Welcome to the New ‘Single Sign On’ System: Improving the AACTE Member Experience

New Member Portal screenshot

Have you accessed Connect360, the JTE webpage, or the AACTE Resource Library lately?  If so, you have probably noticed a few changes, including a single sign on system. 

AACTE has completed its database migration and with that you will find

  • A Seamless way to transition between your AACTE profile and Connect360
  • An Improved AACTE Resource Library
  • An Uninterrupted link to access the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE)

Time is Running Out to Register for AACTE Holmes Policy Events

There is only one week left to register for the 2021 Holmes Policy Institute, September 8-9, and the 2021 Holmes Program Advanced Policy Short Course, September 14-15! Register by 12:00 midnight EST on Friday, September 3, to experience AACTE’s policy and advocacy events curated specifically for the Holmes community.
 
Hear from outstanding speakers regarding advancing educational equity and policy and promoting culturally sustaining practices in education:

Call for Book Chapters on the Educator Continuum

We are currently seeking contributing authors for a book with IGI Global, for release in 2022, titled The Educator Continuum and Development for Teachers. This peer-reviewed, edited book is designed to expand upon the body of research related to the educator continuum with a holistic view of teacher development. The theoretical paradigm of the book posits that educators grow in stages and thrive when provided with support at early stages of recruitment into the profession to innovation in teacher education through continued growth in teacher leadership and demonstration of extraordinary leadership as influencers of the profession. This book combines theory, concepts, and research studies that pinpoint facets of the educator continuum, providing researchers with scholarly contributions that advance the profession. 

Education researchers and practitioners are invited to submit a 1,000 to 2,000 word chapter proposal by September 29, 2021. 

New Leadership Team Elected for Maryland Association of Colleges of Teacher Education

Maryland Association of Colleges of Teacher Education leadership team

Please welcome our new Board of Directors for 2021 – 22. The Maryland Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE) serves as the state-level affiliate for the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) and represent the institutions of higher education that prepare educators within Maryland. Chapters provide a vehicle for teacher educators to take a unified position on state-specific issues and to meet as partners or as responsible adversaries with the state departments, teachers’ organizations, and other stakeholder groups.

AACTE Board Chair Introduces Connect360

Robert E. Floden

As chair of the AACTE Board of Directors, I am delighted to introduce AACTE’s newest platform to explore and discuss the latest in educator preparation, Connect360. This resource enables you to network with colleagues, discuss topics of interest, and broaden your community. You can access the online community, along with AACTE’s other member resources, through a single sign-on.

Congressman Mondaire Jones Will Speak to Holmes Scholars at AACTE’s Washington Week

Mondaire JonesAACTE is excited to announce Congressman Mondaire Jones will participate in its 2021 Washington Week virtual conference Holmes Program. Representative Jones serves on the House Committee on Education and Labor. He is a champion of public education and understands that a quality education leads to intergenerational mobility.  

About Rep. Mondaire Jones

Congressman Jones is serving his first term as the Congressman from New York’s 17th District, encompassing all of Rockland County and parts of central and northern Westchester County.

A product of East Ramapo public schools, Rep. Jones was raised in Section 8 housing and on food stamps in the Village of Spring Valley by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to provide for their family.

Texas Woman’s Joins Program to Increase Diversity in Education

The Texas Woman’s University College of Professional Education (COPE) has been selected to participate in the Holmes Program sponsored by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), which supports racially and ethnically diverse students pursuing graduate degrees in education.

TWU is the only woman-centric university participating in the program to date. Founded in 1991 for doctoral students, the AACTE Holmes Program provides students mentorship, peer support, and professional development opportunities.

“The college is proud to be part of the prestigious Holmes Scholars program,” COPE Dean Lisa Huffman said. “Our participation — with our program’s unique focus on underrepresented women — will allow us to provide support to doctoral students that ensures their success and builds the next generation of diverse leaders in education.”

Adding your Voice to the Conversation

2021 Washington Week - Day on the Hill

The nation’s newspapers, websites, and blogs are filled with discussions about what policies Congress should address next. Currently, it seems like all eyes are on Afghanistan; yesterday was all about investing in the nation’s infrastructure; tomorrow the discussion may be on President Biden’s American Families Plan. The president’s proposal calls for historic investments in our nation’s youth, families, and economic future, including a call to invest $9 billion in teacher preparation programs. But it is unclear whether Congress will support the proposal, let alone the $9 billion in long-overdue investments in teacher preparation.

