28 May2024
By Sohyun Meacham
During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI), a deeply engaging dialogue unfolded at the University of Northern Iowa, featuring Holmes Scholars Tiffiany Evans and Nimisha Joshi, alongside their mentors, Shuaib “Meach” Meacham and Sohyun “Soh” Meacham. This discussion brought forth a comprehensive exploration of their experiences and insights into leadership within the realm of educator preparation, particularly from the perspective of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Tiffiany, whose leadership shines within her role at an elementary school library, took a significant step by inviting Soh as a guest speaker for AANHPI Heritage Month. This act of leadership highlighted her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of AANHPI issues within her school community.
24 May2024
By Amelia Q. Rivera
By Amelia Q. Rivera, Holmes Council Vice President, North Carolina State University
ParKer Bryant, a third-year Ph.D. student in literacy education at Syracuse University, is the Holmes Scholar of the Month for May. Bryant’s research explores the intersections of imagination, creativity, language, and literacy – with a particular focus on developing critical literacy curricula and instruction for Black youth.
Bryant’s path to becoming a literacy researcher and educator was shaped by their upbringing in a household that prioritized education, creativity, and storytelling. “Books, music, movies, and imaginative play flowed in quantity in my mother’s home,” they reflect. “This led to my relationship with understanding knowledge, activating my imagination, and co-creating narratives that were transferable to real-world understandings.”
21 May2024
By Nicholas Hartlep and Rachel Endo
The “Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective” series is a multi-article study that aims to share the discoveries of a yearlong study that Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D., and Rachel Endo, Ph.D., undertook during the 2023–2024 academic year. Their qualitative study explored the experiences of current and former Asian/American Education Preparation Program (EPP) leaders via surveys and interviews. Join AACTE for the “Building Intentional Pathways for Asian/Americans and Other BIPOC Faculty to Advance in EPP Leadership,” webinar, an opportunity to delve deeper into themes beyond those explored in the series. Register now for this insightful session on May 29 at 12 p.m. EST.
Introduction
The average time as an EPP leader for the Asian/Americans interviewed and surveyed was 9.4 years, with a range of 1 to 37 years and a median time of six years. Half of those who responded (n = 6) indicated they wanted to become an EPP leader. One-third said they wished to advance beyond their current EPP role at their current institution (n = 9). Only two of nine said they wanted to be EPP leaders at different institutions. Both expressed dissatisfaction with their current level of compensation. Further, the same two indicated they would like to advance their EPP role at different institutions. Figure 1 shows a breakdown of survey respondents’ perceptions of diversity at their current institution and Figure 2 depicts their satisfaction with their compensation.
20 May2024
Article 5 of Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective
By Nicholas Hartlep and Rachel Endo
The “Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective” series is a multi-article study that aims to share the discoveries of a yearlong study that Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D., and Rachel Endo, Ph.D., undertook during the 2023–2024 academic year. Their qualitative study explored the experiences of current and former Asian/American Education Preparation Program (EPP) leaders via surveys and interviews. Join AACTE for the “Building Intentional Pathways for Asian/Americans and Other BIPOC Faculty to Advance in EPP Leadership,” webinar, an opportunity to delve deeper into themes beyond those explored in the series. Register now for this insightful session on May 29 at 12 p.m. EST.
When the study was being designed, it was determined early on to include an advisory board that would help peer-review its design, execution, and text. The co-authors sought current and former Asian/American educator preparation program (EPP) leaders to be on the board as well as subject-matter experts on the Asian/American education experience. Ethnic, gender, and generational balance and institutional and geographic representation were also included in the study. In the end, the following scholar leaders were on the advisory board (see Supplemental Advisory Board Members).
14 May2024
Article 4 of Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective
By Nicholas Hartlep and Rachel Endo
Most would agree, even if they have never been one, that being a dean is difficult work; the average tenure of an education dean is four (4) to six (6) years (Wepner & Henk, 2020). But we do not know if there are differentials based on the person’s race/ethnicity. One level of Whiteness in EPPs is the faculty and staff who work within them. EPPs are composed of mostly White teacher education faculty who teach their pre-service teacher education students using a White-framed curriculum. Another level of Whiteness is the epistemologies that White EPP leaders deploy (Scheurich & Young, 1997; Teo, 2022). The authors of this article have experienced this latter form of Whiteness when they interviewed for EPP leadership positions (see Hartlep, 2025).
