Registration Now Open for AACTE Washington Week, June 5-8

By Jerrica Thurman

Registration is now open for AACTE’s Washington Week, a set of advocacy-focused events held annually in the nation’s capital. Under the theme “Diverse Perspectives, Deep Partnerships, One Profession,” this year’s Washington Week will be held June 5-8 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA, and on Capitol Hill. Please join us to deliberate on provocative issues in the profession, experience interactive sessions with industry leaders, and showcase your work with legislators.

Holmes Scholars Give, Receive Much at AACTE

By Whitney Watkins and Omar Davis

During last month’s AACTE Annual Meeting, the Holmes Program preconference events brought together 74 Holmes Scholars, at least 15 coordinators, and numerous alumni from across the nation. The events, facilitated by the Holmes Scholars Council, AACTE, and the National Association of Holmes Scholars Alumni (NAHSA), included participants from 17 member institutions, more than a dozen presenters, and the program’s first cohort of undergraduate students, known as Holmes Honors students. Attendees shared their research, held a variety of formal and informal meetings, and elected new leaders for the coming year.

While attending, we observed the act of relationship building during program sessions and after hours where the new relations began to take root. Participants were clearly excited about the opportunities to connect with peers from around the nation and to participate in conference sessions that were inspiring and powerful. Representatives from AACTE and NAHSA answered what seemed like endless inquiries about program implementation and growth strategies. Considering the overall feedback from participants, all in attendance walked away with a wealth of knowledge as well as new friends and colleagues.

AACTE Major Forum Explores Pathways Needed to Advance Diversity Through Recruitment, Retention Strategies

By Melvin Bogard and Amanda Lester

Holmes Scholar Whitney Watkins shares a student’s perspective during a major forum at the AACTE 68th Annual Meeting

Over the past few years, AACTE has been leading efforts to advance teacher diversity in the education workforce through the establishment of the AACTE Black and Hispanic/Latino Male Teachers Initiative Networked Improvement Community (NIC) and the expansion of the AACTE Holmes Program. Both initiatives are dedicated to increasing the recruitment and retention of educators from historically underrepresented groups into the education profession. The NIC’s work is identifying and testing strategies to increase the recruitment and retention of Black, Hispanic, and Latino males in the teaching workforce, and the Holmes Program supports aspiring educators at various points in their education careers to enter teaching, administration, policy, and the professoriate.  

Stories of Impact: Valuing Diversity at Ohio University’s Patton College

By Melvin Bogard

Ed Prep Matters is featuring “Stories of Impact” to showcase AACTE member institutions with educator preparation programs that are making a positive impact in their communities and beyond through innovative practices. We are committed to sharing members’ success stories and encourage you to do the same.

As America and its school-age population grow increasingly diverse, educator preparation programs are striving to recruit and prepare more teachers from historically underrepresented groups. Statistics show that by 2050, the United States will have no clear racial or ethnic majority, yet the educator workforce remains largely White—a mismatch decried as violating students’ educational civil rights.

Wilkerson Named February Scholar of the Month

By Whitney Watkins

Congratulations to February Scholar of the Month Amanda Wilkerson!

Wilkerson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Central Florida. Her research interests are historically Black colleges and universities, college transition programming for first-generation, low-income students, and program evaluation, curriculum development, and instrument design for Freshman Year Seminar.

“Amanda is truly a dynamic educator, scholar, and individual,” said Wilkerson’s nominator. “Her passion for social change is one of her many facets that I admire and am inspired by. You never leave the same after having an encounter with Ms. Amanda Wilkerson, and her future college presidency will surely bode well for the institution being served under her leadership. It is my honor to nominate such an outstanding woman!”

McKinney Named December Scholar of the Month

By Whitney Watkins

Congratulations to December Scholar of the Month Robert McKinney!

McKinney is a doctoral student in the counselor education program at Kent State University (OH). His research interests are multicultural competency in counseling, LBGTQQI issues, and pedagogical styles in counselor education.

Currently, McKinney serves as secretary of the executive board for the Chi Sigma Iota counseling honors fraternity and is considered among the top 5% of counseling doctoral students enrolled in the university’s 2015 cohort.

‘Transformative Mentoring’ at Dissertation Symposium/Retreat

By Terrance McNeil and Desmond Hodge

Six months have passed since the 2015 Holmes Scholars Dissertation Retreat at Florida A&M University (FAMU). It was an honor and pleasure to work with my colleagues as we coordinated the last two retreats, and we owe special thanks to Carolyn Hopp and Sheila Moore for organizing the 2015 event. Now we’ve begun preparations for the third annual retreat—to be held May 27-28, 2016, this time at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

Highlights of the 2015 event included a welcoming lunch and keynote address, breakout sessions to assist students at all phases of the dissertation process, and outstanding support provided by Holmes mentors, university faculty, and even many who were not affiliated with our network, such as writing coach Vernetta Williams.

