02 Sep2021
By Meghan Grenda
AACTE’s Member Spotlight features an individual from a member institution, highlighting how their work makes a difference in classrooms across the country. Nominate yourself or another member by providing a response to the following questions and sending to mgrenda@aacte.org.
Get to know Shandra Claiborne-Payton …
Position/Institution: Assistant Professor, Virginia State University
(Also serving at Executive Director for VSU CENTERS STEM Initiatives)
Number of years in your position: 5 years
Alma Mater(s): Ed.D Curriculum and Instructional Leadership, Northcentral University
Hometown: Chesterfield, VA
- How long have you been a member of AACTE?
I have been a member of AACTE for 6 years.
- Why did you join AACTE?
AACTE was the first professional organization I was introduced to as a young faculty. I was also intrigued by their mission to be the leading voice for educator preparation. AACTE provides a variety of opportunities for its members to grow, connect with like-minded individuals, and to learn how to be an advocate for teacher education. Joining AACTE has been a great fit for me to spread my wings and get active.
02 Sep2021
By AACTE
02 Sep2021
By Joshua P. Starr
The 53rd annual PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools reveals that despite the challenges of the pandemic, Americans have high opinions of their local schools and teachers in particular. Similarly, respondents have an overall positive opinion on their local school’s ability to handle potential challenges in the new school year.
The poll found that about two-thirds of adults overall, and as many K-12 public school parents, give their community’s public school teachers an A or B grade for their pandemic response. More generally, 63% of the public give their community’s public schools overall an A or B grade. As is customarily the case, public schools nationally fare less well with about 4 in 10 adults giving the overall national public school pandemic response and A or B grade.
02 Sep2021
By Jerrica Thurman
Are you following highlights of the AACTE 2021 Washington Week on Facebook and Twitter at #AACTEWW21? In addition to blog posts and testimonial videos, AACTE recently released a Washington Week infographic on social media. Check it out below!
02 Sep2021
By Meghan Grenda
Mark R. Shibles Jr., former member of the AACTE Board of Directors and former dean and professor emeritus for the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut, passed away on Tuesday, August 24 at the age of 83.
With an unwavering commitment to education, Dr. Shibles’ career began as a high school history teacher, followed by 30 years of service as a faculty member and former dean of the Neag School of Education. During his tenure, he taught graduate level courses in educational leadership and served as advisor for over 130 Ph.D. students.
In addition to being a longstanding AACTE member, Dr. Shibles served on the AACTE Board of Directors, was president of the National Association of Colleges and Schools of Education in State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and Affiliated Private Universities, and was the founder and director of the University of Connecticut Center for Education Policy Analysis.
02 Sep2021
By AACTE
Join AACTE for the second session in its virtual
Leadership Academy Series, “
When Thinking Wrong is Right: Purposeful Disruption of the Status Quo,” on Wednesday, October 20, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET. This session, facilitated by Patty Alvarez McHatton, senior vice president at Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity, and Kandi Hill-Clarke, dean of the College of Education at Memphis University, will cover:
- How do you find time to reflect, explore and innovate when work has become more intense and overwhelming?
- How do you challenge the status quo by applying lessons learned from this past year of working, teaching, and learning remotely?
- How do you disrupt the ordinary to consider when thinking wrong is the right thing to do?
Get ready to flex your “thinking wrong” muscles in this engaging, reflective, and fun session. Attendees will participate in open discussion, followed by small group interactive exercises, to put into practice thinking wrong to do right.
Register today at
aacte.org. AACTE members can attend this session, the third session in January 2022, and even access the recording of the first session, at one low registration rate of $99. Space is limited so secure your spot now!
02 Sep2021
By Brian P. Yusko
Brian P. Yusko, president of the Ohio Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, provides insight into the impact the State Leaders Institute has on state leaders and affiliate members in the Q&A article.
Why do you believe it is important for AACTE members to actively advocate for education?
In our current political climate, educational policy is highly contested, with strong advocates for multiple competing goals of schooling. Many lawmakers feel comfortable proposing changes in P-12 educational policy without necessarily understanding all the implications for teacher preparation. If teacher educators are not at the table, policymakers are liable to make decisions that run counter to what we know about quality teacher education.
01 Sep2021
By Kristien Zenkov
The Teacher Educators’ Journal, is the journal of the newly formed Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (from the merging of ATE-Virginia and the Virginia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education). The journal is published once per year, in electronic form. Please review the call for proposals as we continue to expand the reach—research shared and readership—of the journal beyond Virginia.
