Month: March 2020

GLOBAL
Association for Teacher Education in Europe.  2020 Spring Conference, 20-22 May, Florence, Italy. Postponed.

Parenting and Education in Ireland. UNESCO Mobilizes Education Ministers in COVID-19 Crisis   UNESCO’s expertise in open and distance learning spans teacher training platforms, the design of e-learning school models, online communities of practice and the development of national ICT in education policies…

Times Educational Supplement (tes).  Coronavirus: New teachers will qualify despite shutdown   Education secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed that trainee teachers who miss out on their full complement of school training hours because of school closures will still qualify as teachers.

UNITED STATES
AACTE. Education Funding and HEA Reauthorization in Play on Capitol Hill   Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chair of the Senate HELP Committee, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member on the HELP Committee, have issued somewhat dueling statements about the likelihood of a long-awaited bipartisan deal on a Higher Education Act reauthorization bill…

Chalkbeat. Literacy bill on the move in Tennessee Legislature, minus the phrase ‘science of reading’   Currently, the state has 44 teacher training programs, but no common requirements when it comes to literacy instruction. That’s going to stop, said Mike Krause, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. 

CT Mirror. Would we evaluate a lawyer or doctor from a three-minute video clip?   On Friday, March 6, the Education Committee held a hearing on House Bill 5376, a bill that proposes the elimination of edTPA as a requirement for teacher certification.

Education Week.
1) National Education Policy Center, Deans’ Group Take Aim at the ‘Reading Wars’   “The overall body of high quality research in the teaching of early reading counsels us to make sure that our teachers have a complete toolbox, and are professionally prepared to use that full toolbox because different students have different needs,” said Kevin G. Welner, the director of NEPC, in an interview with Education Week. “The rejection of this idea of balanced literacy is potentially dangerous if we are removing tools from that toolbox.”
2) Teachers Share Resources for Teaching Online During Coronavirus School Closures

First STEP, Fulton County Schools (GA). On a Mission to Help Student-Teachers Thrive—and Stay in the Profession [new YouTube video]

Forbes. Learning In The Time Of COVID-19 [by L. Darling-Hammond]  Among these resources are many targeted to social and emotional learning as well as content learning, to English learners and to students with disabilities, to teachers who are learning new on-line pedagogies, and to parents who are learning to support their children’s education at home.

Hechinger Report. Ready or not, a new era of homeschooling has begun   In addition, most schools and teachers are unprepared to take their lessons online, and the education they can offer over the internet, on the fly, could be rough and wildly uneven.

National Education Policy Center and Education Deans for Justice and Equity. Policy Statement on the “Science of Reading” This “balanced literacy” approach, which stresses the importance of phonics and of authentic reading – and which stresses the importance of teachers who are professionally prepared to teach reading using a full toolbox of instructional approaches and understandings – is now strongly supported in the scholarly community and is grounded in a large research base.

NYTimes.
1) Coronavirus Resource Page for Students
2) Teachers Deserve More Respect [OpEd]  President Trump and his education secretary, Betsy DeVos… have also fought to eliminate civil rights protections in schools; to cut funding to reduce class size, teacher training and support; to make it easier for students to get away with sexual assault and harassment; and to put guns in schools…. 

NCEE. NCEE Statement on Passage of the Blueprint For Maryland’s Future by the Maryland Legislature  It raises the pay of teachers and requires them to meet higher standards to become educators. It establishes careers in teaching and makes advancement in those careers contingent on a teachers’ [sic] skills.

Washington Post.
1) Senate Democrats propose bailout for student loan borrowers   The Democrats are calling for at least $10,000 in tax-free debt cancellation for all federal student loan borrowers. They want the Education Department to assume loan payments for the duration of the national emergency and then institute a three-month grace period during which borrowers can forgo their payments without penalty. Payments made by the department would still count toward loan forgiveness for borrowers in public service jobs.
2) Trump suspends interest on all federal student loans to ease financial impact of coronavirus   Suspending payments, she said, could have been disruptive for people working toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness, a federal program that cancels the remaining balance of a borrower’s debt after 120 on-time monthly payments. 

