January 2017 State Policy Recap

By Aaron Goldstein

Ed Prep Matters is pleased to bring you this special feature on state policy and AACTE state chapter activity. For a recap of all state policy and state chapter in 2016, check out this blog.

Overview of State Policy Activity

This month has seen a landslide of state legislative action as the vast majority of state legislatures have convened for their 2017 legislative session. Since January 1, at least 164 state bills have been introduced that could impact various aspects of educator preparation.

Keep Up With What’s Happening in D.C.: Monthly Federal Updates From AACTE

By Deborah Koolbeck

As the new Congress and the new administration get under way, I want to remind AACTE members of an exclusive and free resource: AACTE’s monthly Federal Update webinars. We offer the same webinar twice each month, at different times and days to accommodate more members’ schedules and time zones. The presentations are recorded and posted online so that even if you miss them, you can catch up as your schedule permits.

Take Action: Receive AACTE Action Alerts and Advocate on Teacher Prep Regs

By Deborah Koolbeck

If you have not registered for the AACTE Action Alerts, you’re missing out on chances to advocate on behalf of the profession!

You don’t need to be an AACTE member to engage through this system; you just need to create a profile in our database (which is free and easy to do), if you don’t have one already.

ESSA Regulations, Deadlines Now Set for Accountability, State Plans

By Deborah Koolbeck

At the end of November, the U.S. Department of Education released its final rule for regulations on accountability, state plans, and data reporting for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Critical for educator preparation is the deadline set for states to submit their consolidated state plans (which includes requirements for Title II funds). States can submit their consolidated state plans by either April 3 or September 18, 2017.

The consolidated state plan is required to be created in consultation with key stakeholders. While educator preparation is not listed as a required stakeholder, institutions of higher education are required at the table. As your state works to develop its plan, this is an excellent opportunity to engage and make your voice heard!

Using AACTE Resources to Advance the Local Message

By Diana Rogers-Adkinson

In August, the Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR), the governing body of AACTE’s state chapters, released a set of state policy statements to enhance educator preparation. The statements represent the priorities of more than 1,100 educator preparation providers nationwide. AACTE created a customizable template in which state chapters can adapt the statements to meet their state and local needs.

The Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE) has been working on tools to advance our message with the state legislature and other key stakeholders. One of our newest assets is the ACSR State Policy Statements, which we adapted by adding a statement on our membership. MACTE has 100% participation among the state’s institutions of higher education that support educator preparation. We felt it was critical to illustrate that we are the collective voice of educator preparation in Missouri.

Member Voices: AACTE’s New Advocacy Center Timely for Professional Engagement

By Joen Larson

On Election Day, AACTE launched its new Advocacy Center – a one-stop online resource to help guide your federal and state-level advocacy. To that end, you will find handy advocacy guides, state and federal pages with key resources and links, and the opportunity to sign up for a brand-new AACTE Action Alert system.

These alerts are timely, allowing anyone who signs up to participate in e-mail-based advocacy campaigns in support of the profession. We all were reminded of the power of the constituent voice in the recent elections, and we know we need to make our individual voices (and the collective voice of the profession) heard in our states and in Washington, DC, going forward.

November 2016 Federal Update Available

By Deborah Koolbeck

Did you miss this month’s AACTE Federal Update webinar? You can now view the webinar recording and slides through the federal page of the AACTE Advocacy Center. While you’re there, you can also explore the many resources that we have compiled or created for you to advocate on the federal and state levels.

In the November webinar, I covered the results of this month’s election, reviewed the composition of congressional leadership, and looked ahead to the activities expected during the next Congress with an impact on educator preparation. I also provided a very high-level review of the final rule for teacher preparation program regulations. Lastly, we discussed critical advocacy needs such as seeking cosponsors for a bill in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and engaging at the state level on the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Learn About AACTE’s New Advocacy Center, Action Alerts

By Aaron Goldstein and Zachary VanHouten

This month, AACTE launched our new Advocacy Center – designed to provide users with the resources and timely information needed to be effective advocates at a state and federal level. Featuring a comprehensive set of new digital resources (with more on the way!), as well as a new AACTE Action Alert system, there is plenty to get engaged with now.