The Call
The Teacher Educators’ Journal (TTEJ) is published by the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE), a state unit of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). The journal aims to stimulate discussion and reflection about issues related to teacher education. Manuscripts submitted for consideration may be research/empirical reports and analyses, position papers, book reviews, or conceptual essays.
01 Sep2021
By Ward Cummings
AACTE recently joined the Learning Policy Institute to announce the formation of the Teacher Licensure Collaborative (TLC), a partnership of interested states building on the work of the Whole Child Policy Table, to advance revisions of state licensure and certification standards to incorporate whole child practices and ensure alignment with the science of learning and development.
Led by the Learning Policy Institute, with support of AACTE, the TLC will help advance revisions of state licensure and certification standards, incorporate whole child practices—including social and emotional learning (SEL)—and ensure alignment with the science of learning and development.
01 Sep2021
By Ward Cummings
The Ohio Department of Education recently announced the Diversifying the Education Profession Grant Awardees, 20 school districts that will work over two and a half years to implement strategies to address the diversity needs within their faculty and staff.
According to the Ohio Department of Education, the state has significantly more minority students than minority teachers in its public schools. Ample research shows that teachers of color help students of color perform better academically, socially, and emotionally, and the benefits translate into higher test scores, increased likeliness of staying in school, and lower likeliness of chronic absences and discipline incidents.
30 Aug2021
By Nichole Spalding
The Practice-Based Learning Opportunities Affinity Group will host its first meeting on September 29, 2021, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. This Affinity Group (AG) will explore practice-based learning opportunities (PLOs) as a model for supporting teacher educators’ use of high-leverage practices (HLPs) and evidence-based practices (EBPs). PLOs afford educators opportunities to apply content knowledge and pedagogy in coursework, professional development workshops, and authentic classroom situations. During interactive meetings, the AG will explore topics such as practice and the role it plays in teacher learning; practice-based learning opportunities, such as structured video analysis, simulated interactions, microteaching; strategies for connecting simulated practice opportunities with authentic practice opportunities; and strategies for developing prerequisite knowledge for candidates and teachers.
30 Aug2021
By Jacqueline Rodriguez
In the past year, Congress set aside billions for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund.
To help educator preparation programs effectively allocate those funds, GoReact and AACTE put together a panel of national, state, and university teacher prep professionals. They’ll dig into one state—Tennessee—that has used ESSER funds to support a statewide Grow Your Own Program to address teacher shortages and diversify the profession.
In this free workshop, our panelists will
- Analyze one particular state’s strategy for ESSER funds
- Share how ALL teacher prep programs can effectively use emergency relief funds
- Provide a resource AACTE has developed to support EPPs and Local Education Agencies to create a pathway into teaching
- Answer participant questions
27 Aug2021
By Linda Minor
Have you or do you know someone who recently completed a prize-worthy doctoral dissertation related to educator preparation? Help spread the word that AACTE has extended the deadline to Wednesday, September 15 to offer more time to submit an application for the AACTE Outstanding Dissertation Award.
This award recognizes excellence in research (or its equivalent) that contributes to the knowledge base of educator preparation or of teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. The Outstanding Dissertation Award includes a $1,000 cash prize, as well as special recognition at AACTE’s 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, March 4-6, 2022.
27 Aug2021
By Michael Rose
AACTE’s annual Day on the Hill, the association’s premiere advocacy event, is scheduled for September 21-23. It is a unique opportunity to engage with your Members of Congress about the critical work you do. But some may wonder, “What do I get out of participating?”
First and foremost, you can explain to policymakers the importance of the teaching profession and why it is important to invest in teacher preparation programs to help address the teacher shortage and diversify the profession. Even before the pandemic, the teacher shortage was a critical issue for our nation. Studies and news reports indicate that COVID will make the problem more acute. Fortunately, President Biden has proposed historic funding increases for programs AACTE has long supported, like the Teacher Quality Partnerships, and doubling of the TEACH Grants, which are critical to training student to teach in high needs schools or fields. Your voice is critical to helping this legislation pass.
27 Aug2021
By Lynn M. Gangone
This article originally appeared in The Hechinger Report.
Long before the pandemic, school districts across the nation struggled to staff classrooms with skilled teachers. The crisis did not create the teacher shortage, but it accelerated teacher retirements and other departures while contributing to declining enrollments in educator preparation programs.
Our nation’s education system spans national, state, district, classroom and community levels. Many rightly wonder if this ecosystem’s demand for qualified teachers can be met in the post-pandemic era.
To do so, we need deeper—and more active—collaborations to address the multiple layers of challenges inside the teaching profession so that we can effectively recruit, train and retain more teachers.