14 May2024
Article 3 of Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective
By Nicholas Hartlep and Rachel Endo
The “Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective” series is a multi-article study that aims to share the discoveries of a yearlong study that Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D., and Rachel Endo, Ph.D., undertook during the 2023–2024 academic year. Their qualitative study explored the experiences of current and former Asian/American Education Preparation Program (EPP) leaders via surveys and interviews.
What is Critical Race Theory?
An extensive overview of Critical Race Theory (CRT) is located online. Tara J. Yosso, in her article “Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth” shares the image below that shows the different branches of CRT. Yosso writes, “CRT’s branches are not mutually exclusive or in contention with one another. Naming, theorizing, and mobilizing from the intersections of racism, need not initiate some sort of oppression sweepstakes—a competition to measure one form of oppression against another” (2005, pp. 72–73).
14 May2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to increase access to school-based mental health services, including (1) nearly doubling investments in the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) and Mental Health Service Professionals (MHSP) grant programs in the current Fiscal Year; (2) making additional investments through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) to improve the mental health and wellbeing of students and educators; and (3) offering new mental health and wellbeing trainings and resources for schools and educators.
“Today’s announcements affirm the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to tackling our youth mental health crisis,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We know students are more likely to access mental health support if it’s offered in schools. By nearly doubling funds this year for school-based mental health professionals, releasing additional funds to help advance a variety of mental health strategies, and providing additional training and resources, we are raising the bar for student wellbeing across the country.”
06 May2024
Article 2 of Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective
By Rachel Endo and Nicholas Hartlep
The “Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective” series is a multi-article study that aims to share the discoveries of a yearlong study that Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D., and Rachel Endo, Ph.D., undertook during the 2023–2024 academic year. Their qualitative study explored the experiences of current and former Asian/American Education Preparation Program (EPP) leaders via surveys and interviews. The first two articles of this series will set the stage for continuation.
In this article, the authors highlight current demographic trends of PK-12 teachers/students and higher education faculty/students. The authors argue that there is a democratic imperative that educator preparation programs (EPPs) diversify their leadership.
06 May2024
Article 1 of Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective
By Rachel Endo and Nicholas Hartlep
Introduction
The “Exploring Leadership Diversity in Educator Preparation Programs: An Asian/American Perspective” series is a multi-article study that aims to share the discoveries of a yearlong study that Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D., and Rachel Endo, Ph.D., undertook during the 2023–2024 academic year. Their qualitative study explored the experiences of current and former Asian/American Education Preparation Program (EPP) leaders via surveys and interviews. The first two articles of this series will set the stage for continuation.
In this article, the authors introduce themselves and their leadership perspectives as Asian/Americans. This thought leadership series is being sponsored by AACTE and focuses on Asian/American Leaders of educator preparation programs (EPPs).
08 Apr2024
By Nicole Dunn
We invite you to join AACTE in celebrating Arab American Heritage Month. This annual observance is a significant opportunity to recognize and honor the vibrant heritage and invaluable contributions of Arab Americans in our schools and communities. There are an estimated 3.7 million Arab Americans in the U.S.; however, schools are often unable to identify students who are Arab American because they are classified as White by the United States Census Bureau (SPLC Learning For Justice, 2021).
02 Apr2024
A 2024 AACTE Session Recap and Reflection
By Mayra Marquez-Mendez
The session “Diversifying the Teaching Profession: Strategies for Success” provided invaluable insights into evaluating, reimagining, and implementing supportive models for diversifying the teaching profession. The presenters reflected and provided various perspectives to emphasize the importance of having a diverse teaching workforce to support culturally and linguistically diverse students across the United States. Key highlights from the presentation include the importance of providing high-quality instruction for our students, which begins with teachers, leaders, and districts nationwide through excellent lines of work in teacher preparation, professional learning, education policy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion by explaining local and national strategies to diversify the teaching profession.
