03 Aug2021
By Weade James
This year’s Washington Week virtual conference is quickly approaching, and we have exciting events planned for AACTE members – including participants of the Holmes Program. Holmes Scholars are encouraged to participate in the Holmes Policy Institute (September 8 – 9) and Holmes Advanced Policy Short Course (September 14-15) during Washington Week. These events will focus on policy solutions to address systemic barriers that impede on the academic achievement of diverse students.
Some confirmed speakers include Jessica Cardichon, assistant deputy secretary, office of planning, evaluation, and policy development at the U.S. Department of Education; Erica McCray, co-Ddrector of the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center; Michael Brady, professor and chair at Florida Atlantic University; Amanda Lewis, director for research on race and public policy at the University of Illinois – Chicago; Amy Wells, professor at Columbia Teacher’s College, and Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.
22 Jul2021
By Jerrica Thurman
AACTE’s upcoming slate of events offers professional development and networking opportunities at a significant discount for our valued members. This year’s
Leadership Academy and
Washington Week will be held virtually, with
AACTE’s 2022 Annual Meeting occurring in person in New Orleans. Registration for all three events is open now, so secure your spot today!
Leadership Academy Series: August and October 2021 and January 2022
This year’s Leadership Academy will occur as a three-part series. The first session takes place August 11, with the second session occuring October 20 and the final session transpiring in January 2022. Join your colleagues at the first session, “When We All Get to Together: Returning to Campus with New Opportunities,” for a dynamic, interactive discussion on developing a positive transition to in-person learning and creating new opportunities in the post-COVID environment. Members can attend all three sessions for just $99.
22 Jul2021
By Michael Rose
Registration for AACTE’s second virtual Day on the Hill is now open. Day on the Hill is the Association’s premiere advocacy event and provides AACTE members with the opportunity to engage directly with their Members of Congress about the importance of teacher preparation and related legislation. Advocacy training sessions will take place September 21-22, and virtual congressional visits will be held September 23.
29 Jun2021
By Linda Minor
Registration for AACTE’s 2021 Washington Week is now open. Take advantage of the virtual rates and join AACTE’s efforts to advocate for educator preparation programs in a post-pandemic world. Each session will take place during the month of September.
Holmes Policy Institute – September 8-9
AACTE Holmes Scholars will learn how to advocate for their profession by participating in interactive policy discussions and briefings.
Holmes Scholar – $25
Holmes Program Advanced Policy Short Course – September 14-15
This short course is intended as an introduction to begin equipping you with the knowledge, desire, and skills to be an effective advocate and resource in the policy making process.
Holmes Scholar – $25
04 Jun2021
By Linda Minor
Registration is now open for the 2021 virtual Washington Week. Register today to ensure your voice is heard advocating for education. Every year, this popular gathering of like-minded members of the education preparation community attracts hundreds from around the nation. Join your peers at this year’s virtual Washington Week, which will feature the following four events:
26 May2021
By Linda Minor
Get ready to join AACTE at Washington Week 2021, which will be virtual again this year and scheduled throughout the month of September. This year’s schedule includes the following:
- Holmes Policy Institute – September 8-9
AACTE Holmes Scholars will learn how to advocate for their profession by participating in interactive policy discussions and briefings.
- Holmes Program Advanced Policy Short Course – September 14-15
This short course is intended as an introduction to begin equipping you with the knowledge, desire, and skills to be an effective advocate and resource in the policy making process.
- Day on the Hill – September 21-23
AACTE members, nonmembers, students, Holmes Scholars, and PK-12 partners will engage in advocacy training and visit congressional offices.
- State Leaders Institute – September 30-October 1
AACTE state leaders will focus on capacity building and augmenting their chapters’ impact through leadership development.
06 Apr2021
By Jerrica Thurman
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!
13 Oct2020
By John Blackwell
This article is a personal reflection of the 2020 Washington Week State Leaders Institute by attendee John Blackwell.
As academics who value valid evidence and scientifically proven knowledge, we know that, concerning human beings, there is only one race—the human race. We have lived our entire lives knowing that race is one of the most divisive topics you could ever introduce in any conversation or classroom. Robin DiAngelo, in her book, ‘White Fragility’: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, explains so clearly the idea of race was created, “as an evolving social idea that was created to legitimize racial inequality and protect white advantage.” Despite this knowledge, the term racism has been weaponized to condemn anyone who uses it. When having discussion about racism, it is difficult for one to see beyond their emotion to get to the actual facts.
08 Oct2020
By Tariq Akmal
This article is a personal reflection of the 2020 Washington Week State Leaders Institute by attendee Tariq Akmal.
I was fortunate to attend the State Leaders Institute breakout session on State Government Advocacy with Three State Chapters. Attendees heard from Christine Carrino Gorowara of Delaware, Scott Hewitt of Florida, and Vanessa Anton and Robin Fuxa of Oklahoma. This session was a sharing of the different types of advocacy activities that were occurring in three states. The variation in state size/population was very evident in the scale of activities of each chapter. What did they hold in common? They are all active in advocacy work and are experiencing a teacher shortage in their states. Each panelist shared particular aspects of their association’s work with their state department of education, legislators, and other stakeholders within their states.
The Delaware Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (DACTE) had “flipped the script” on the traditional Day On the Hill approach and now brought specific Delaware legislators to their association for conversations regarding how DACTE could be a resource to legislators on educational issues and to build relationships so that DACTE would be invited to legislative initiatives on education. They invited members of the House and Senate Education Committee, in particular, which seems to be a highly effective strategy! Carrino Gorowara noted how they became collaborators in developing legislation that would be a help to Delaware teacher candidates in simplifying the background check process.
