15 Feb2022
By Nicole Dunn
This 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.
08 Feb2022
By Nicole Dunn and Jacqueline Rodriguez
AACTE is committed to tackling systematic censorship within our country’s education system, alongside our members and partners, and it does so through an intersectional lens.
As an organization whose mission is to revolutionize education for all learners, AACTE developed the Racial and Social Justice Resource Hub to be a place for members to learn, grow, inquire, and share resources with one another that address social injustices and advocate for the preparation of profession-ready educators.
The Hub includes three sections: Education Censorship, Combating Racism, and LGBTQ+ Rights. Each section offers resources created by AACTE and its members and strategic partners, including articles, webinars and workshops, curriculum tools, and calls for action. Considering the ongoing efforts underway that limit educators’ teaching and discussion of our nation’s history, and other so-called divisive topics, AACTE is encouraging members to engage with the Hub to support your own teaching and scholarship.
01 Feb2022
By Jacqueline King
As PK-12 schools, colleges, and universities around the country cope with the surge of coronavirus cases, AACTE’s fall 2021 member survey is drawing public attention to the pandemic’s continuing impact on educator preparation. The teacher shortage is now front-page news, and AACTE’s survey is providing vital information on how COVID-19 is affecting the supply of new teachers, counselors, and other educators.
AACTE members can access a free copy of the survey report and view a short video summary of key results. A new infographic provides a quick visual representation to share on social media.
14 Dec2021
By Jacqueline King
Since spring 2020, when schools and colleges around the country switched to online instruction due to COVID-19, AACTE has periodically surveyed members on the impact of the pandemic on educator preparation. A new report updates that series with information collected in fall 2021. It describes how conditions have changed since 2020, highlighting the lasting effects of the pandemic.
This report contains a lot of good news regarding the resumption of in-person instruction and field experience and the easing of enrollment and budget reductions. Nonetheless, the effects of COVID-19 linger for many institutions, with a sizable minority of respondents reporting significant enrollment losses, budget cuts, and staffing reductions. State licensing requirements have been reinstated, but some states are creating opportunities for prospective teachers to circumvent those rules, which may negatively affect enrollment in educator preparation programs and exacerbate the current shortage of profession-ready educators in the workforce.
07 Dec2021
By Katrina Norfleet
CNN’s Katie Lobosco recently reported on President’s Biden’s universal pre-K plan that would make preschool available and affordable for six million more children and the resulting challenge of hiring “tens of thousands” of new teachers. In referring to the teaching shortage, Lobosco writes, “The average number of college graduates who completed teacher preparation programs fell 24% between the 2009-10 and 2018-19 academic years, according to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.”
29 Nov2021
By Linda Minor
Want to know everything that is happening at the 2022 AACTE Annual Meeting? The Event Planner has the entire schedule for each day (all times listed in the Event Planner are Central Time).
Once you have logged in to the Event Planner, you will be able to
- Browse the Full Schedule – Use the search field at the top to locate sessions by presenter name (first or last), title, keywords, and other fields.
- Access Session Information – See a session you might be interested in? Just click on the session title to access a description and list of presenters.
- Share Your Work with Other Attendees – Want to get other attendees interested in your session? If you are the presenter of a session, upload your slides, handouts, and other documents at any time. Just click on your session and then click the “manage handouts” button on the bottom.
22 Nov2021
By Meghan Grenda
As you probably know, AACTE recently launched its new online community— Connect360. The Connect360 platform is an engaging and interactive virtual platform that brings together AACTE’s community of over 15,000 individuals in an exciting way. Members are able to start discussions and ask questions of fellow AACTE members, comment on each other’s posts, share best practices, and create their own unique member profile.
With over 20 communities, hundreds of resources, and dozens of discussions, there is a home for everyone. Below are just a few of the news communities:
15 Nov2021
By Meghan Grenda
As the fall semester creeps to a close, it’s easy to forget about all that is available to you via your AACTE membership. Check out these member resources:
Resource Library – Have you accessed 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 the improved AACTE Resource Library. Feel free to view some of the latest resources below:
06 Oct2021
By Meghan Grenda
Connect360 is your new, members-only, virtual platform that brings together AACTE’s community of over 15,000 individuals in a collaborative way. It’s your opportunity to share best practices, connect with colleagues, and engage in ongoing conversations.
With over 20 communities to join, there is a home for everyone. Check out the newest communities:
- Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR) – The Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR) operates as the governing body of the AACTE state chapter associations of colleges for teacher education. ACSR meets to advise the national organization on state policy issues and helps to set the policy agenda for the coming year. If you are a member of an AACTE state chapter, please join this community.
- Holmes Program – The AACTE Holmes Program supports students who self-identify as racially and ethnically diverse and are pursuing graduate degrees in education at AACTE member institutions. If you are a Holmes Scholar or coordinator, we encourage you to join this community.
- Military Affiliation and Educator Preparation Topical Action Group (TAG) –This TAG aims to highlight longstanding connections between the military and education as well as cultivate new opportunities between the two. This TAG community is open to all AACTE members.
01 Oct2021
By Meghan Grenda
The AACTE membership team is working to deliver tools and resources to enhance members’ career development, provide answers to current challenges, and present opportunities to network and engage with other professionals in the field.
We encourage you to check out some of the new and/or enhanced member resources below to ensure you are taking full advantage of all that is offered to you via your AACTE membership. Remember, these tools and resources are available to all faculty, staff, and even students at AACTE member institutions.
27 Aug2021
By Meghan Grenda
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)
25 Aug2021
By Robert 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.
20 Aug2021
By Gaelle Gilbert
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
16 Aug2021
By Meghan Grenda
I am excited to announce that AACTE is enhancing your member experience with easier access to information and greater customization capabilities. Our new membership database upgrade is now complete and fully communicates with AACTE’s website, tools, and online communities. This new technology provides seamless access to all tools and resources in a user-friendly format.
You must reset your password to access all AACTE resources, including the Profile Manager, Event Registration, Membership Directory, Resource Library, and Connect360. AACTE members can use this start guide to walk you step-by-step through navigating the new system. Topics to explore include:
05 Aug2021
By Gaelle Gilbert
Series one, episode five of the AACTE Podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available.
The latest episode features one of the largest Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the nation, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), embarking 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 UTRGV share what they have 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.
Listen now to Episode 5: Transformiing Teacher Preparation
