14 Nov2017
By Shawn Karim
Three new videos are available this week on AACTE’s Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series highlighting clinical preparation and partnerships of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Education. The latest videos focus on building relationships and meeting real needs throughout the community, including the need for a move diverse and culturally competent teaching workforce.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Education has carefully cultivated relationships that generate support not only for its teacher candidates but for the needs of the Clark County School District (CCSD) and the broader surrounding community. The continuously evolving partnerships thrive thanks to a culture of collaboration around solving authentic problems in the community.
13 Nov2017
By Benita Kluttz-Drye
This year’s Holmes Dissertation Symposium and Retreat was sponsored by the University of Central Florida (UCF) and Florida A&M University (FAMU). It was held October 27-28 on the beautiful campus of UCF, providing attendees with a plethora of information to advance their scholarship and practical knowledge.
The conference began with a welcome by Dean Pamela Carroll of the University of Central Florida, Dean Monika Shealey of Rowan University, and Tim Finklea of AACTE. Shealey challenged us to use the support provided through the Holmes network, to glean from each other and all of the presenters at the symposium, and to take this as an opportunity to learn from others before us.
10 Nov2017
By Jerrica Thurman
Today, AACTE released the second video segment of the AACTE InTouch mini-documentary series, “How Community Partnerships Can Combat Teacher Shortage." Teacher shortages are a growing concern and while there are many causes, one emerging solution is to create a supportive and collaborative environment through sustainable partnerships.
The new video educates viewers on how university, school, and community partnerships aid in creating a robust pipeline and conditions critical to recruiting and retaining teachers. It addresses three important topics: why partnerships are important to preparing good teachers; what types of partnerships can support teaching; and examples of successful partnerships.
09 Nov2017
By Deborah Koolbeck
Today the National Education Association (NEA) released an analysis of the U.S. House tax reform bill, H.R. 1, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” to project the impact on PK-12 education of the elimination of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction for individuals (the tax plan permits corporations to keep this deduction).
In a press release, the NEA highlighted the potential effect of this single elimination: “The impact of eliminating SALT on public education is nearly equal to the education jobs lost during the Great Recession. By most accounts, the country lost about 300,000 education jobs during that time.”
09 Nov2017
By Zachary VanHouten
As the tax reform debate wages on in Congress, and as many other items linger on the agenda, there is much to accomplish in Washington by the year’s end. Many of the items will have an impact on the education community. Let AACTE help unpack and process some of the latest developments for you by joining our free, members-only November and December Federal Update webinars.
To accommodate busy end-of-year schedules and various time zones, AACTE offers each webinar at two different dates and times. Click on your preferred date/time below to register.
08 Nov2017
By Jerrica Thurman
Arrive early to sharpen your skills with colleagues who share your academic and research interests at the 2018 AACTE Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Before the conference officially begins, the following special preconference events will be held Wednesday, February 28. Sign up now to secure your spot – space is limited!
Quality Assurance: Moving Beyond Data Collection Toward Assuring Quality
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / $50
This interactive workshop is designed to help educator preparation providers reflect, share, and learn about how to design and implement an assessment system that will meet their local, state, and national standards, while demonstrating the continued quality of their programs. Facilitated by members of AACTE’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability.
08 Nov2017
By Deborah Koolbeck
Last week Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means introduced a tax reform bill, H.R. 1, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and scheduled the markup to start November 6 and continue until the work is completed. This process was initiated via reconciliation through the Fiscal Year 2018 budget resolution.
Prior to the markup beginning, Brady offered a manager’s amendment making changes to the original bill, and the markup (watch it live and view additional resources here) allows committee members to offer amendments.
07 Nov2017
By Sarah Verneret
In a recent Education Talk Radio program, host Larry Jacobs interviewed members of AACTE’s new Special Education Task Force about how best to prepare special educators—particularly in light of their current shortage around the country.
Jacobs’ guests for the October 26 show included AACTE Vice President Rodrick Lucero; Brian R. Barber, assistant professor of special education at Kent State University (OH); Valeisha Ellis, assistant professor and edTPA coordinator at Spelman College (GA); and Karmen Kelly, business officer in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University. All are members of the new AACTE task force, which is supported by a grant from the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center.
