10 Aug2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Earlier this year, Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature enacted measures to expand education transparency laws in the state. The new regulations involve stricter oversight of potentially explicit or sexually related content in books and/or any such text that could be considered “harmful to minors.” Under the law, FL HB1069, such texts are required to be removed from shelves within five days and remain inaccessible to students. The actions are part of a broader effort led by Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis to exert greater control over the curriculum in schools.
However, as many expected, the law has sweeping ramifications for local school districts — including a possible financial hit. To comply with the law, an individual with a valid educational media credential must inventory classroom libraries. For one Florida county that means 10 certified media specialists are working through 98 schools with over 6,000 libraries. The time and personnel required to inventory all libraries has led many districts to contract with third party vendors to complete the process — the services are reported to cost anywhere from $34,000 to $135,000 annually. While outside vendors are certainly profiting from the work, a top executive noted that their company grappled with the decision to offer their services, expressing that working with Florida to implement the new law “tested our company’s culture like nothing before.” The company maintains that students should have access to books “that provide windows to the experiences of others and mirrors to their own experience, including the stories of members of the LGBTQ community, indigenous people, and people of color.”
01 Aug2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
On Monday, a group of Oklahoma residents filed a lawsuit in an effort to block the state from funding America’s first public religious charter school. The group of residents are comprised of parent and faith-based leaders who are backed by several organizations, including Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, Education Law Center, and Freedom From Religion Foundation. The group is asking a state judge to block St. Isidore from operating as a charter school, stop a state charter school board from entering into or implementing any contracts with the school, and also halt the state from funding the school. The lawsuit names the school, members of the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter Board, the Oklahoma State Education Department, and Superintendent Ryan Walters as defendants.
25 Jul2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Last week, education officials in Florida approved new standards for teaching African American history. The standards are being considered by many as an effort to “purposefully omit or rewrite key historical facts about the Black experience.” Embedded within the standards is instruction on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit” and lessons that touch on acts of violence perpetrated “against and by” African Americans. Additionally, Black history lessons for younger students require students to only recognize Black investors and artists. A Florida teacher who expressed concerns surrounding students only having to recognize such individuals saying, “As a teacher, we focus on the verb in the standards, and these are the lowest level of cognitive rigor.”
The Florida Education Association submitted a letter in opposition of the standards to the Florida Board of Education, saying in part:
“Today — in the year 2023, we stand as a diverse coalition demanding you adhere to the law and adopt standards that require the instruction of history, culture, experiences, and contributions of African Americans in the state’s K-12 curriculum as directed in FS 1003.42. We owe the next generation of scholars the opportunity to know the full unvarnished history of this state and country and all who contributed to it — good and bad.”
The new standards are backed unanimously by the state Board of Education and encompass the “anti-woke” policies touted by Republican Governor and Presidential Candidate Ron Desantis.
18 Jul2023
By Madeline Will
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).
18 Jul2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Earlier this month, The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that the Rhinelander School District in Rhinelander, Wisconsin entered into an agreement to ensure compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 when responding to harassment based on gender identity.
The investigation by OCR found that during the 2021-22 school year, a nonbinary student and their parent reported to the district that students repeatedly mocked and targeted the student during multiple classes, while multiple teachers repeatedly used incorrect pronouns for the student and one teacher removed the student from class on the ground that the teacher could not protect the student from harassment by the other students.
11 Jul2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
California is poised to potentially pass two new bills that would pay teacher candidates while they are student teaching and begin a public relations campaign to recruit new teachers into the profession.
Under current credentialing standards, California teachers are required to complete 600 hours of student teaching. Without pay, the student teaching experience, while vitally necessary for candidates, is considered a roadblock. Students are still required to pay for tuition, books, supplies, living expenses, and more, with limited time available to secure supplemental income.
20 Jun2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
The College Board is rejecting a proposed change by the Florida Department of Education (DOE) to a high school Advanced Placement (AP) psychology course. Under the proposal, the AP psychology course would modify or completely remove lessons on gender and sexual orientation.
15 Jun2023
By Cole Hatcher
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.”
13 Jun2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Last week, Oklahoma state officials approved a bid to open the country’s first publicly funded religious charter school. In a statement, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt praised the decision, saying in part, “Oklahomans support religious liberty for all and support an increasingly innovative educational system that expands choice … Today, with the nation watching, our state showed that we will not stand for religious discrimination.”
The application for the Catholic-led bid was originally shot down in April — but the timing afforded church leaders the opportunity to address the state charter board members’ concerns and then refile a request before last week’s vote. Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, in a statement said: “We are elated that the board agreed with our argument and application for the nation’s first religious charter school … Parents continue to demand more options for their kids, and we are committed to help provide them.”
30 May2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Last week, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for public education for the state of North Carolina in a video address to constituents. The Governor pointed to teacher salary, respect of the profession, and the expansion of private school vouchers as key issues that are “aiming to choke the life out of public education.”