In this session, the discussion centered on the need to diversify the teaching profession locally and nationally. More specifically, the focus was on the innovative work being done by The Public Education Business Coalition (PEBC) in Colorado, which has a proven track record of successfully reaching and attracting a diverse pool of potential educators across the United States. With a national reach, the PEBC is leading the charge in promoting high-quality instruction by collaborating with teachers, leaders, and districts nationwide. Their work spans various areas, including teacher preparation, professional learning, education policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion. By leveraging their expertise in these areas, the PEBC is helping to create a more inclusive and equitable teaching profession that better reflects the diverse student population in our schools.
26 Mar2024
By AACTE
AACTE has recognized Howard University with the 2024 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives for its elementary education program that integrates global experiences into the curriculum. On Thursday, April 4, from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. ET, AACTE will host a Lunch & Learn where members can learn more about this program and how it serves as an exemplar in the intercultural, global, and cross-cultural arenas.
The Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives is sponsored by AACTE’s Committee on Global Diversity as part of its mission to ensure that a global/ international perspective is brought to policy and programs associated with the preparation of education professionals.
26 Mar2024
By Erika Moore
Navigating the dynamic landscape of higher education in Florida as a Black woman academic presents a unique set of challenges in today’s political climate. However, amidst these challenges lies an opportunity to catalyze transformation for future generations. As minority women, we often find ourselves in spaces where representation is lacking, our voices may be marginalized, and the path forward appears uncertain. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Black faculty represent only about 6% of all faculty in colleges and universities. Furthermore, 2% of full and 5% of assistant professors are Black women. Many Black women in academia struggle to find support from mentors and influential figures who can advocate for their advancement into leadership positions. Navigating one’s career becomes even more daunting when access to cultural or social capital is limited.
From my journey as an undergraduate student to a doctoral candidate, my mentors have instilled in me the belief that my presence in this space is a personal triumph and a legacy for those who came before me and those who will follow. This conviction has been my guiding light throughout my higher education journey. As a faculty member at a predominantly white institution (PWI), I intentionally mentor, coach, support, and empower minority women in academia. Mentorship is a powerful tool through which I aim to model the type of servant leadership needed in education.
25 Mar2024
By Amelia Q. Rivera
As the vice president of Holmes Scholars and an emerging scholar forging my own path, I am utterly resolute in amplifying the voices of fearless women leaders who are radically transforming educator preparation. For too long, the narratives shaping how we mold future teachers have been exclusive and upheld oppressive systems. But, trailblazing women are boldly dismantling these barriers through revolutionary leadership — and their impact demands thunderous celebration.
My role in Holmes Scholars has granted me witness to the seismic power of centering equity and justice. By elevating scholars from systematically marginalized backgrounds, we unapologetically disrupt the status quo. Our work challenges educator preparation programs to embrace culturally sustaining, anti-racist pedagogies as the unbending foundation. This is the path we must persist on with relentless courage.
13 Nov2023
By Sara Reichenberger
Growing up in a small, conservative community, I learned early on to keep my true self hidden. My sexuality was a secret I guarded fiercely, aware that in the close-knit circles of my hometown, it wouldn’t be accepted. This knowledge cast a shadow over my youth, but it also ignited a flame within me — a determination to find a path that led beyond the confines of narrow-mindedness. Education was my beacon, my compass guiding me through the fog of fear and judgment.
I clung to the belief that if I could excel in school, make it to college, and become a teacher, I could escape the suffocating atmosphere of my hometown. This goal was my lifeline, pulling me forward through years of silent struggle. And eventually, I made it. I was accepted into a teacher education program, a tangible step toward the life I yearned for — one where I could be true to myself without fear.
But the journey was far from straightforward. In one of my final field experience placements I was assigned a cooperating teacher, Mrs. H, who was known for her expertise in classroom management and innovative teaching methods but who, I soon discovered, harbored strong negative opinions about the LGBTQ community. She often made dismissive comments, cloaked in humor but cutting deep, about “people choosing to be gay.”
