21 Mar2023
By Simon Wesson
Young children who are taught by a teacher of the same ethnicity as themselves are developing better learning and problem-solving skills by the age of seven, new research suggests.
The effect was most pronounced in Black and Latinx children, the findings – looking at more than 18,000 pupils across the US – showed.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal Early Education and Development, the study revealed that if the ethnicity of children is shared with that of their teachers, the children are more likely to go on to develop better working memory. This is the ability to hold and process information in your mind – a skill which is essential for learning and problem solving.
21 Mar2023
By Brooke Evans
AACTE is still accepting applications from all AACTE member faculty and Ph.D. students who are interested in joining the Longview-supported Global Education Faculty PLC.
The Global Education Faculty Professional Learning Community (PLC ) will provide a peer support network and professional development to faculty and Ph.D. students at comprehensive teacher preparation programs to effectively integrate global teaching competencies within their curriculum and practices.
20 Mar2023
A reflection on the Understanding the Landscape of Alternative Preparation session at #AACTE23
By Katey Arrington
The current need for teachers is urgent. Enrollment and completion in university-based teacher preparation has been declining for more than a decade and production is not keeping pace with demand. Some states have turned to alternative teacher preparation to rapidly address the growing crisis but with mixed results. The Understanding the Landscape of Alternative Preparation session at ACTE 2023 brought together several leaders in the space of university-based alternative programs aiming to increase the speed and number of teachers prepared while maintaining the quality of the preparation provided.
The panel included Jacqueline King, consultant for research, policy, and advocacy for AACTE; Suzanne Arnold, executive director of ASPIRE to Teach Alternative Licensure Program at the University of Colorado Denver; Tommy Hodges, dean and professor of mathematics education at the University of South Carolina; and Robert Lee, dean of the Sandford College of Education at National University. The panel was moderated by Stephanie Knight, dean of the Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University.
14 Mar2023
By Michael Rose
AACTE expressed its support for President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 budget, which calls for strong investments in education that will help address the critical shortage of educators in our nation’s schools as well as help millions of students achieve their academic dreams.
The nation faces an unprecedented challenge hiring and retaining well-qualified and diverse educators to lead our classrooms. This shortage has been exacerbated by the pandemic, stagnant wages, and difficult work environments. The president’s budget proposal seeks to address many of these challenges. AACTE urges Congress to fund these priorities at the highest possible levels.
14 Mar2023
By Elizabeth Foster
The U.S. Department of Education is refreshing the National Educational Technology Plan. I am writing to extend this special invitation to participate in a group listening session. The group listening session for teacher education faculty and teacher preparation candidates only will take place on Thursday, March 16 from 1:00 –2:30 p.m. PDT/ 4:00-5:30 p.m. EDT.
To accept this invitation, please complete this confirmation form. Registration is required to participate.
14 Mar2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
On Thursday, the Biden-Harris Administration unveiled their FY2024 budget proposal. Under the request, the Department of Education would receive $90 billion in total discretionary funding — a $10.3 billion or 13.6% increase over the FY 2023 enacted level of funding provided for the Department of Education. In addition to the $90 billion in discretionary spending, the proposal also calls for new mandatory spending requests which include $600 billion over ten years for universal preschool and expanded support for childcare and $96 billion over ten years in new spending to double the maximum Pell grant by 2029, and $90 billion over ten years for a new free community college program. The budget request also includes $578 million in new funding to increase the number of counselors, school psychologists, and other health professionals in schools. This increase is spread among three programs: $428 million split between the School-Based Mental Services and Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration programs and $150 million within FIPSE for colleges to address student mental health needs.
13 Mar2023
By Kristi Evans
Northern Michigan University education assistant professor Kristen White is among collaborators from 10 partner universities and K12s — including Marquette Area Public Schools — to receive an award from the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) to participate in its Family Engagement Educator Preparation Innovation Project. Only nine collaboratives were selected from a nationwide pool of 76 proposals to receive grants totaling more than $150,000.
The nine collaboratives will implement select components of the Educator Preparation Framework for Family and Community Partnerships, released by NAFSCE in December 2022, and engage in a learning community through June 2023. The grants will incubate new ideas, uncover how the framework sparks innovation to prepare educators for family and community engagement in diverse communities, and create a platform to share and disseminate ideas and knowledge.
07 Mar2023
By Campbell Atkins
Sam Houston State University was one of 12 Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to receive a portion of the U.S. Department of Education’s Augustus F. Hawkins Centers for Excellence Program grants, which aim to increase high-quality teacher preparation programs for teachers of color, strengthen the diversity of the teacher pipeline and address teacher shortages.
