25 Apr2023
By Carolyn Phenicie
AACTE is a proud member of the National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee and applauds 2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson’s commitment to the profession and meeting the needs of all students.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced that Rebecka Peterson, a high school math teacher, is the 2023 National Teacher of the Year.
Peterson has taught high school math classes ranging from intermediate algebra to Advanced Placement calculus for 11 years at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A proud immigrant of Swedish-Iranian descent, Peterson is passionate about making mathematics engaging, relevant and accessible to all students, no matter their background.
18 Apr2023
Support Your Cause and Get Ready to Influence Policy June 4 – 7
By AACTE
AACTE exists to advocate for high-quality and equitable education for all — and works to amplify the voices of its member advocates. Teacher educators, scholars, and other members from colleges and institutions nationwide are invited to attend AACTE’s 2023 Washington Week on June 4 – 7. Under this year’s theme of “Investing in Education,” AACTE’s national advocacy event will inspire attendees to explore some of the most pressing policy issues in educator preparation, such as censorship, educator shortage, and educator diversity.
Register today, and remember to book your hotel by May 24 to receive your special rate.
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 Taylor Weaver
Indiana University of Pennsylvania has been selected to receive $1.19 million from the National Science Foundation through the Noyce Scholarships and Stipends program to help address the critical need for effective Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers in Pennsylvania’s high schools.
Holly Travis, dean’s associate for Educator Preparation in the College of Education and Communications and professor of Biology, is the principal investigator for the multi-year project, which includes collaboration with 12 area school districts and two community colleges.
The project, IUP Crimson Hawks Advance and Retain Great Educators (IUP-CHARGE), will begin in May and continue through April 2028.
18 Apr2023
By Rachel Hatch
Illinois State University was awarded a grant of more than $800,000 by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to support the ongoing education of early childhood teachers.
The funds are part of the $3.37 million awarded in IBHE Early Childhood Faculty Preparation Grants. “The grants will help increase the diversity of faculty in early childhood education in Illinois at a time of great need by expanding the educational pipelines for aspiring early childhood faculty,” said IBHE Executive Director Ginger Ostro, in a news release from the Governor’s Office.
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.
11 Apr2023
By Joe Gutierrez
Students participating in the Project Impact program during an event in May 2022 at the James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education.
The goal of California State University, San Bernardino’s Project Impact, a community outreach initiative of the James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education, is direct: Help close the academic achievement gaps in the state’s K-12 schools, which will ultimately pay dividends in the classroom and its students through the recruitment, training and deployment of minority male teachers into California’s classrooms.
Project Impact was a vision that Watson College of Education Dean Chinaka DomNwachukwu brought with him when he came to CSUSB. It was born out of his own educational journey as a public school teacher in East Los Angeles in the 1990s. He knew firsthand how it felt to be the only Black male teacher on campus at the K-12 schools where he worked.
11 Apr2023
Rather than add novices, Wyoming works to find new ways to keep experienced teachers on the job.
By Nichole Dobo
This story was originally published by The Hechinger Report.
Like many states with a large number of rural schools, Wyoming desperately needs more teachers.
Take the case of the Teton County School District, in Jackson, Wyoming. Located near Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, the area is well known as a vacation spot. Despite the alluring landscape, for full-time residents the extremely high housing costs are daunting.
That makes it difficult to retain staff. The average tenure of a teacher is just four years.
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 NSU College of Education
A federal grant will allow Northeastern State University to increase the number of comprehensively prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds.
NSU was awarded a four-year grant totaling a little more than $1.5 million through the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program. NSU College of Education Dean Vanessa Anton said the funds will be used to create the RiverHawk Center for Teacher Excellence with locations on both the Tahlequah and Broken Arrow campuses.
