15 Sep2017
By Olimpia Tilles
This article also appears in the September issue of Scholars Report, a monthly e-newsletter for and about the AACTE Holmes Program. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
Congratulations to Nickey F. Yates Sr., Holmes Scholar of the Month for September!
Yates is a doctoral candidate in the Ph.D. program in educational leadership at Florida A&M University. His research interests include Black superintendents’ engagement with White community constituents, PK-12 environments, and racial issues in education.
11 Sep2017
By Christina Wright Fields
New York’s Marist College is the latest AACTE member institution to join the Holmes Program. For information about how to join the program, contact Tim Finklea at tfinklea@aacte.org. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
This summer, the Education Department at Marist College partnered with the Beacon City School District to join AACTE’s Holmes Cadet Program. Marist College, located in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley, is committed to student success, innovation, and providing for social good. Joining the Holmes Cadet network supported Marist’s efforts to diversify the teacher pipeline, while connecting them to a national network of students and faculty who were passionate about the same cause.
29 Aug2017
By Jerrica Thurman
This month’s episode of Education Talk Radio spotlighted AACTE’s national Black & Hispanic/Latino Male Teachers Initiative Networked Improvement Community (NIC) and other efforts to increase men of color in the teaching workforce. In the August 9 show, host Larry Jacobs interviewed Director of College Access and Completion Michael Dennehy of Boston University (MA), Director of Call Me MISTER Roy Jones of Clemson University (SC), Associate Professor Shatriya Collier-Stewart of California State University-Northridge, Executive Director Lemuel Watson of the Center for Innovation in Higher Education at the University of South Carolina, and Behavior Interventionist Ryan Jeffery at Fairfax County Public Schools (VA).
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, just 2% of public school teachers across the country are Black males and fewer are Hispanic males. AACTE’s national NIC initiative helps institutions identify innovative strategies to increase the percentage of Black and Hispanic/Latino men receiving initial teaching certification through their preparation programs.
11 Aug2017
By Shawn Karim and Kristin McCabe
During AACTE’s membership renewal season, some of our most active members are sharing what AACTE means to them. For this article, AACTE intern Shawn Karim interviewed Board of Directors member Monika Williams Shealey, who is dean of the College of Education at Rowan University (NJ). Learn more about membership here.
Monika Williams Shealey (front) poses with Holmes Scholars in front of the U.S. Capitol building during AACTE’s 2017 Washington Week.
25 Jul2017
By Carolyn Hopp
The 4th annual University of Central Florida (UCF) and Florida A&M University (FAMU) Holmes Dissertation Symposium and Retreat will take place October 27-28 on the UCF campus. AACTE Holmes Program participants, members of the National Association of Holmes Scholars Alumni (NAHSA), faculty mentors, and university officials will gather to engage in scholarly conversations about the dissertation process as well as other timely topics such as grant writing, faculty mentoring of diverse students, postdoctoral career choices, the tenure and promotion process, and self-advocacy.
Since its inception in 2014, the UCF-FAMU Dissertation Retreat has become a mainstay in supporting Holmes Scholars’ journey to the doctorate. Sheila Moore (FAMU) and I serve as co-coordinators of the retreat. We had a vision to bring together Holmes Scholars from all over the country to engage in scholarship and collegiality, and that vision became a reality when the first Dissertation Retreat and Research Symposium was held on the campus of FAMU in 2014.
24 Jul2017
By Jacob Easley II
During AACTE’s membership renewal season, some of our most active members are sharing what AACTE means to them. Learn more about membership here.
When I first became involved with AACTE, I could not have imagined the influence the organization would have on my career nor the scope of opportunities to contribute to the professional landscape that would follow. For me and so many others, AACTE is like the ceiba, or the tree of life, with deep roots that anchor the profession and a large canopy that sustains myriad resources.
My relationship with AACTE has been a long time in the making, beginning with nascent engagement as a doctoral student in the Holmes Scholars Program. I participated in the first summer policy institute for the Holmes Scholars, organized back then by the Holmes Partnership, George Washington University, and AACTE. That single experience set me on a path toward a wonderful career as a scholar advocate.
29 Jun2017
By Carlos Richardson
Congratulations to Whitney Watkins, Holmes Scholar of the Month for June-July 2017! Watkins is a third-year doctoral candidate in the Higher Education and Policy Studies Ed.D. program at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Watkins recently completed a 2-year tenure as president of the Holmes Scholars Council, marked by her heart and passion for equity and diversity. Putting forth all efforts into the Holmes Program expansion, she was excited to see the organization grow.
At UCF, Watkins teaches at least two classes a semester focusing on student leadership and development, often with a heavy focus on diversity initiatives. In addition, she serves as the adviser for two student organizations on her campus and mentors countless individual students from a variety of backgrounds, reflecting her incredible passion for college student development and leadership.
