Posts Tagged ‘shortage’

TWU and Houston ISD Partner Up to Combat Teacher Shortage

This article originally appeared in the North Texas Daily

Texas Woman’s University is helping around 100 teaching assistants obtain bachelor’s degrees and Texas teaching certifications, financed by $500,000 in grants awarded from Houston Independent School District. 

The grants come from HISD’s Grow Your Own grant program, which began in May 2023 in response to the national teacher shortage. HISD offered 10 grants of $100,000 this year to institutions that “offer high-quality, low-cost pathways to aspiring educators,” according to HISD.

TWU was one of three universities selected, the others being Prairie View A&M University and Tarleton State University, and received five out of the 10 grants, said Lisa Huffman, dean of the College of Professional Education and Department of Human Development professor.

College of Education and Health Professions Team Earns Grant to Start Razorback STARS Project

College of Education and Health Professions faculty and Decatur School District officials met recently to discuss their new partnership. From left, Matt Boeving, Steve Watkins, Christy Smith, Jennifer Beasley, Christine Ralston, Kevin Matthews, and Ederlee Gomez.

A faculty team in the College of Education and Health Professions was awarded a $525,013 Teacher Quality Partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will help produce a pipeline of teachers in small, rural Northwest Arkansas schools.

The team is based in the college’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, which prepares students for various careers in education. The grant team is led by Christine Ralston, a teaching associate professor, who is working closely with co-principal investigators Jennifer Beasley, Vicki Collet, and Christy Smith.

Collet will provide support for mentoring, and Smith will provide support for co-teaching, which are both pivotal to the Razorback STARS project.

K-State College of Education, Hutchinson Community College Develop Teacher Pathway Program for Area Students

Kansas State University’s College of Education and Hutchinson Community College have begun a partnership that paves a seamless pathway for area students to earn a bachelor’s degree in education online while remaining in their home communities.

This pathway program begins in high school, where students chart their journeys to becoming teachers and take dual credit courses through Hutchinson Community College. As they progress through the community college phase, students will be provided with comprehensive guidance to ensure a smooth transition to K-State Online and field experiences in their local schools. 

The innovative online platform allows aspiring educators — both traditional and non-traditional students — to balance their studies with other commitments while benefiting from the expertise of distinguished faculty members and advanced educational resources.

AACTE Launches Lunch and Learn Professional Development Series

AACTE is pleased to offer Lunch and Learns, new professional development opportunities for members.  These 30-minute sessions are designed to provide you with an immediate tool or strategy that you can immediately apply to your work. You can’t make it virtually? All Lunch and Learns will be available on-demand just for AACTE members. Watch them during your lunch break or whenever it is convenient for you.

AACTE will kick off its new Lunch and Learn Series on Tuesday, September 26 from 3:00 -3:30 p.m. ET with Building Partnerships to Address the Educator Shortage in California. Karen Escalante (California State University San Bernadino) will teach us about the partnership developed between the Riverside County Office of Education and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), a Hispanic and minority-serving institution. The mission of this partnership is to support teacher candidates into, through, and beyond teacher induction.

Alliant University and San Diego Unified Partner Through TEACH-LEAD Program

Alliant International University and San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) have partnered through SDUSD’s TEACH-LEAD program in order to support aspiring teachers on their educational journey. With both institutions dedicated to equity in education, representation in the classroom, and providing the support that teachers need both in education and practice, the partnership was a natural step toward shared impact.

TEACH-LEAD San Diego (TLSD) is San Diego Unified’s latest endeavor focused on eliminating barriers that hold future educators back from pursuing their goals. The new program offers both financial and personalized pathway resources to individuals beginning or continuing their journey towards a career as a teacher. TEACH-LEAD San Diego is the district’s new “grow your own” teacher pipeline program, dedicated to supporting individuals in becoming teachers in their local communities.

