Registration is open for the 2021 Leadership Academy Series designed for educational leaders navigating the challenges of the current global environment. This three-part series will augment your leadership skills during these unprecedented times. The first of these virtual series will take place August 11. The second will be held in October and the final session of the series is scheduled for January 2022.
Space is limited for the AACTE Leadership Academy introductory course, “Personal Wellness: Managing Your Stress and Time.” Register today to be a part of this interactive session on Wednesday, June 9 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. that will discuss the impact of COVID-19, how it has affected our professional and personal lives, the additional stresses, time demands, and our overall wellness during this past year.
Walt Gmelch, dean emeritus and professor of Leadership Studies at the University of San Francisco, will facilitate this special session about your well-being. This course is complimentary for AACTE members only and registration is required. Register now as space is limited to only 100 participants.
Seats are still availability for the AACTE Leadership Academy introductory course, “Personal Wellness: Managing Your Stress and Time,” which will take place on Wednesday, June 9 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET. This will be an interactive session discussing the impact of COVID-19 on your professional and personal lives, the additional stresses, time demands, and overall wellness during these past 15 months.
AACTE is excited to announce its virtual Leadership Academy Series will be offered again this year as three sessions spread across August and October 2021 and January 2022. Designed for education leaders navigating the challenges of the current global environment, the series will augment your leadership skills during these unprecedented times. In a special introductory course, you can get a sneak peek into this year’s Academy Series.
Plan now to attend AACTE’s signature events, Leadership Academy and Washington Week, to be held virtually this year. Engage with fellow education administrators and AACTE members to discuss critical, timely issues in educational leadership, and join your colleagues from around the country to advocate for the profession on Capitol Hill. These are two popular conferences, so mark your calendar today!
Themed Leadership During Difficult Times, AACTE’s first session of the 2020 Leadership Academy Series, held on October 14, explored how three institutions have risen to the challenge and taken strides to make lasting policy and programmatic changes related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. To continue the discussion, AACTE has provided panelist Lisa Norton, dean of the College of Education & Health Sciences at Touro University, California and one of the featured panelists, with some additional questions from session attendees. Here is what she had to say:
The Graduate School of Education at Touro University, California recently held a series of informative and courageous conversations regarding what it means for education to live diversity in 2020 and beyond. Can you share some of the insights related to accessibility for all PK-12 students in a remote learning environment?
Our current Academic College Instructional Designer and Graduate School of Education faculty member, Dr. Michael Barbour, is internationally known for work on PK-12 remote learning and accessibility. We are lucky to have him to help both our own campus and the local school districts with information related to creating an inclusive online environment. We conducted a webinar series entitled Diversity Now, in which we addressed this and many other topics. We are now in discussions to help the school district with additional support for families. This support includes tutoring and mentoring children in two of the schools and possibly partnering on a large-scale grant effort through the state.
Every year, AACTE typically holds its Leadership Academy as an in-depth, face-to-face, hands-on training for those educators seeking to begin or enhance their roles in academic leadership. Given the current Covid-19 pandemic, AACTE wanted to bring a portion of that experience to its membership, and thus the 2020 Leadership Academy Series was created.
With the theme of Leadership During Difficult Times, the Leadership Academy Series explores topics that are more relevant than ever to our members. The first session of the series, held on October 14, explored how three institutions have risen to the challenge and taken strides to make lasting policy and programmatic changes related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Monika Williams Shealey, senior vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Rowan University, was one of three distinguished panelists. She recently took time to answer some additional questions from attendees. Here is what she had to say:
“I am most looking forward to learning from others innovative ideas and perspectives about educator preparation during these difficult times. I believe this experience has pushed everyone to think differently about educator preparation, and we are learning and figuring out new, productive strategies that have the potential to permanently change how we prepare future educators. – Jan Burcham, Columbus State University 
“I’m interested in learning about how best to continue forward movement and growth while also taking into consideration the heaviness that many are feeling from all the uncertainties and fears associated with the pandemic. – Leah Nellis, Indiana University Kokomo 
“I am excited to deepen my connection to AACTE through this series of workshops. The disparity in educational access has grown exponentially and conscientious leaders need to collaborate across institutions to develop creative and effective solutions that give our teacher candidates the tools they need to support all students equitably. I am confident this workshop will be an inspiration! – Amber L. Bechard, Ed.D., University of La Verne 
Are you having difficulties making decisions during a crisis? You are not alone. Academic leaders are in unchartered territory without models, blueprints, manuals, and maps to navigate the challenges facing educator preparation programs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Come discover how to make informed decisions in these challenging times during AACTE’s virtual 2020 Leadership Academy Series.