The program supports comprehensive, high-quality teacher preparation programs at MSIs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). SHSU is categorized within MSI as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).
21 Feb2023
By Dwayne Ray Cormier and Terrance McNeil
Join us at the AACTE Annual Meeting this year to learn how historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are transforming teacher education and preparation. The HBCU Teacher Education Topical Action Group (TAG) provides a platform for leaders and scholars associated with HBCUs to share their ideas and research on teacher education and preparation.
On Friday, February 24, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., come to the Marriott IndyPlace’s Indiana Ballroom F to learn about the innovative programs and research initiatives at HBCUs that are driving change and making a difference.
21 Feb2023
By Michael Rose
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the new chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a Town Hall meeting on February 13 to call for increasing the salaries and supporting policies for the nation’s educators.
Sen. Sanders was joined by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA); Becky Pringle, president, National Education Association; Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers; and four educators to talk about their experiences in the classroom and why it is critical to increase salaries for educators. AACTE was invited to share videos (see minute 5:23 and 6:40) of students who are being prepared to become teachers at AACTE member institutions.
17 Feb2023
By AACTE
AACTE is pleased to announce that the following 10 member institutions are part of the inaugural class of grantees under the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program (Hawkins Program):
- Bowie State University (MD)
- California State University, Dominquez Hills
- Florida International University
- Metropolitan State University of Denver (CO)
- Northeastern State University (OK)
- Sam Houston State University (TX)
- University of Hawai’i
- University of Houston-Clear Lake (TX)
- University of Texas at El Paso
- William Paterson University of New Jersey
14 Feb2023
By Brandi Palmer
AACTE made headlines in the past couple of months discussing innovation in teacher preparation programs, strategies for addressing the teacher shortage, diversifying the teaching profession and censorship in schools.
AACTE has been cited in media including Education Week, the Washington Times, K-12 Dive and EdNC.
14 Feb2023
Gaps in Teacher Preparation Program Requirements for Coursework in World History, Economics, and Engineering Will Leave Students Unprepared for the Future of Work and Engaged Citizenry
By National Council on Teacher Quality
New data and analysis released from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds significant opportunities for teacher preparation programs to improve their coursework requirements to ensure that aspiring elementary school teachers receive the essential social studies and science content knowledge they need for the classroom.
The new NCTQ report, Teacher Prep Review: Building Content Knowledge, shows that while most teacher preparation programs have sufficient course options available, only 3% require aspiring teachers to complete courses in most of the social studies and science topics an elementary teacher needs to know in order to promote students’ literacy and learning. Key topics most often absent in program requirements include world history and economics in social studies (required by fewer than 20% of programs), and engineering design in science (required by only 10% of programs), potentially leaving future teachers unprepared to provide their students with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the modern world.
07 Feb2023
By GoReact
Looking for strategies to support teachers throughout their career? GoReact will host a live discussion on teacher support with a panel of education experts to gain revolutionary insights on how best to motivate and support teachers at every stage in their career. Register today for this complimentary event.
On Wednesday, February 15 at 4:00 p.m. EST, AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone will share her insights with Machel Mills-Miles, Vice President of Standards Implementation and Outreach at Learning Forward; Brent Raby, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning for West Aurora School District in Illinois; and Ann Stark, an experienced educator with over 22 years as a classroom teacher and 14 years as an induction program mentor.
06 Feb2023
By Monika Williams Shealey
This article was originally published by Education Week and is reprinted with permission.
Dear Florida Educators,
When I was growing up in Florida and I would hear church folks describe a troubling event that ran afoul of their moral compass, they would say, “it’s just not sitting right with my spirit.” That’s how I’ve been feeling lately when I hear about recent efforts in my home state of Florida to limit academic freedom in higher education; stifle intellectual curiosity in schools; ban books; obliterate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in higher education; and silence the questions of pre-K-12 learners who may be struggling with their gender identity and sexuality.
I was educated in public pre-K-12 schools and graduated from three major Florida universities with my undergraduate and graduate degrees in the area of special education. I’m a former special education teacher who worked in Pinellas, Seminole, and Miami-Dade counties and was a tenure-track faculty member at Florida International University. Yet today, when I think about the education landscape in my home state, I’m grieved that instead of being lauded as a leader in innovation and delivering high-quality, equitable educational opportunities to all learners, Florida is applauded by its governor as “the place where woke goes to die.”