05 Oct2020
By Mary Murray
Last month, during the AACTE State Leadership Institute (SLI), I attended the session on the newly formed State Chapter Taskforce, which was moderated by AACTE President and CEO Lynn Gangone, AACTE president and CEO; Ann Larson, chair, AACTE Board of Directors; and Kate LaBoll-Lavoie, chair, Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR) and AACTE Board member. State Chapters, a network of AACTE member institutions that are organized collectively to advocate for and to address educator preparation issues in their state, helps provide direction to AACTE. This very important taskforce was formed to:
- Review the existing policy on the relationship between AACTE and the state chapters, the practices and experience of peer associations, and advice of legal counsel
- Consider the desired relationship between AACTE and state chapters. How do AACTE and the state chapters want to see the relationship evolve?
- Recommend revisions to state chapter policy to the AACTE Board of Directors
- Provide recommendations to the Board and National Office staff on how AACTE could best collaborate with the chapters, particularly with regard to state policy advocacy
05 Oct2020
By Claudine Keenan
At the 2020 State Leaders Institute, AACTE’s director of marketing and communications, Jerrica Thurman, shared some excellent “how-to,” exemplars, and resources that helped attendees understand How Educators Can Partner with Broadcasters to Keep Communities Informed. From the very basic level of helping us understand how each type of media outlet is organized and what drives each of their interests in news we might have to share, all the way to the very specific steps educators can take to sharpen our skills as subject matter experts, Thurman offered a session that all attendees valued.
The basics began with an eye-opening update about where most Americans get their news, revealing that local television, radio, and daily newspapers are still in the lead. In fact, Americans increased their average of watching local news from 4 hours to 5 hours per week over the last 15 years (RTDNA/Hofstra Surveys). Over the last 10 years, Pew Research surveys have also shown that the percentage of Americans who listen to radio (terrestrial or streaming) has increased from 25% to more than 50% over the last 10 years. Thurman laid this as the groundwork for educators to see that our potential audiences are seeking out more information sources during the same time period.
25 Sep2020
By Anne Tapp Jaksa and Beth Kubitskey
As first and third time AACTE Day on the Hill participants, we eagerly participated in this inaugural virtual event to prepare for congressional visits. Although we were not physically together, Lynn M. Gangone, president and CEO, made us feel welcomed and valued members of AACTE during her opening greeting to attendees.
Why Day on the Hill?
Beth: As a newbie, I wondered about the lay of the land. Then Jane West, AACTE government relations consultant, shared, “The Big Picture: Current Policy & Political Landscape,” providing a framework for what we need to do and why.
Anne: After three years of attending the event, I was inspired by Jane West’s quote: “If your voice isn’t heard, someone else’s is,” which provided us meaning.
What and how?
AACTE’s legislative priorities provided the framework. Having the specific agenda items gave us the focus we needed.
Jacqueline Rodriguez, AACTE vice president of research, policy and advocacy, joined West in stressing the importance of building a rapport. Rodriguez supported planning with spreadsheets and materials. AACTE gave the legislative framework and a foundation. We’re ready to work!
State and regional colleagues collaborated to plan for advocacy. Presenters joined the meetings, to support the planning process. The virtual format allowed people to “travel” amongst groups. We’re ready to plan!
15 Sep2020
By Katrina Norfleet
Last week, scholars of color convened for the AACTE Holmes Policy Institute, a three-day training under this year’s theme, “Moving towards Equity through Advocacy and Policy.” The virtual conference, the first of the AACTE 2020 Washington Week events, offered students the opportunity to connect with peers, build their networks and engage in lively discussions on current trends. The advocacy and policy training focused on how the intersection of policy, education, and research can affect positive change for students of color.
Day 1 kicked off with AACTE Dean in Residence Leslie Fenwick leading a session on civil rights in education and AACTE consultant Jane West presenting a policy briefing. Day 2 centered on presentations by guest speakers—faculty, national organization professionals, and congressional staffers—who covered topics such as efforts to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and community-based participatory research to achieve social justice. The final day of training began with social reform advocates Jael Kerandi and Amanda Wilkerson, and moderator Ann Charity Hudley sharing their experiences and guidance on how scholars of color can mobilize for change.
14 Sep2020
By Jacqueline Rodriguez
AACTE delivered its first virtual Day on the Hill advocacy event this past week. Over two days, attendees met with Congressional staff, AACTE Committee on Government Relations members, and panelists to develop their advocacy toolkit. This week, the attendees will host two days of Congressional visits with the senators and representatives from their states. AACTE state teams will be advocating for the AACTE 2020 Legislative Priorities, which describe the needs of educator preparation as we address twin pandemics: COVID-19 and racial injustice.
In preparation for their virtual Congressional Visits, attendees practiced how to communicate the priorities to legislative leaders, were briefed on current data related to educator shortages, the important to increase funding toward TEACH grants and Teacher Quality Partnership Grants within educator preparation programs, and the value of funding the Institute for Education Sciences, which is the principal research agency for education in the United States.
In addition, attendees received resources to support their learning. Each of these resources is available to all AACTE members!
10 Sep2020
By Jerrica Thurman
Only one week is left to register for the 2020 State Leaders Institute, September 22-23! Register by 12:00 midnight on Friday, September 18 to experience AACTE’s inaugural, virtual event for state leaders.
During this signature event, centered around promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in education, state leaders will focus on capacity building and augmenting their chapter’s impact through leadership development. Attendees will learn effective skills to engage with their governor’s office, strengthen the advocacy capacity of their state chapter and its membership, and enjoy networking opportunities with peers.
Here’s what attendees from past events had to say about the value of the State Leaders Institute:
