Month: May 2018

GLOBAL
Education International. High Court slams Bridge International Academies   The U.S. based  multinational has a chain of for profit, private schools targeting poor families in an increasing number of African and Asian countries. It uses unqualified teaching staff, who deliver pre-determined content from a tablet to fee paying students.  

University World News [AU]. Teacher development is neglected in internationalization  In particular, our research indicates the need for teacher training and professional development programmes to include pedagogic strategies to assist international students with enhancing their English language skills and facilitating effective communication with international students from non-English speaking backgrounds. 

Webster University. Teacher Education Students Immersed in International Practicum in Leiden, the Netherlands

 

UNITED STATES
AACTE/edTPA. edTPA Handbook Improvement Survey

Chalkbeat. Here’s where you can find new workforce training classes in Memphis   Roughly 15 teachers will given the opportunity to train in one of the new focus areas next year, according to Joris Ray, an assistant superintendent. The district will pay for another 45 teachers to take an IT certification exam and ongoing training.

EdWeek.
1) 5 Ways Teachers Can Use Virtual and Augmented Reality in the Classroom   Immersive-reality technology is slowly creeping into the education world, whether as a tool for training new teachers or adding excitement to student learning.
2)  Have Your Feelings for Black and Latino Students Lowered Your Expectations for Them?  [By J. Pitts, MA student at Teachers College] Especially while the teaching force remains mostly white and female, we have to wrestle with some uncomfortable truths. Are your goals for your black and brown students different for your white students, and how can you change that?
3) Is STEM Oversold as a Path to Better Jobs?   Studies have reached mixed results about what kind of teacher training makes a difference for STEM outcomes. Several studies conclude, though, that teachers who demonstrate math-content knowledge are linked to greater student-test scores in that subject.
4) Mississippi cuts math teacher test score, citing shortage   Supporters say Mississippi set its score too high in 2013, when it joined most other states in requiring a score of 160 on a standardized test of mathematical knowledge known as the Praxis II. 

InsideHigherEd.
1) House GOP Plans Meeting on PROSPER Act
2) New Fix for Public Service Loans   Borrowers may qualify if they have been denied for Public Service Loan Forgiveness because some or all monthly payments were not made under a qualifying payment plan, if they worked for at least 10 years for a qualifying employer, and if they have made 120 payments on their federal student loans. 

Money. ‘I Didn’t Really Have a Choice.’ Meet the Teachers Quitting Their Jobs Due to Low Pay and Dwindling Benefits  Over the last five years, there has been a 35 percent decline in enrollment in teacher education programs, Darling-Hammond said. Potential teachers can be lured into other fields with more promising wages like tech — or waitressing and bartending.

NYTimes. Kentucky Math Teacher, Riding Wave of Public Anger, Defeats State House Majority Leader   The most significant changes affect future teachers, whose pensions would be part of a new retirement plan and require them to work longer before receiving payments.

NPREd. Education Department Launches ‘Top-To-Bottom’ Review Of Teachers’ Grant Program   This is how the grant program works: It gives teachers money, often called TEACH grants, to pay for an undergraduate or a master’s degree. In exchange, they agree to teach a high-need subject, such as math, for four years in a school that serves lots of low-income families.

USAToday. Democrats have a better deal for teachers and our kids, too: Chuck Schumer & Nancy Pelosi   First, we will dedicate $50 billion for states and school districts to increase teacher compensation and recruit and retain a strong, diverse workforce over the next 10 years.

US News & World Report. What Veterans Need to Know About Student Loan Discharges   The Education Department will now match borrowers on the National Student Loan Data System who have federal student loans or aid through the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education, or TEACH Grant Program, to the VA’s database.

Washington Post. Is Congress about to gut funding for teacher preparation programs?    PROSPER is the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success and Prosperity Through Education Reform Act, …now goes to the full House for a vote, probably this week; the Senate has not yet taken it up. Along with eliminating millions of dollars in federal student aid and other actions, PROSPER would also eliminate federal funding for teacher preparation programs.

 

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED.
1) Next Generation Learning Standards Implementation
2) State Education Department Awards $750,000 in My Brother’s Keeper Native American Grants   Also…NYSED awarded grants to 16 colleges and universities to help them bolster the retention of highly qualified individuals who value equity and reflect the diversity inside and outside of our classrooms, particularly in high-need schools with recurrent teacher shortages. 

