place in person with host Larry Jacobs at the AACTE 70th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, last month.

Study: Most Teachers Not Integrating Native Language, Culture in Instruction

Have you seen the JTE Insider blog managed by the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) editorial team? Check out the following interview with the authors of a recent article. This blog is available to the public, and AACTE members have free access to the articles themselves in the full JTE archives online – just log in with your AACTE profile here.

In the November/December 2017 issue of JTE, Claudia Vincent, Tary Tobin, and Mark Van Ryzin of the University of Oregon authored an article titled “Implementing Instructional Practices to Improve American Indian and Alaska Native Students’ Reading Outcomes: An Exploration of Patterns Across Teacher, Classroom, and School Characteristics.” The article is summarized in the following abstract:

New NCTQ Review Offers Mixed Feedback on Graduate Teacher Prep, Alternative Routes

To keep members informed, AACTE regularly monitors and reports on the activity of the National Council on Teacher Quality that could affect educator preparation programs. Visit our NCTQ resource page for additional information.

In the latest iteration of its Teacher Prep Review, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) asserts that graduate teacher preparation programs and alternative-route programs are facing some “severe structural problems” with what the council deems to be necessary fundamental elements of a successful teacher preparation program.

Excellence and Equity for All: Public Education as the Bedrock of Democracy

70th-aacte-stamp

This year marks the 70th anniversary of AACTE’s founding. Created in 1948 as an alliance to boost the quality of teachers being prepared for the country’s growing public school system, our association remains steadfastly focused on the democratic ideal of providing all students equitable access to an excellent education.

AACTE’s platinum anniversary falls at a time when this ideal is still far from being realized, or even universally held, in our society. Many Americans seem to have forgotten what our nation’s founding fathers knew: that quality public education is an essential element of a democracy. John Adams called for the “whole people [to] take upon themselves the education of the whole people”; Thomas Jefferson insisted a civilization could not be both ignorant and free. Over time, persistent activism from the suffragette and civil rights movements expanded the nation’s understanding of whose voices count – of what “the whole people” really means.

Butler Lab School a ‘Dream Come True’ for Dean, Partners

Four new videos are available this week in AACTE’s Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series highlighting clinical preparation and partnerships of the Butler University (IN) College of Education. The latest videos feature an interview with the dean, insights on the Reggio Emilia philosophy, multifaceted benefits of the coteaching model, and advice to others who want to start a similar partnership.


AACTE Supports School Safety Advocacy, Calls for Stories From Ed Prep Programs

school-safety-banner

As educators, students, and activists across the country gear up for another demonstration this month to fight against school violence, AACTE is sharing resources and collecting member stories related to both advocacy and educator preparation for school safety.

Student activists are recruiting high school youth nationwide to participate in the National High School Student Walkout Day on April 20, which marks the 19th anniversary of the shootings at Colorado’s Columbine High School. While most high school students are too young to vote, they intend to make their voice heard by sending a strong message to politicians that the time to act to prevent school violence is now. According to change.org, school students may participate by walking out of school, wearing orange, and protesting in their local communities and online using #nationalschoolwalkout.

Call for Entries: AACTE Dissertation Award

Do you know someone who recently completed a prize-worthy doctoral dissertation related to educator preparation? Please help spread the word: Applications for AACTE’s 2019 Outstanding Dissertation Award are being accepted in our online submission system now through August 20.

This award recognizes excellence in doctoral dissertation research (or its equivalent) that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. Dissertations completed since January 2017 are eligible for consideration, regardless of what institution awarded the doctorate (member or nonmember of AACTE).

Join Virtual Meeting April 25 on Coteaching in Clinical Practice

The authors are leaders of the AACTE Coteaching in Clinical Practice Topical Action Group (TAG). For information about how to join or start a TAG, visit aacte.org.

TAG-logo

On April 25, AACTE members are invited to join a virtual meeting of the Coteaching in Clinical Practice TAG, in which we plan to discuss collaborative grant-writing projects. This is a great opportunity to see what the TAG is all about and see if you’d like to join us!

The meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT. You can enter the meeting any time after 10:45 a.m. EDT through the following channels:

Dissertation Workshop: Theoretical Framework an Essential ‘Steering Wheel’

The authors are part of the AACTE Holmes Program at Florida Atlantic University. For information about the program, visit aacte.org. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

On March 27, Holmes Scholars at Florida Atlantic University hosted a research workshop, “Understanding the Role of the Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks in Dissertation Research.” More than 30 doctoral students and faculty attended the event with the university’s four Holmes Scholars – Kalynn Hall Pistorio, Kayla Elliott, Deborah McEwan, and Brianna Joseph (pictured above, standing, along with Holmes Coordinator Professor Rangasamy Ramasamy).

April 18 Webinar to Explore Mental Health Supports for Principals

This article has been updated to reflect new presenter information.

On Wednesday, April 18, AACTE will host a free webinar on principal leadership, supported by The Wallace Foundation as part of the Association’s ongoing partnership to disseminate the latest research and practice innovations in principal preparation. Please join us from 3:00-3:45 p.m. EDT for Leveraging Community Resources to Strengthen Clinical Practice: Mental Health Support for School Leaders.

New principals must not only learn to seamlessly integrate curriculum, lead change, and manage personnel; they must also become first responders in times of tragedy and grief counselors, while supporting their own mental health in high-stress jobs. This webinar will discuss –

Butler University Featured in Clinical Practice Spotlight Videos

AACTE is pleased to introduce a new feature in the Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series focused on the clinical practice and partnerships of the Butler University (IN) College of Education.

Butler University offers clinical experiences for teacher candidates through a variety of partner sites within the Indianapolis Public School (IPS) system as well as district partnerships with Pike, Lawrence, and Washington Townships. The IPS-Butler partnership contains three laboratory schools: IPS/Butler Lab School 60, IPS/Butler Lab School 55 (to open in fall 2018), and Shortridge High School: An IB World School. Butler also leverages community/business partnerships to further early childhood programs, such as the PNC Bank partnership and the “Grow Up Great” program. The IPS/Butler Lab School 60, for example, was awarded a second $150,000 grant over several years to continue funding the early childhood programs implemented from a previous grant.

Diversifying the Teaching Workforce: An Observer’s Reflections

am2018-holmes-panel
Panelists from the AACTE Holmes Program speak during the March 1 Deeper Dive session.

As an AACTE intern this semester, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the 70th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, including attending several sessions in between my other staff assignments. One of the events I enjoyed attending addressed the challenge that education systems face with the lack of minority teachers, especially Black and Hispanic/Latino men, in today’s diverse classrooms.

Being a college student who is both Hispanic and Black, I found this topic intriguing and the discussion valuable as members of the AACTE Black & Hispanic/Latino Male Teachers Initiative Networked Improvement Community (NIC) and students in the AACTE Holmes Program interacted with each other and with the audience.