NEW YORK STATE
Chalkbeat. Schools to close across New York state, governor says

NYSED.
1) NYSED Coronavirus Guidance Colleges and Universities Professional licensure or certification clinical experience courses must meet regulatory requirements. If present emergency circumstances create challenges associated with meeting clinical experience requirements, institutions should contact NYSED concerning appropriate alternatives to meet requirements, such as clinical simulation options.
2) The public comment period is open: proposed regulatory amendments to revise the composition of the Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching, including adding practicing, certified administrators to the Board & increasing membership to 30

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. NYC schools to close Monday for at least 4 weeks amid coronavirus pandemic

GLOBAL
International Council on Education for Teaching  Due to the coronavirus epidemic we are postponing the ICET2020 World Assembly at Bath Spa University. Subject to confirmation, we are hoping to host the conference on the equivalent dates next year – the ICET Board Meeting on Monday 21st June, 2021 and the World Assembly on Tuesday-Thursday 22-24 June, 2021. 

UNESCO.
1) Distance learning solutions
2) With one in five learners kept out of school, UNESCO mobilizes education ministers to face the COVID-19 crisis   UNESCO’s expertise in open and distance learning spans teacher training platforms, the design of e-learning school models, online communities of practice and the development of national ICT in education policies, with a priority focus on Africa.

UNITED STATES
AACTE/SCALE. edTPA COVID-19 State Outreach and Support    … candidates may submit edTPA portfolios within 18 months from their registration dates for both initial submissions and retakes… As necessary, Pearson will extend registrations for candidates impacted by COVID-19 without any change fee.  

American Educational Research Association. AERA 2020 ANNUAL MEETING FACT SHEET  In the coming weeks, AERA will provide detailed information on the AERA website about the virtual meeting.

EdWeek. 
1) Map: Coronavirus and School Closures
2) Culturally Responsive Teaching Is Promising. But There’s a Pressing Need for More Research   Many teachers feel uncomfortable discussing ethnicity and social equity, and many do not themselves have deep knowledge of nondominant political and cultural histories.
3) Future Teachers Are Unfamiliar With Basic ‘Learning Science,’ Report Finds  Aspiring teachers are unfamiliar with basic principles of learning science and should learn how to connect those principles to practice, according to a new report from Deans for Impact.
4) Teaching About Coronavirus: 3 Lesson Plans for Science, Math, and Media Literacy
5) What Happens to Student Teachers When Schools and Colleges Close Due to Coronavirus?   Teacher-preparation programs in 18 states are required to use the edTPA, which is administered by Pearson. In a statement, Pearson spokesman Scott Overland said edTPA registrations are valid for 18 months, and candidates can submit their portfolios for both initial submissions and retakes at any point during that time. 

George Mason University. Mason heads effort to recruit more teachers for the visually impaired and blind   … few U.S. colleges offer programs that prepare teachers to educate students who are visually impaired, according to Kimberly Avila, professor-in-charge of the teacher preparation program in blindness and vision impairment within the College of Education and Human Development.

Inside Higher Education. So You Want to Temporarily Teach Online

The Verge. The Smithsonian has released more than 2.8 million images you can use for free   Included are images from all 19 Smithsonian museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives, and the National Zoo

Ukiah Daily Journal. California K-12 schools prepare for coronavirus-related closures   “I think it would be a mistake for school districts, including PAUSD, to prematurely commit to online instruction for all students,” said Palo Alto Unified superintendent Don Austin. “I would be concerned about teacher training, student access to connectivity and devices…

WFAE. UNC Charlotte Changes How It Trains Student Teachers   Real-time coaching is part of a national trend – some schools call it “bug in the ear coaching,” referring to an earpiece that can be used to relay messages from the veteran teacher to the rookie. McIntyre is a member of Deans For Impact, a Texas-based coalition of almost two dozen university officials trying to improve teacher preparation.

WTOK. Teacher licensure bill clears Mississippi Senate   Senate Bill 2511 would allow college students to enter a School of Education if they have achieved a 21 ACT score, 3.0 grade point average on pre-major coursework, or a passing score on the Praxis Core, the test traditionally used in teacher certification programs.

NEW YORK STATE
Chalkbeat. Coronavirus live updates: CUNY and SUNY move to remote learning   Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state and city university systems  — SUNY and CUNY — would begin a “distance learning model” on March 19 — following the footsteps of several other universities across the country.

NYSED. Guidance for Colleges and Universities on Addressing the Needs of Students Impacted by the Coronavirus   Professional licensure or certification clinical experience courses must meet regulatory requirements. If present emergency circumstances create challenges associated with meeting clinical experience requirements, institutions should contact NYSED concerning appropriate alternatives to meet requirements, such as clinical simulation options.

NEW YORK CITY
Bklyner. A New School Focused On Raising Global, Urban Citizens To Open In Brooklyn   … in terms of the non-Chinese faculty, we’re looking particularly for people with training and experience with Reggio Emilia. Reggio is a very important prerequisite, and experiential learning is a very big part of our program even as early as preschool. 