Pearson/NYSTCE. seeking candidates to participate in a field test of selected-response (multiple-choice) and constructed-response (essay) items that may appear on future NYSTCE

 

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. Why a medical school prospect decided to teach chemistry in New York City instead

Chronicle. Which Colleges Pay Full Professors the Most?
Private nonprofit institutions   5. Columbia University $215,094   19. Teachers College. $176,518

Pix11 News. Pre-K or sit at home? Programs for kids with special needs are in trouble  Private programs pay certified special education teachers $20,000 to $30,000 less than a special education teacher earns in New York City’s public schools. The public schools hire many teachers away from the nonprofits, resulting in a 30 percent teacher turnover rate.

 

GLOBAL
The Guardian. How PhD-educated teachers help state school pupils get into highly selective-universities   In 2014, after several years of placing PhD students in schools to deliver programmes of academic enrichment to small groups of pupils, the charity decided to go further and create a route for post-doctoral researchers who wanted to work in schools full-time and become qualified teachers.

Times Higher Education. Mexico’s brain drain leaves universities struggling to fill research posts   “Most of these schools are for-profit businesses where teachers are paid little, so quality teachers are hard to hire: very few have university degrees.”

ReliefWeb. Republic of Congo: Don Bosco Vocational Training Center launches new improvement plan to introduce new course and increase teacher training   The overall goal of the project is to improve the training of 21 teachers and increase student enrollment by 3,000 over the next three years.

St. Lucia News. OECS (Organ. Of Eastern Caribbean States) states to re-engineer teacher education  Chief Education Officers, Directors of Education, principals and deans of the national colleges, teacher educators, curriculum officers and teachers all collaborated to identify actions which should be taken to enhance teacher education and professional development and essentially teacher quality.

TES. University gives £500 to everyone signing up for teacher training course   Bath Spa University says the payments are a ‘thank you’ for those choosing to become a teacher

 

UNITED STATES
Chalkbeat. Why Colorado’s teacher shortage bills fall short   Colorado already has roughly two dozen “alternative pathways,” training other than traditional university educator-preparation programs, often for teachers who are already in the classroom with temporary credentials. Doing away with licensure doesn’t seem to be a magic bullet. Many charter schools hire unlicensed teachers but still have a hard time filling certain positions.

EducationNext. Rating Teacher-Preparation Programs: Can value-added make useful distinctions?  It’s not helpful to rank a state’s programs by teachers’ value-added. With rare exceptions, the true differences between programs are so small that rankings would consist mostly of noise.

EducationWeek.
1) Connecticut legislature seeks boost for minority teachers   The legislation approved this week could help by creating new ways to obtain teacher certification and improve coordination with state agencies to identify candidates, Commissioner Dianna Wentzell said.
2) I Was a Doctor. Now I’m a Teacher. Why Don’t I Get the Same Level of Respect?   During the early years of the Great Recession, after 14 years in medicine, I hung up my stethoscope and began training to become a teacher.

Hechinger Report. 20 judgments a teacher makes in 1 minute and 28 seconds   Loewenberg Ball makes the argument that teacher training ought to address these constant judgment calls directly… She called upon education researchers to develop a “repertoire” of teaching practices that could help counter racist habits.

The Sentinel.  Secure Schools: University adapts teacher training to meet post-Parkland concerns  Like other colleges, Shippensburg University can’t train its students to a specific protocol as each school district will have its own set of policies and procedures. It does, however, train them to ask appropriate questions to be able to see the overall safety picture at a school as early as during the interview for a teaching position.

 

NEW YORK STATE
NYS FY 2019 Executive Budget
1) Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program  The recently passed 2019 Budget included a new Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program that would forgive up to $5,000 in student loans for teachers who teach in “shortage subject areas” or in “hard-to-staff districts,” or for applicants who are economically disadvantaged
2) New Report on Teacher Diversity  … require the State Education Department… to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature by June 1, 2019. The report will include information and data on teacher diversity, barriers to diversity in teacher preparation programs, efforts teacher preparation programs are taking to recruit and retain diverse student populations, and recommendations on practices and policies that may improve teacher diversity.