20 Jun2017
By Dana Dunwoody
Participants in the Holmes Summer Policy Institute in Arlington, VA, during AACTE’s 2017 Washington Week
AACTE’s 2017 Washington Week brought two dozen Holmes Program students from across the country to learn and advocate together in the nation’s capital. It was grand to reconnect with Holmes members I had not seen in months, to meet new members, and to network with leaders of the state chapters of AACTE – and of course to elevate our voices collectively in the halls of Congress!
20 Jun2017
By Shawn Karim
The latest monthly episode of Education Talk Radio spotlighted the AACTE Holmes Program and other efforts to increase the diversity of the U.S. teaching workforce. In the June 14 show, host Larry Jacobs was joined by Dean Monika Shealey of Rowan University (NJ), Student Services Director Jarren Jeffery of Mount Vernon High School (Fairfax County, VA), current Holmes Scholars Janelle Alexander (Rowan University) and Dana Dunwoody (Boston University, MA), recent Holmes alumnus Ahmed Fahad (University of Cincinnati, OH), and AACTE’s Tim Finklea.
Schools across the country have more diverse student populations than ever, yet the teaching workforce is still predominantly White and female. The AACTE Holmes Program, which for decades has supported students from historically underrepresented backgrounds pursuing doctorates in education, was expanded 3 years ago to include master’s, undergraduate, and even high school students in an effort to provide deeper support in the pipeline of future educators.
13 Jun2017
By Jerrica Thurman, Ciera Simms and Shawn Karim
During the AACTE Washington Week, June 4-7, teacher educators, preservice teachers, and PK-12 school administrators united under the event theme “Diverse Perspectives, Deep Partnerships, One Profession.” The convening brought together attendees from across the nation to discuss important education policies and advocate for educator preparation with members of Congress and their staff.
06 Jun2017
By Dana Dunwoody
Since 1991, various iterations of the AACTE Holmes Program have catered to doctoral students from historically underrepresented backgrounds by providing conferences, mentoring, and other support. Since then, more than 700 Holmes Scholars have completed their terminal degree and moved beyond their student careers into research, policy, and academic positions across the nation. With Holmes’ growth into other education levels in the past 2 years, the Holmes Scholars Council is reaching out to our younger colleagues to determine their needs and how we might better tailor the program to meet them.
The Holmes community now consists of high school students (Holmes Cadets), undergraduates (Holmes Honors), master’s students (Holmes Master’s), and doctoral candidates (Holmes Scholars). To better serve all of our Holmes students, the council would like to hear from each member at the new levels – Cadets, Honors, and Master’s. Please encourage all of these Holmes students to take our needs assessment survey this month – it is anonymous and should take only 5-10 minutes to complete.
05 Jun2017
By AACTE
AACTE issued the following press release today to mark the opening of the 2017 AACTE Washington Week:
(June 5, 2017, Washington, D.C.) – The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is hosting its 2017 Washington Week through Wednesday, bringing teacher educators from across the nation to Capitol Hill and to the Renaissance Arlington Capital View hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The conference, themed “Diverse Perspectives, Deep Partnerships, One Profession,” offers attendees opportunities to showcase their programs, discuss important education policies and advocate for educator preparation in meetings with members of Congress.
08 May2017
By Whitney Watkins
Holmes Scholar Whitney Watkins, past president of the Holmes Scholars Council, reflects on her participation in last year’s Holmes Summer Policy Institute. This year’s institute will be held June 5. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
Such an awesome and fulfilling time was had at the 2016 Holmes Summer Policy Institute during AACTE’s Washington Week! From the connections I made with other Holmes participants to the relationships I built with professionals in the education field, the experience was one to remember.
18 Apr2017
By Rebecca Gutierrez
Have you seen the latest issue of Scholars Report, the monthly e-newsletter from the AACTE Holmes Scholars Council? This free publication highlights the work of Holmes Program participants as well as opportunities and resources for the community. View the full newsletter here or read on for highlights from this month’s issue.
18 Apr2017
By Shalander Samuels
Congratulations to April Holmes Scholar of the Month Dwayne Cormier!
Cormier is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University, studying curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on curriculum and supervision. His research interests include how culture and context influence engagement in educational settings, as well as the impact of memes on the thoughts and ideals of citizens.
A military veteran and former executive director of a nonprofit organization that changed the lives of young people through the game of golf, Cormier recognized the need to aid students of color in the education system and vowed to make an impact in the classroom through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Over the years, his experiences in and outside of the classroom have given him insight on the inequities facing students, preservice and in-service teachers, and administration in educational organizations.