TSU Alumni Take the Lead in Shaping Young Minds as Educators, While Filling Shortage

This article was originally published by Tennessee State University Newsroom.

For Tennessee State University alumna Sa’Mariah Harding, teaching isn’t just about the subject at hand but molding the minds of future leaders. Harding graduated from TSU in spring 2023 and serves as a 9th and 10th-grade honors geometry teacher.

“I always knew I wanted to teach high school math,” said the former Miss TSU, Harding, who currently works as an educator at Valor College Prep in Nashville.

Amid the ongoing nationwide teacher shortage, Tennessee State University continues to produce and nurture the next generation of educators who College of Education faculty believe will shape generations to come.

WE CARE+Wellness Program to Support Arkansas Teacher Corps Fellows

David D. Christian, associate professor of counselor education and supervision in the College of Education and Health Professions, works with two Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows.

This article was originally published by the University of Arkansas

An interdisciplinary faculty team has developed a wellness program for Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows with funds from a College of Education and Health Professions WE CARE grant.

WE CARE, an acronym for Wellness and Education Commitment to Arkansas Excellence, advances three priorities centered on expanding impactful research, engaging in service to Arkansas, and fostering a caring culture.

Arkansas Teacher Corps is a partnership between the College of Education and Health Professions, the Walton Family Foundation, the Arkansas Department of Education, and participating Arkansas public school districts to recruit, train, license , and support teachers across the state. The Arkansas Teacher Corps provides an accelerated path to teaching at a time when many Arkansas schools face severe teacher shortages.

Jackson State and Jackson Public Schools Launch Jackson Middle College Program

This article was originally published by Jackson State University.

Jackson State University (JSU) and Jackson Public School District (JPS) are hosting an open house and signing day for the inaugural cohort of the Jackson Middle College (JMC) on Monday, August 7, 2023, at 6 pm in the JSU College of Science, Engineering, and Technology atrium. The first cohort, composed of 17 high school juniors and seniors, will specialize in mathematics education to address the need for math teachers and educators in JPS. 

“I am extremely excited about this collaboration between Jackson State University and Jackson Public School District. Mathematics teachers are a critical need nationwide, and I am confident that Jackson Middle College will become the preferred ‘grow your own’ model in school districts across the nation for ensuring a sustainable teaching force in critical needs content areas,” said Tony Latiker, Ed.D., associate dean of accreditation and assessment in JSU’s College of Education & Human Development.

College of Education to Use Grant Award to Offer Free Tuition for Career Changers Pursuing Teaching Degrees

This article was originally published by Clemson News.

The College of Education will use a grant award from the South Carolina Department of Education to cover all tuition and associated costs for 36 career changers pursuing a master’s degree in teaching from Clemson University. The College’s “Grow Your Own” program works with partner school districts to secure paid employment for students as educational assistants while they complete their degree entirely online.

The Department of Education’s South Carolina Grow Your Own (SC GYO) program addresses the need to increase the teacher workforce in communities throughout the state. The Department of Education created the program to partner colleges and universities with school districts to help aspiring teachers pursue degrees in education.

According to Michelle Cook, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of Education, the program will prioritize placing Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) students in programs that address the highest needs across the state, such as middle-level and secondary math and science teaching positions. She said hiring professionals already working as assistants in schools – or those from other industries with a strong desire to become teachers in home districts – naturally creates a motivated group of graduate students.

Kaine and Collins Introduce Bill to Address Teacher and Principal Shortages

U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals (PREP) Act, bipartisan legislation to address teacher and principal shortages, particularly in rural communities, and increase teacher diversity. This legislation would help ensure that there are enough teachers and principals with the right skills and tools to prepare students for the future.

“Our nation’s educators are critical to ensuring students’ success, which is why I’m committed to finding solutions to address teacher and principal shortages in Virginia and across the country,” said Kaine. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill to expand teacher training programs and help boost diversity among the teacher workforce.”