NYSED.
Open Comment Periods
1) Public Comment Period on Proposed Every Student Succeeds Act Regulations  The public comment period on proposed regulations to prepare for implementation of New York’s approved Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan begins today, Commissioner MaryEllen Elia announced. The public comment period continues through July 9.
2) Teacher Certification in Health Education (P) The proposed regulations will create a new Transitional K Certificate for certain New York State licensed health professionals (physician; physician assistant; nurse practitioner, or registered professional nurse) allowing them to teach health education in schools. The comment period on the proposed regulations closes May 27. Address data, views or arguments to: NYSED Office of Higher Education, [email protected].
3)  To Allow Individual Evaluation for Certain Certificate Titles in the Classroom Teaching Service To help address the reported teacher shortages in New York State, SED is proposing to reinstate individual evaluation for the following certificate titles: Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2), Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), Generalist in Middle Childhood Education (Grades 5-9), English Language Arts (Grades 5-9 and Grades 7-12), and Literacy (Birth-Grade 6 and Grades 5-12). The 60-day comment period on the proposed regulations closes on June 24, 2018. Address data, views or arguments to: Rebecca Coyle, NYSED, Office of Higher Education, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 975 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 486-3633, email: [email protected]

NYSED Office of Higher Education. New Assistant Commissioner Dr. Anael Alston (Teachers College; MA 2010, EdD 2011)

NYSED Regents. May meetings
Motion for Action
1) Proposed Amendment to Section 100.2(kk)(1) of the Commissioner’s Regulations Relating to Reports of Incidents of Harassment, Bullying and/or Discrimination Pursuant to the Dignity for All Students Act  A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Emergency Adoption will be published in the State Register on May 23, starting the 60-day public comment period which will end July 23.
2) Proposed Amendment of Section 80-5.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to the Employment of Substitute Teachers Who Do Not Hold a Valid Teaching Certificate and Are Not Working Towards Certification-(Emergency Action). …proposed amendment to allow districts to continue to be provided with the flexibility needed to address their hiring needs and employ substitute teachers who demonstrate competency in the classroom for more than 40 days beyond the current sunset date of June 30, 2018 and through the new sunset date of June 30, 2020.
3) Proposed Addition of a New Section 80-3.16 to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to Allow Individuals Completing a Program Accredited by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA) to Obtain an Initial Certificate in Speech  This proposal would provide another option for qualified candidates both out of state and in New York to gain certification to teach students with speech and language disabilities

Discussion
Clinical Practice Work Group Recommendations for Clinical Experiences in New York State Teacher Preparation Programs

Consent Agenda
1) Proposed Amendment to Section 52.21 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Graduate Admission Examination Requirements to Implement Chapter 454 of the Laws of 2017  …remove the requirement for certified teachers and school administrators who already hold a graduate degree to take either the GRE or a substantially equivalent admission examination…
2) Proposed Amendment to Section 80-1.5 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Safety Nets for Teacher Certification Examinations  Candidates must continue to take advantage of safety nets before their applicable expiration date(s)… however, they do not have to complete all additional requirements for certification on or before June 30, 2018.
3) Proposed Amendment to Subpart 4-2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents and Section 52.21 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to the Continuous Accreditation Requirement for Educator Preparation Providers  …will allow institutions that are currently accredited by NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP to apply for accreditation through an accrediting association that is seeking recognition from the CHEA or USDE, but has not yet achieved recognition status, and still meet the “continuous accreditation requirement” …

Rockefeller Institute for Government. The State of the New York Teacher Workforce   The future effects of the declining supply of prospective teachers may be exacerbated by their specializations. When compared to the current teacher workforce, few recent graduates of teacher education programs are prepared to teach the core subjects of mathematics, science, English, and social studies as well as such subjects as career and technical training, music, and art.

 

NEW YORK CITY
Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation AAQEP Transition Workshop Interchurch Center 475 Riverside Drive, Fri. June 15

NYTimes. A Teacher’s Job [OpEd]  …concern is expressed that grouping children of different abilities in the same school is too taxing for educators. As a public-school teacher, I am offended by this. Teaching multiple ability levels in a classroom is an integral part of any teacher’s education and training. Plain and simple, it’s our job.

Teachers College.
1) William Fong (MA 2011, Elementary Inclusive Program) teacher at Central Park East II Elementary School, wins 2018 Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award.
2) Widening TC’s Doors: Alumnus William Epps, Pastor of Los Angeles’ historic Second Baptist Church, makes a generous scholarship gift  “I don’t know if Teachers College is aware of the influence and impact they had on shaping education for African Americans all across the South during the days of segregation and discrimination in civil rights …They trained teachers, they trained guidance counselors, they trained principals and assistant principals – you name it.”