07 Nov2017
By Jerrica Thurman
To ensure that educators are prepared to meet the needs of all learners, the AACTE Clinical Practice Commission will release its findings on effective clinical educator preparation during a press briefing Wednesday, January 17, 2018. Panelists from the commission will present and discuss their culminating white paper at the event, to be held 9:00-11:00 a.m. EST at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
Written by teacher educators representing expertise in theory, practice, and scholarship across the learning continuum, the report, A Pivot Toward Clinical Practice, Its Lexicon, and the Renewal of Educator Preparation, provides research- and practice-based recommendations, including a shared professional lexicon, for all educators to embrace as a foundation for effectively implementing clinical practice.
07 Nov2017
By Aaron Goldstein
The annual election for the AACTE Board of Directors opens this week and runs through November 30. This year, just two seats are up for election, both representing the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities (although all AACTE Institutional and Chief Representatives are eligible to vote). In addition, the Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR) is holding elections this month for vacancies on its Executive Committee.
The slate of candidates for the AACTE Board of Directors is as follows:
03 Nov2017
By Donna Cooner and Wendy Fothergill
Please join us Thursday, November 9, at 3:00 Eastern for the third free webinar in the series we’ve organized for AACTE on principal leadership, with support from The Wallace Foundation.
Great school culture starts with strong leadership and builds a context for excellence in every area of the school. Fostering open relationships at all levels, principals are at the heart of building and sustaining a healthy school culture. This webinar, Principals as Transformation Leaders: Changing School Cultures, will feature school leaders who have successfully worked to create a positive school culture that promotes learning and acceptance for all.
02 Nov2017
By John F. Snyder
AACTE is partnering with the American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) to increase input from educator preparation providers in the organization’s annual teacher supply and demand survey. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
The current shortage of educators is no longer a myth. Data from several reports, including the American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) Educator Supply and Demand Report 2016-17, show that in numerous certification areas in most areas of the country, there are not enough well-qualified candidates to fill educator vacancies. And even in states where the demand for full-time teachers is not as severe as in other states, there is a critical shortage of substitute teachers.
02 Nov2017
By Zachary VanHouten
Panelists Ruth Neild (Director, Philadelphia Education Research Consortium), Jon Graft (Superintendent/CEO, Butler Tech, OH), and Carri Risner (Chef Instructor & Lead Teacher, Columbia Area Career Center, MO) participate in a Q & A session with moderator Elyse Eidman-Aadahl (Executive Director, National Writing Project) during a briefing October 26 in Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of ACTE.
A briefing hosted last week by the National Writing Project and the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) highlighted some of the unique challenges facing career and technical education (CTE) teachers, calling attention to their need for better training and support as they enter the classroom.
Panelists at the briefing emphasized that many CTE teachers are career changers and lack the support and pedagogical preparation of a more traditionally trained educator. Describing the acclimation of these teachers to the classroom and the skills they need to acquire on the job as “drinking water from a fire hose,” panelists called for targeted professional development to help career-changing CTE teachers bridge the gap between their technical knowledge and the academic and pedagogical skills they need to succeed as educators. The speakers also called on policy makers to invest in supports for CTE educators to help these programs ensure their students obtain the skills that meet the needs of a growing job market.
31 Oct2017
By Sarah Verneret
A new international-comparison study sheds light on important factors in the development of school leaders in selected "high-performing" systems around the world. The study, sponsored by the National Center on Education and the Economy’s Center on International Education Benchmarking, highlights commonalities in principal preparation among the systems whose students scored highest on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey: Hong Kong, Ontario, Shanghai, and Singapore.
Australian researcher Ben Jensen authored the report, Preparing to Lead: Lessons in Principal Development From High-Performing Education Systems. Its overarching message is that successful education systems provide current and future school leaders with preparation that is specifically tailored to the real-world problems and contexts they will face in their work environments.
“The best programs combine a detailed understanding of principals’ roles and responsibilities with a deep grounding in the system’s particular philosophy and objectives for how schools get better,” Jensen said.
30 Oct2017
By Rodrick Lucero
It is my pleasure to introduce a new feature in the AACTE Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series focused on clinical preparation at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Education.
UNLV offers clinical experiences for educator candidates through a variety of partnerships and programs with the Clark County School District (CCSD), which College of Education Dean Kim Metcalf describes as a “natural laboratory” environment. Their thriving collaboration continues to evolve, with the latest outgrowth being a new initiative for research and clinical experience in Paradise Elementary School. The college also has a long-standing partnership with the inclusive preschool on campus, which serves the wider community and provides learning opportunities for both students and researchers across the university.