Frank Conic Named August Holmes Scholar of the Month

Frank ConicCongratulations to Frank Conic, Holmes Scholar of the Month for August 2021. Conic successfully defended his dissertation titled, “Analysis of the Impact of SB 1720 on Gateway Math Courses” this summer. 

Currently, Conic serves as an assistant program director for the Community College Futures Assembly, a University of Florida Institute of Higher Education independent policy forum, where he works to prepare students for the many facets of post-secondary education.

Conic has been a Holmes Program participant since 2011 and continues to exhibit the values of excellence and leadership through his service as a student mentor and instructor. He is a mathematics instructor at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, and plans to continue in the professoriate at the community college level to support students who are often first-generation, low income, and minority students. 

To nominate a Holmes Scholar for the Scholar of the Month award, please use this online form

Jack Be Nimble: Series 1 Final Podcast Episode Discusses Authentic Field Experience

Revolutionizing Education

Series one, episode six of the AACTE Podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available.

The latest and final episode of series one features a discussion surrounding the critical question: How do we design authentic field experiences that equip students with evidence-based skills to support a sustainable career? Tara Mathien from the University of Florida shares how the adaptations that her educator preparation program made throughout this past year has led to lasting change that will continue to be implemented in the future.

Listen now to Episode 6: Jack Be Nimble

Revolutionizing Education Podcast -  AACTE Podcast AACTE is excited to announce its first ever podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available. The new podcast examines ways to innovate educator preparation and education for all learners. The first podcast series highlights case stories shared by AACTE members during the 2021 Annual Meeting. New episodes from the first series will be released throughout the summer. In fall 2021, the AACTE podcast will feature live interviews with members, national education leaders, students, and other influencers in the education industry.  AACTE has partnered with Resonate Recordings for high-quality podcast production that will expand the reach of members’ work in educator preparation throughout the world. AACTE’s podcast episodes are available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify. On these platforms, you can search for and access the podcast, learn about it, listen to the episodes as well as leave ratings and reviews.  Follow the AACTE Podcast on Twitter at #AACTEPodcast and #RevolutionizingEd. Be sure to tune in and spread the word!              Revolutionizing Education    Episode 1: Joy in Teacher Education In this episode, we’ll hear from AACTE members Kyle Harrison, Kelly Hayek, and Irene Ann Resenly from the University of Wisconsin on the role of joy in teacher education. They share the process of noticing, understanding, and replicating joy as critical work in teacher education, using autoethnography as a methodological tool. Through sharing their findings, we hope listeners will leave with a renewed capacity for noticing moments of joy and a protocol that will provide a baseline for naming, claiming, and considering how to leverage joy in teaching.     Episode 2: From Takeover to Take Back In this episode, Eva Zygmunt from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana details the creative efforts of a mid-sized midwestern community collaborative to reclaim its school district from a state-takeover, resulting in the legislated granting of authority over the local district to the state university. Eva shares how community voice has been privileged in school reform through a concerted advocacy effort on the part of faculty and community activists. This is an inspiring story that showcases how community and educational partnerships can make a huge impact in a community’s educational system.     Episode 3: The RockTEACH Program In this episode, we will learn about the efforts of Slippery Rock University of PA to diversify the teacher workforce by recruiting underrepresented minority high school students to the field of teaching, providing financial assistance and mentoring support through the RockTEACH Program. AACTE members Monique Alexander, Jeremy Lynch, Christine Walsh, and Linda Zane from Slippery Rock of PA share the story, the situation, and the results of the program. Through these insights, listeners will gain insight into a burgeoning and multifaceted program to support a diverse teacher pipeline and develop an understanding of the critical elements and challenges of our story.     Episode 4: Learning Together The latest episode features the story of an educator preparation program facing multiple challenges in its work to prepare teacher candidates for the classroom. Additionally, covering how their local school district faces its own pressures impacted by teacher shortages, poor teacher performance, high burnout, and issues with retention. In the fourth episode of the Revolutionizing Education Podcast, Jeff Bill and Ashley Smith from Pitt County Schools and Christina Tschida from Appalachian State University share three case stories featuring the use of co-teaching and demonstrating a partnership between university and schools that builds capacity, efficacy, and resilience in teachers at various levels of preparation.     Episode 5: Transforming Teacher Preparation One of the largest Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the nation, UTRGV, has embarked on a transformation of its teacher preparation program centered on the college mission, vision, and three priorities: quality, culture of inquiry, and positionality. In this episode, Sandra Musanti and Alma Rodriguez from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley share what they’ve identified to be the three areas of emphasis to guide the transformation work: a practice-based teacher education model, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, and technology for the 21st century.     Episode 6: Jack Be Nimble

