Perspective | A teacher licensure proposal from NC Association for Colleges of Teacher Educators

This perspective, written by the North Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NCACTE) Advocacy and Policy Committee, originally appeared on NdNC.org and is reprinted with permission.

High angle view of a Caucasian female teacher with long blonde hair holding a picture of leaves and a diverse group of schoolchildren sitting at desks looking and raising their hands, during a lesson in an elementary school classroomThe purpose of this update is to provide feedback to educational partners on the North Carolina Association for the Colleges of Teacher Educator’s (NCACTE) collective perceptions of the current policy discussions related to revising the teacher licensure process in North Carolina. These proposals were originally suggested by the Human Capital Roundtable and have been reviewed over the last year by PEPSC subcommittees. This document was created by the NCACTE Advocacy & Policy Committee, almost all of whom serve on one of the subcommittees.

After spending many months in meetings, reviewing documents, and listening to feedback from all stakeholders involved, we have synthesized our thoughts here. While we believe this work has progressed, there are still several areas where we believe additional work is needed. We would like to thank PEPSC for this work and continue to offer our service as these issues evolve. We ask for the reader’s indulgence in reviewing this entire document carefully.

In our discussions, three priorities emerged (in no particular order):

University of Dayton Professor of Early Childhood Education to Receive 2022 AACTE Margaret B. Lindsey Award for Distinguished Research in Teacher Education

2022 AACTE Margaret B. Lindsey Award for Distinguished Research in Teacher Education - Shauna Adams, Ed.D., ACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) today announced Shauna Adams, Ed.D., Professor of Early Childhood Education in the University of Dayton School of Education and Health Sciences as the recipient of the 2022 AACTE Margaret B. Lindsey Award for Distinguished Research in Teacher Education. The Margaret B. Lindsey Award recognizes an individual whose research over the last decade has made a significant impact on the field of teacher education and will be awarded at the AACTE 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La, on March 6.

Southeast Missouri State University to Receive National Award for Innovative Use of Technology

2022 AACTE Best Practice Award for Innovative Use of Technology - Southeast Missouri State UniversityAACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) announced today the winner of the 2022 AACTE Best Practice Award for Innovative Use of Technology. The College of Education, Health, and Human Studies Educator Preparation Program at Southeast Missouri State University is the recipient of this prestigious award for implementation of its EDvolution Model. Southeast Missouri State University’s Trudy Giasi, Ph.D., assistant professor of STEM Education, and Jana Gerard, coordinator of the EDvolution Center, will accept the award at AACTE’s 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La on March 6.

Study on Teacher Preparation Outcomes to Receive 2022 AACTE Outstanding Journal of Teacher Education Article Award

Journal for Teacher Education Article AwardAACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education)   today announced the article, “Three Different Measures of Graduates’ Instructional Readiness and the Features of Preservice Preparation That Predict Them,” received the 2022 AACTE Outstanding Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) Article Award. This award, cosponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Research and Dissemination and Sage Journals, recognizes exemplary scholarship published in JTE in educator preparation or teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. The award will be presented at the AACTE 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La. on March 6.

Michigan State University Dean Emeritus to Receive AACTE Imig Award for Contributions to Teacher Education

2022 AACTE David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education - Robert E. Floden, Ph.D.

AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education)  today announced that Robert E. Floden, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Education, is the recipient of the 2022 AACTE David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education. Floden will be presented with this prestigious award at AACTE’s 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La, on March 4.

Western Oregon University Researcher to Receive 2022 AACTE Outstanding Dissertation Award

2022 AACTE Outstanding Dissertation Award for Borderland Teaching of Chinese American Teachers with Mexican American Students: Toward the Development of a TheoryAACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education)  today announced Lin Wu, Ph.D., as the recipient of the 2022 AACTE Outstanding Dissertation Award for Borderland Teaching of Chinese American Teachers with Mexican American Students: Toward the Development of a Theory. The author completed his dissertation for the Ph.D. at the University of Washington-Seattle and currently serves as an assistant professor in the College of Education at Western Oregon University. He will be recognized formally with the award at the AACTE 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La, on March 4.

Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Anti-racist Literature Instruction for White Students to Receive AACTE Outstanding Book Award

2022 AACTE Outstanding Book Award - Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Anti-racist Literature Instruction for White StudentsAACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education)  today announced that Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Anti-racist Literature Instruction for White Students, coauthored by Carlin Borsheim-Black, Ph.D., and Sophia Tatiana Sarigianides, Ph.D., is the winner of the 2022 AACTE Outstanding Book Award. This annual award recognizes a book that makes a significant contribution to the knowledge base of educator preparation or teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. Sponsored by the AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination, the award is given to a book that is well-written and offers a fresh lens on current assumptions or practices, reorients thinking in the field, and shows potential for significant impact on policy or practice in educator preparation. The authors will be recognized formally with the award at the AACTE 74th Annual Meeting on March 4.

Old Dominion University to Receive 2022 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity

Old Dominion University to Receive 2022 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and DiversityThe American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) today announced that Old Dominion University (ODU) is the recipient of the 2022 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity. This award, sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity, recognizes the infusion of diversity throughout all components of a school, college, or department of education as fundamental to quality teacher preparation and development. Kala N. Burrell-Craft, Ph.D., director of teacher residencies, Darden College of Education & Professional Studies, will accept the award on behalf of ODU at the AACTE 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La, on March 4.

University of Missouri – St. Louis, to Receive 2022 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives

Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives - University of Missouri - St. LouisAACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education)   today announced that the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) is the recipient of the 2022 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives for their “Internationalizing Education at UMSL and Beyond” initiative. This award, sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity, recognizes exemplary practice in the intercultural, global, cross-cultural, and international arenas and will be presented at the AACTE 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La, on March 6.

The AACTE Racial and Social Hub: It’s Not for You, Without You

AACTE Social and Racial Justice Hub screenshotThis month, AACTE launched its Racial and Social Justice Hub, a place to learn, grow, inquire, and share resources with one another that address social injustices and advocate for the preparation of profession-ready educators. To help ensure AACTE is meeting the needs of the educator preparation community in advancing racial and social justice work, you are invited to complete a 90-second survey to inform future content – it’s not for you, without you.

Congressional Leaders Reach Agreement on Funding Levels

Urge Your Members of Congress to Maintain the Historic Education Funding Levels

Funding and development concept as a human hand giving or taking investment from a business pie chart made of mechanical gears and cog wheels as a financial backing symbol of investing support or charity donation to help a struggling company or person.Congress is one step closer to passing an FY22 appropriations bill which includes historic increases for education funding. Now is the time to urge your Members of Congress to maintain the proposed levels in the House passed education funding bill in the final appropriations package. Voices from the field are imperative to garnering the momentum to get this historic legislation across the finish line.

The House Passes a Short-Term Spending Patch and Congressional Leadership Reaches Agreement on Funding Levels

This week Congress made significant strides towards passing an FY22 appropriations bill that will fund the government through the fall. On Tuesday evening the House voted 272-162 to pass a stopgap funding stopgap funding bill that will keep the government running when the Continuing Resolution (CR) expires on February 18.  The Senate is expected to take up the measure that will keep the government funded through March 11 in the coming week.

New U-M Center Will Help Reshape K-12 Teaching for different kinds of Learners

Students in the Master of Arts with Elementary Teacher Certification program work with elementary school students at Ann Arbor Open School in July 2021. Image credit: Leisa Thompson

With a $14.7 million gift, University of Michigan alumna Eileen Lappin Weiser will establish a new center at the U-M School of Education to make learning accessible to all youth.

Her gift, representing the largest commitment in the School of Education’s 100-year history, will help reshape teaching and learning to meet the needs of all different kinds of learners and prepare them for the jobs of the future.

The Eileen Lappin Weiser Learning Sciences Center will strengthen the connections between research and practice by engaging numerous partners to study the many places and ways that learning happens. This will involve the design and testing of curricula for diverse learners, collaboration with teachers and administrators to promote evidence-based practices, and efforts to scale successful education solutions to be available to all learners.

AACTE Celebrates Public Schools Week, February 21 – 25

Girl in mask heading into schoolAACTE joins the Learning First Alliance (LFA) in celebrating Public Schools Week 2022, February 21 – 25, a time for administrators, teachers, specialists, teacher educators, parents, and school board members to participate in events and discuss the importance of public education.

As a partnering organization, AACTE recognizes that teachers, principals, and staff who serve in U.S. public schools are key to helping students succeed, especially in these extraordinary times and circumstances. With a focus on what educators have learned and what they are currently experiencing to rethink teaching and learning, this year’s Public Schools Week honors a commitment to school safety, equity, and engagement. AACTE invites members to take part in the week’s activities.