North Carolina’s state legislature is led by a Republican majority. In the Senate’s budget proposal, teachers across the state would see a 4.5% raise over the next two years while the House had suggested a 10.2% raise for teachers. The Governor for his part had pushed for an 18% salary increase for educators.
“The Senate has given veteran teachers a $250 raise spread over two years…that’s a slap in the face and will make our teacher shortage worse,” said Governor Cooper.
Additional concerns presented by the Governor throughout his video address include:
- 5,000 teacher vacancies that need to be breached, which is where he said the average pay raises exacerbated the problem. Senators have touted raising the starting pay level significantly to address the need to recruit and an investment in educational programs for teachers.
- The need to invest in early childhood education, about which he said lawmakers were “turning their backs on children, parents, and the businesses that want to hire those parents.” Lawmakers have included some funding for childcare assistance in their budgets.
- The “political culture wars” that he said would put “politicians in charge of curriculum-setting, micromanage what teachers can teach, and target LGBTQ+ students.” He mentioned the elimination of some science classes and the restructuring of history curricula.
All of this comes as Congress left town for the holiday weekend without having struck a deal surrounding the debt limit. As you will recall, last month, House Republicans passed a bill that ties the debt limit to appropriations by raising the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or through the end of next March, whichever happens first, in exchange for a wide range of proposals to decrease government funding. The cuts to federal funding would include capping federal funding at fiscal year (FY) 2022 levels — a nearly 22% cut to non-defense discretionary programs (i.e. education) — while also limiting spending growth to 1% every year over the next decade. According the Department of Education, under the proposal the potential cuts would mean the following for North Carolina’s students and teachers:
- Gut Funding for Low-Income Students. The proposal would cut approximately $12 million in Title I funding for North Dakota schools serving low-income children, impacting an estimated 40,000 students and reducing program funding to its lowest level in almost a decade — a cut equivalent to removing nearly 200 teachers and specialized instructional support personnel from classrooms.
- Cut Support for Students with Disabilities. Under the proposal, as many as 17,000 children in North Dakota with disabilities would face reduced supports — a cut in IDEA funding equivalent to removing approximately 100 teachers and related services providers from the classroom.
- Slash Mental Health Support for Students. The House Republican proposal would limit educators’ abilities to address student mental health issues, including through violence, suicide, and drug abuse prevention, by cutting Title IV, Part A funding for North Dakota schools by about $1.5 million.
30 May2023
By AACTE
Educator preparation advocates play a vital role in advancing the advocacy agenda and supporting those who will teach future generations. Don’t miss this final opportunity to join teacher educators, scholars, and other members from colleges and institutions on June 4 to 7 for AACTE’s 2023 Washington Week, emphasizing the crucial theme of “Investing in Education.”
Registration for AACTE’s leading legislative conference ends on May 31 — secure your spot today to join forces with change-makers in the educator preparation field.
23 May2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
For the first time in Pennsylvania’s history, the number of emergency teaching certifications issued across the state outpaced the number of newly fully certified teachers entering the field. The shift comes as the Commonwealth faces its most significant staffing challenges in well over a decade. During the 2021-22 school year, 6,366 people received emergency permits — compared to 4,220 students who received teaching certificates. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, more than 15,000 in-state certifications were issued during the 2010-11 school year. By 2021-22, that number dropped to more than 4,200 — a decrease of 10,800 certifications. As you may recall, those prepared through alternate pathways that require less coursework and student teaching experiences are 25% more likely to leave their teaching positions and the profession than those who are well prepared.
23 May2023
A Q&A with Susan Kemper Patrick and Karen Escalante
By Brooke Evans
Susan Kemper Patrick Ph.D. and Karen Escalante, Ed.D. are presenting a session at AACTE’s 2023 Washington Week, June 4-7, “An Increased Number of Teachers?! What Has California Done to Address the Teacher Shortage and Why has it Worked?” Below Patrick and Escalante answer a few questions about the topics they will discuss at the session and tools attendees can take back to their organizations.
16 May2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
Last week, the Ohio State Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee voted to accept a substitute version of Senate Bill 83. The original version of the bill, also known as the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act, was first introduced in April and proposed a slew of wide-ranging changes, including ending mandated diversity trainings, bans on partnerships with Chinese institutions, restrictions on faculty unions striking during contract negotiations, and new evaluations for students to rate professors on how well they have removed bias from their classrooms.
09 May2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
The “In the States” feature by Kaitlyn Brennan is a weekly update to keep members informed on state-level activities impacting the education and educator preparation community.
As school districts across the nation struggle to find qualified educators to fill classroom vacancies, one Arizona school district will utilize an unconventional recruitment tool: tiny houses. As reported by CNN, the Chino Valley Unified School District is using federal money to build 10 studio units, each 400 square feet, on a vacant lot behind an elementary school, where teachers will pay roughly $550 per month in rent — well below the market rate for the area.