Towns Named November Scholar of the Month

Congratulations to November Scholar of the Month Leonard D. Towns!

By Whitney Watkins

Towns is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology at Auburn University (AL). His research interests include educational theory, policy, and program evaluation.

His role as an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at Tuskegee University (AL) has allowed him to mentor future scholars and professionals. His encouragement of research has resulted in conference presentations by his students.

Join the Growing Roster Diversifying the Profession in AACTE’s Holmes Program

By Hannah Maes

The AACTE Holmes Program recently welcomed nine new participating institutions, joining dozens of other educator preparation programs across the country that are providing targeted support to historically underrepresented students in education.

The following institutions signed up this fall to participate in the program, signifying their commitment to diversifying the teacher workforce:

Learn How Teacher Educators Are Advancing Diversity in Teacher Workforce

By Amanda Lester and Omar Davis

Please join AACTE November 17 for a free webinar highlighting three AACTE member and partner initiatives that are developing strategies and action to increase diversity in the teaching workforce.

A recent report by the Albert Shanker Institute, The State of Teacher Diversity in American Education, identifies teacher diversity in our nation’s schools as “an educational civil right for students” that is not adequately represented in the current educator workforce. In AACTE’s webinar, “Advancing Diversity in the Teaching Workforce: Three Initiatives Working Toward Solutions,” participants in three initiatives will “tell the story” of their work, providing the background for their initiative, the key issues and challenges they are addressing, and the progress they have made to identify solutions.

Solomon Named Scholar of the Month

By Whitney Watkins

Congratulations to October Holmes Scholar of the Month Coralis Solomon!

Solomon is a second-year doctoral student in the counselor education program at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Her research interests are mindfulness and self-compassion in counseling.

Solomon has worked in La Amistad, a community agency where she provided mental health services to individuals suffering from traumatic experiences. She is currently coordinating an in-school community counseling clinic for a partnership with the UCF counselor education program and Seminole County Public Schools. This endeavor is serving as an excellent opportunity for counseling students to get a chance to work with a population they may not see in the clinic on campus. In addition, this partnership offers free services to families so they can take advantage of mental health counseling that they may not otherwise be able to afford.

LaMarcus Hall Is Sept. Scholar of the Month

By Whitney Watkins

Congratulations to September 2015 Holmes Scholar of the Month LaMarcus Hall!

Hall is a second-year doctoral candidate in the curriculum and instruction program at Purdue University. His research interest is cultural spaces for underrepresented minorities in higher education.

Since joining the Holmes Scholars Program at the beginning of this summer, Hall has made a breakout performance in his role as a Holmes Scholar at his institution. His nominator was incredibly impressed with his contributions to the field, as well as his array of other accomplishments.

Interact With Holmes Scholars on Social Media

By Whitney Watkins

The AACTE Holmes Scholars® Program thrives because of the strong connections and networks built within its framework and through the amazing efforts of the membership. To make sure the strength of that assembly is continually being nourished, we are implementing a social media/communications plan that aims to improve engagement and participation among Holmes Scholars and the profession more broadly.

I encourage all Holmes Scholars and other interested students/faculty to join our social media interactions! Our Facebook and Twitter presence aims to meet the following objectives:

Jessica Henry Named August’s Holmes Scholar of the Month

By Whitney Watkins

Jessica Henry, Ohio University Holmes Scholar

Congratulations to August Holmes Scholar of the Month Jessica Henry!

Henry is a doctoral candidate at Ohio University. Her research interests are mental health and rehabilitation.

Henry’s nominator had this to say about her: “A rehabilitation counselor by trade, it is Jessica’s life goal to improve the quality of life for everyone that she comes into contact with. Jessica epitomizes strength and resilience and leads by example.”

AACTE Holmes Scholars Program to Expand Support of Diverse Students

William Paterson University of New Jersey to Pilot Expansion to Undergraduate, Master’s Students

By Rodrick Lucero and Omar Davis

AACTE is expanding the AACTE Holmes Scholars® doctoral-level program to also support underrepresented students at earlier stages of their education careers. Beginning this fall, William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, will pilot the new programs for undergraduates and master’s-level students to help diversify the education workforce.

Currently, participation in the Holmes Scholars Program is open to all AACTE member institutions with doctoral programs in education. The newly expanded Holmes Program will reach high school students through the Holmes Cadets Program, undergraduates through the Holmes Honors Program, and master’s-level students through the Holmes Master’s Program. The peer network will continue to feature prominently across all levels, with doctoral Holmes Scholars mentoring Master’s and Honors students just as the scholars benefit from mentoring through the alumni network.