“Teacher and principal shortages at schools across the country, particularly in rural areas in the State of Maine, impede our students’ ability to reach their full potential,” said Collins. “This bipartisan bill would increase access to high-quality teacher and leader training programs and extend federal support for recruiting well-prepared educators for areas affected by teacher shortages.”

The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact Is Now in Effect. Here’s What That Means

It’s about to get much easier for some teachers to keep teaching after moving across state lines.

Ten states have signed on to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact this spring — the benchmark needed for the agreement to become active. Now, a teacher who has a bachelor’s degree, completed a state-approved program for teacher licensure, and has a full teaching license can receive an equivalent license from participating states.

That means they can teach in another state without having to submit additional materials, take state-specific exams, or complete additional coursework.

Read the full article in EdWeek.

AACTE is one of the organizations that contributed to the development process for the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.

For more information, read the recent press release issued by The Council of State Governments (CSG).

AACTE is one of the organizations that contributed to the development process for the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.
For more information, read the recent press release issued by The Council of State Governments (CSG).

Resident Teachers: Program Helps Develop Pipeline of Well-Prepared Future Educators

This article was originally published by the Tribune-Star.

As a participant in a state-funded teacher residency program, Alexis Spice — then an Indiana State University senior — spent her 2022-23 year in the kindergarten classroom of Stephanie Barnett at Terre Town Elementary in Terre Haute.

“It definitely made a huge impact on me,” said Spice, 21, who is from Vigo County and a North Vigo High School graduate.

Barnett served as her teacher mentor, and Spice learned about setting expectations for students, developing relationships with children and families and experiencing first-hand what it means to be a teacher. She observed, taught and co-taught, the kindergarten students.

WKU Hosts First Teacher Apprenticeship Summit

On June 22, 2023, over 120 individuals from Kentucky school districts, community colleges, universities, and government agencies gathered on WKU’s campus to discuss teacher apprentice programs and how they can be implemented to create a pipeline of educators returning to teach in their home districts. 

The Summit started with opening remarks from Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman, WKU President Timothy C. Caboni, and CEBS Dean Corinne Murphy. Coleman discussed the importance of apprentice programs to address the teacher shortage because it allows students to “learn and earn at the same time.” Caboni emphasized the prominence of teachers to WKU, as the university started as a Normal School in 1906. Murphy highlighted how vital it is to show high school students the possibility of a career in education as a viable one and one with upward mobility.

VCU School of Education Earns $1.6M in Federal Funding to Address Teacher Shortage

Sen. Tim Kaine took part in a visit in February to the Franklin Military Academy classroom taught by Christal Corey, a graduate of VCU’s RTR teacher residency program and Richmond Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year for 2023. (Photo contributed by Andrew Daire)

This article was originally published by Virginia Commonwealth University News.

U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia have announced $1,599,645 in federal funding through the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program to address teacher shortages by supporting the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education’s RTR teacher residency program.

The funding will help recruit and support more teacher candidates from diverse backgrounds and provide them with the skills to teach in high-need schools, including those in Richmond Public Schools. The VCU School of Education’s RTR program is an undergraduate and graduate teacher residency program.

Classroom Crossroads: Ohio Wesleyan Education Professor on Impact of ‘Divisive Concepts’ Laws

This article was originally published by Ohio Wesleyan University.

Ohio Wesleyan University’s Sarah Kaka, Ph.D., has testified before Ohio lawmakers, collaborated on research, and presented to peers on the impact of so-called “divisive concepts” teaching laws now adopted in more than half of the nation.

The chair of OWU’s Department of Education, Kaka also has been discussing the topic with multiple media, including The Columbus Dispatch, Education Week, and the “TeachLab with Justin Reich” podcast.

“I think it depends on who you talk to what they say the goal of the legislation is,” Kaka told Reich during their June 8 podcast, “but the reality is that all of the laws – divisive issues concepts – seek to limit what teachers can say or do in their classes.”