Join Me for AACTE’s 2021 Washington Week

Robert E. Floden

 

As chair of the AACTE Board of Directors, I invite you to attend AACTE’s second virtual Washington Week, taking place throughout September. Your participation, and your voice, are critical in supporting programs, advocating for funds, and advancing policies our institutions need to move the profession forward.

Watch the video to learn more about the virtual conference. Register now and invite your colleagues and students to participate in AACTE’s 2021 Washington Week. View the event schedule and details at www.aacte.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #AACTEWW21.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact AACTE’s Events Team at events@aacte.org

 I look forward to seeing you at AACTE’s virtual event next month!

Sincerely, 

Robert E. Floden
Dean Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor, College of Education, Michigan State University
Board Chair, AACTE



Questions – Need Assistance?
Please contact us at events@aacte.org
 

DQC’s 2021 Poll Surfaces Challenges State Leaders Must Address Now

A computer screen shows the classes a student must complete through her school’s remote learning platform.

Leaders are grappling with the unprecedented challenge of working to understand and address the impact of the pandemic on students and communities. To support recovery, decisionmakers at all levels, from state policymakers to parents, must have access to data and use it to effectively address the challenges schools and districts face. But DQC’s 2021 public opinion polling of parents and principals uncovered considerable disconnects that could threaten efforts to use data to address the current moment and beyond.

As leaders turn their attention to the upcoming school year, data continues to be a critical tool for informing recovery efforts. State and local leaders are working together and using data to tackle the most pressing issues, which include:

Washington Week Viewpoint: State Leaders Institute

2021 Washington Week - State Leaders InstituteIn a recent Q&A with AACTE, Christine Carrino Gorowara, past president of the Delaware Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, shares her perspective as a frequent attendee of the Washington Week State Leaders Institute. 

Why do you believe it is important for AACTE members to actively advocate for education? Why do you recommend AACTE members attend the State Leaders Institute?

AACTE members have specialized knowledge about education issues and provide an invaluable perspective to lawmakers. Additionally, part of our role in preparing educators is doing what we can to create an environment where educators can thrive, including ensuring funding, promoting culturally responsive policies, and expanding opportunity. The State Leaders Institute helps us hone our knowledge of issues relevant to educator preparation and how those issues are connected to pending legislation and develop the skills needed to advocate effectively.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s State Leaders Institute?

As informative as the speakers always are, I most look forward to the opportunity to learn from other state chapters. I love learning about what kinds of events they hold, what resources and services they provide their members, how they work with partner organizations, and their innovative ideas for moving the profession forward.

Get Ready for Back-to-School Shopping with AACTE

 

Office Depot - Exclusive Savings for AACTE membersWhether you are shopping for yourself or a student in college, a great set of school supplies can help anyone feel prepared and eager to learn. Buying school supplies can prove costly, and savvy consumers are often on the hunt for good deals. As a member of AACTE, you have access to discounted Office Depot pricing. Your discount never expires and can be used for personal, school, or business purchases such as ink, toner, paper, and cleaning and classroom supplies.

AACTE Welcomes New Holmes Scholars

The AACTE Holmes Program continues to expand to support new scholars in their academic pursuit. We are pleased to welcome Ava Jackson, Holmes Post-doctoral Fellow at Boston University, and Elizabeth León Zaragoza, Holmes doctoral student at University of Nevada Las Vegas, to the Holmes community. Congratulations to these scholars and their institutions for their commitment to promoting excellence and success of diverse scholars.