Please join us for a webinar Thursday, November 17, at 3:00 p.m. EST as we walk you through the Advocacy Center’s resources and the simple sign-up process for the new Action Alerts. The webinar will feature ample time for Q&A, and a recording will be made available in AACTE’s Resource Library for later viewing.

Sign up for the webinar here.

Announcing AACTE’s New Advocacy Center

By Deborah Koolbeck and Sungti Hsu

Today, we are pleased to launch the online AACTE Advocacy Center to support your work in both federal and state advocacy. Please take a moment to visit the new center and explore the resources you’ve requested!

In this one-stop center, you’ll find downloadable advocacy guides, important hyperlinks, and an assortment of other digital resources. Want to catch up on the latest Federal Update webinar or blog post? Looking for contact information for your state legislators or tips on setting up a meeting with your representatives? Give us a visit!

Webinar Recordings, Slides Available for Regulations Overview, Federal Update

By Deborah Koolbeck

Looking for resources on the new federal regulations for teacher preparation programs? Wondering what’s happening on Capitol Hill lately, or where you should be focusing your advocacy energy this fall? Then you’ll want to tap into AACTE’s Resource Library for recordings and slides from one of the four webinars I led this week.

Coalition Objects to Final Teacher Prep Regulations

By Deborah Koolbeck

On October 20, a coalition of higher education, PK-12, and state-level organizations released a statement citing concerns about the final teacher preparation program regulations released last week by the U.S. Department of Education. AACTE is one of nearly 30 organizations signing on to the statement.

Among these organizations’ concerns about the new rule are that it will decrease the likelihood of every student having access to a fully prepared teacher, disadvantage programs serving the communities that most need well-prepared teachers, and impede progress toward increasing the diversity of the teaching profession.

AACTE Webinars to Review Final Teacher Prep Regulations

By Zachary VanHouten

On October 12, the U.S. Department of Education released the final version of its teacher preparation regulations. AACTE will offer two webinars next week to discuss the regulations and discuss what implications they are likely to have for the profession.

Join AACTE’s Director of Government Relations, Deborah Koolbeck, at one of two times:

AACTE Urges Scrutiny of Final Federal Regulations for Teacher Prep. Programs

By AACTE

Press Statement

(October 12, 2016, Washington, DC) – Today, the U.S. Department of Education released its final rule on the regulations for each of our nation’s 26,000 teacher preparation programs. The official version will be published in the Federal Register by the end of the month, and the Department is expected to release guidance in the coming weeks as well. AACTE is carefully analyzing the new rule and urges members and stakeholders to do the same to determine its potential impact on the profession.

Oct. 25 Webinar to Discuss ESSA Title II Guidance From Dept. of Ed.

By Deborah Koolbeck

NOTE: This webinar has been postponed until further notice.

The U.S. Department of Education released guidance (see PDF) for the implementation of Title II of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in late September. I’ll discuss the guidance and its implications in a free webinar for AACTE members October 25 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

As you might recall, Title II of the new law is focused on recruiting, preparing, and retaining high-quality teachers, principals, and other school leaders. With many allowable uses of funds for both state and local education agencies to engage in, it is vital that educator preparation be at the table with opportunities and options in hand to support the workforce pipeline of the profession.

Congress Is Back! Join a Federal Update Webinar

By Deborah Koolbeck

As Congress returns from recess, so do the Federal Update webinars offered each month for AACTE members. This month’s update will be held September 20 and 21.

Each month, I’ll update you on what is happening in Washington, DC, related to educator preparation, and discuss how you can engage in advocacy for the profession. To accommodate a variety of schedules, each set of webinars is offered on consecutive days of the week at different times of the day.