During the second session of the Academy series on October 27, attendees will engage in interactive, group discussions and learn effective decision-making strategies. You will hear from peer experts and colleagues about how to make critical decisions for advancing students and programs, dealing with difficult circumstances, staying connected, and building a team community in a virtual environment. Participants will address:
This year’s Leadership Academy Series, themed “Leading During Difficult Times,” will occur in three sessions on October 14, October 27, and November 10. Join AACTE this fall at our reimagined virtual Academy to invest in your professional growth.
Seats are limited, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, so register now! Visit www.aacte.org for event details. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #AACTELA20.
Learn from top leaders in the field (and from your peers!) during AACTE’s virtual 2020 Leadership Academy Series, occurring in three sessions on October 14, October 27 and November 10. Engage in interactive discussions and strategic planning around issues facing your institutions during these challenging and unprecedented times.
In the first installment of the series on October 14, attendees will participate in a town hall style session, in which practices from three institutions will be shared. Entitled “It’s Time to Get Real: Deliberate Action in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” participants will hear how these institutions have risen to the challenge and taken strides to make lasting change in their programs and policies. Each will contextualize the work they have undertaken; share successes, challenges, and lessons learned; and provide suggestions for how leaders in the ed prep community can engage in furthering this work.
For much of 2020, COVID-19 has forced AACTE and its members to “think outside the box” and reimagine programming. Just last week, AACTE conducted its inaugural virtual event, with educators coming together to receive advocacy training and learn effective techniques for effectively engaging with political leaders. And in keeping with innovating its professional development opportunities during the current pandemic, the association is pleased to announce the 2020 AACTE Leadership Academy Series.
In lieu of the traditional, in-person, four-day training, this years’ experience will offer a series of interactive sessions for attendees. The six-session experience will take place in two parts, with three sessions to be offered this fall, and the other three sessions to be offered during the 2021 Annual Meeting. Under the theme of “Leading During Difficult Times,” the three fall sessions will explore content in the following areas:
October 14 – Addressing Issues in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
October 27 – Collaborative Decision-Making During Crisis
November 10 – Re-Thinking Field Experience
AACTE takes the health and safety of our attendees and participants at our events seriously, so we have postponed our regularly scheduled summer events to later in the year. Washington Week will now take place September 8-11 and Leadership Academy is now scheduled for October 3-7. We will take every precaution to create a safe environment while onsite. As this is an evolving situation, we will continue to monitor new developments concerning COVID-19 and will update the meeting status as needed.
Please note that due to the ongoing uncertainty regarding the coronavirus, AACTE will not charge a cancellation fee if you decide to not attend an in-person event based on concerns around your health or travel. Please continue to visit aacte.org for the latest information.
WASHINGTON WEEK: September 8-11
At AACTE, we continue to monitor the rapidly changing situation related to the spread of COVID-19. We understand that concerns for health, safety, and the impact on meeting attendance, among other issues, are affecting our members.
Keeping this in mind, AACTE has made the decision to move its June meetings to later in the year:
Washington Week will now take place September 8 – 11. The location remains the same: Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel. Check aacte.org for the revised schedule of events.
Leadership Academy has been rescheduled to October 3 – 8. The location remains the same: Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel. Visit the aacte.org for the revised schedule of events.
AACTE is committed to maintaining all appropriate sanitary, health, and safety measures, and encourages attendees to follow guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
Please note that due to the ongoing uncertainty regarding the coronavirus, AACTE will not charge a cancellation fee if you decide not to attend an in-person event based on concerns around your health or travel.
More than 90 leaders from education programs across the country convened in Pittsburgh, PA. for AACTE’s 2019 Leadership Academy, June 23-27. Attendees shared their experiences on Twitter using #AACTELA19 and offered testimonials about their experience. Here’s what a few participants had to say:
“The AACTE Leadership Academy was a fantastic opportunity! The combination of the excellent instructors, event organization, and content contributed to an extremely worthwhile experience. While I expected to learn more about leadership, I did not anticipate how important the other participants were going to be to the Academy. My network has significantly expanded as a result of the Leadership Academy, and my new colleagues (and friends) are a wealth of informa
Academic leaders from across the country are preparing to gather in Pittsburgh, PA, for AACTE’s annual Leadership Academy. In one month, attendees will experience an interactive and engaging professional development opportunity designed to advance their leadership skills while exploring a wide range of topics. And even if you have attended in the past, you should consider returning this year, June 23-27, as the program has once again integrated new content into the curriculum (view the full schedule).
Academy faculty first redesigned the content of the popular “Managing Conflict” sessions in 2017 by incorporating avatars into the program. Faced with difficult conversations and topics likely to occur in an academic environment, groups of job-alike attendees collaborate to design effective responses to the scenarios proposed. Their conflict-response plans are tested in simulated encounters, as volunteers meet with avatars, who emulate the situations attendees are likely to face when they return to their institutions.
“This training was one of the most valuable I’ve participated in,” said an attendee from the 2018 Leadership Academy about their avatar experience. “It provided an opportunity to define my objectives, take notes, and reflect upon how I could communicate more clearly.”