GLOBAL
EdWeek. Professionalizing Teaching Isn’t About More Compensation For the Same Occupation    … things that the countries with the best-performing education systems have done to assure a steady supply of first rate teachers… include raising the standards for admission to teacher education programs, much more rigorous programs of education in the subjects to be taught and much better training for the craft of teaching…

International Education News. The Latest Recommendations for Education Reform in Finland

NYTimes. Facing Budget Cuts and Teacher Shortages at Home, American School Districts Look Abroad to Hire   …the Philippines purposefully trains teachers, nurses and other workers “in a way that it’s easy for them to pass muster from licensing authorities here. They obviously speak English and they are willing to work.”

UNITED STATES
AssociatedPress. Proposed rule on teacher preparation programs draws pushback   A rule that would allow the New Mexico Public Education Department to oversee teacher preparation programs has garnered criticism and pushback by school leaders and education groups.

EdWeek.
1) Arizona Teachers Face Heavy Resistance as They Continue to Strike.  … consequences for teachers could be if there are complaints made about their refusal to work—but they could include a letter of censure, suspension, or the revocation of their teaching license.
2) Museums Are Dabbling in Teacher Training, and the Results Are Promising
3) Playing Games in Teacher Education: How Do Preservice Teachers Respond to Game-Based Learning

Hechinger Report. Are teachers losing their grip on the middle class?   At Arizona’s three public universities, enrollment in undergraduate and graduate teaching programs has dropped by nearly twenty per cent since 2008. Over the same period, nationally, the number of college students majoring in education declined by fourteen per cent.

InsideHigherEd.
1) Economist to Lead Harvard School of Education
2) Private Lenders Eye Graduate Loan Market   The council argues that graduate students should have the option to take out private loans if they so choose but should also be able to borrow federal loans up to the full cost of their education. Students who aren’t able to do so, the group argues, lose access to benefits like income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Kappa Delta Pi. Getting Political About Teacher Preparation for Multilingual Learners [OpEd]   …most programs do not offer sufficient experiences to develop “sociopolitical consciousness,” or understanding of how social and political issues affect the education of multilingual learners.

NEA Today.
1) How Independent Teacher Prep Programs Fail Our Most Vulnerable Students
2) It is Time for Betsy DeVos to Resign   She led the charge to cut $9.2 billion from the Department of Education—eliminating teacher training programs and college prep courses for students in poverty.

NYTimes. Teacher Pay Is So Low in Some U.S. School Districts That They’re Recruiting Overseas   Many short-staffed schools turn to Teach for America, which recruits recent college graduates and career-changers for two-year stints in the classroom. But to hire a Teach for America recruit, who may have no teaching experience or coursework in education, the district must pay $5,000 per teacher, in addition to salaries.

Teachers College. Professor William Gaudelli will become Dean of Lehigh University’s College of Education

The Harvard Crimson. Faust Says Bacow Will ‘Focus’ on PROSPER Act, Though Bill Remains Stalled   …the bill is stalled in the House and the outcome of the Nov. 2018 midterm elections will likely have significant bearing on whether the PROSPER Act progresses.

The State.
1) ‘All of that costs money’: Solving SC’s teacher crisis is going to be expensive  Several legislative proposals would ease the financial burden on teachers looking to renew their certification or increase their pay.
2) No US passport. No education degree. Meet your child’s new SC teacher  Increasingly, they’re recruiting them from other countries and other states and through programs that, for example, take professionals in other careers and turn them into teachers in a matter of months.

 

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED Office of Higher Education.
1) April Newsletter

•                   edTPA Safety Net
•                   Individual Evaluation Certification Pathway
•                   TeachNY and NY Teacher Table
•                   Clinical Practice Work Group Recommendations
•                   Caep Draft Partnership Agreement
•                   Office of Higher Education New Assistant Commissioner
•                   NYSTCE Test Development Activities

2) Critical information re edTPA

 

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. New York City to add almost 50 bilingual programs, the latest in a push to help English learners  …the education department is helping with tuition reimbursement for other Albanian-speaking teachers who are working towards earning certifications to teach English learners.