Chalkbeat. NYC reluctantly readies for online learning if the coronavirus forces school closures    “It’s going to be highly contextual. It might be really difficult to say, ‘Everyone is going to do this one thing.’ It might be more like a buffet,” said Detra Price-Dennis, an associate professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College, who is focused on digital learning and digital literacy in K-8 classrooms.

Teaching Residents at Teachers College (TR@TC). March 2020|Winter Edition Newsletter.  Raising Consciousness, Induction Spotlight, Teacher Grant Resources…

GLOBAL
India Education Diary.
1) Chile teacher training programme brings green science to life in indigenous regions   A teaching programme in one of the poorest and most densely populated rural regions of Chile is leveraging indigenous knowledge to use science and education for sustainable development (ESD) to improve lives.
2) IIM Kashipur launches an Innovative 2-week Madrasa Teacher Training programme    In tandem with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for the development of Muslim youths to hold the Quran in one hand and computer in other, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kashipur launched an innovative two-week Madrasa Teacher Training Programme today. 

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
1) How can education systems better understand teachers’ well-being?   … governments need to support teachers in meeting these new demands, from integrating new technologies and developing new teaching practices, to managing increasingly diverse classrooms. This is even more true in a world where teaching as a career is losing its appeal and teacher shortages are common. 
2) Initial Teacher Preparation (Itp)  Study  Promoting policies and practices for a stronger teaching profession – from initial teacher education to the first years of teaching

UNITED STATES
AACTE. Call for Proposals, Reviewers for 2021 AACTE Annual Meeting: “Resisting Hate, Restoring Hope: Engaging in Courageous Actions”

Chalkbeat.
1) Colorado State Board calls for more teacher training on reading, not less   Some board members raised concerns about that change, noting that inadequate college classes on reading instruction have contributed to low reading proficiency rates and shouldn’t get a pass on the front end of the process.
2) Dyslexia just got its first mention in Michigan law. Will it make a difference for struggling readers?   What’s more, teacher training programs in Michigan, like others across the country, aren’t doing enough to prepare educators to work with struggling readers, including dyslexic students. Only three out of 24 teacher prep programs statewide received an “A” rating for early literacy from the National Council on Teacher Quality, while eight were rated “F.”

Education Week.
1) 9 Things Educators Need to Know About Coronavirus
2) Teacher-Candidates Get a Safe Space to Air Touchy Issues of Identity   …there’s a lot of value in meeting with others who have a shared experience, Emdin said. Teachers College’s Reimagining Education Summer Institute, which is an annual conference for classroom teachers focused on integrated schools, has the opportunity for attendees to participate in affinity groups
3) Teachers in These States Have to Pass a Rigorous Test on ‘Science of Reading‘   Which 19 states, you ask? The list is here, in a newly updated database built by the National Council on Teacher Quality. The NCTQ has been monitoring state policies on teacher preparation for many years.
4) When Teaching Media Literacy, Which News Sources Are Credible? Even Teachers Don’t Agree   The findings suggest a few different things. First, teaching programs probably need to help teachers recognize that they come into their classrooms with particular ideological perspectives, and that they need to reflect on that as they design learning experiences.

Forbes. 5 Reasons School Districts Should Consider Developing Their Own Teachers   … if we can bring a sense of community back, develop and grow our best educators, we might be able to help lower teacher attrition rates and raise the bar for youth—in a place where everyone can empathize with one another.

Inside Higher Ed.
1) Blunt: No Cuts to Work-Study   Democrats on the committee also assailed a number of the president’s other proposed cuts, including to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
2) Higher Ed Deal in the Works?  Senator Lamar Alexander says a bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act should pass the education committee in about a month, to give it time to get through Congress this year.

JTE Insider. Author Interview: Roegman & Kolman  …insights from Rachel Roegman [TC EdD ‘14] and Joni S. Kolman [TC EdD ‘13], co-authors of the article “Cascading, Colliding, and Mediating: How Teacher Preparation and K-12 Education Contexts Influence Mentor Teachers’ Work.” What consistently emerged, and we had yet to fully describe in our previous writing (both with A. Lin Goodwin [TC Evenden Prof. of Ed.]), was how mentor teachers are navigating the pressures asserted by two different contexts—teacher preparation and K-12 education—as they work with teacher candidates. 

Library of Congress. Education Resources from the Library of Congress

Philadelphia Enquirer. This Camden principal was once a homeless, single, teenage mom. Now, her story inspires young girls.  With a leap of faith, she eventually packed up her daughters, Charity and Cheyanna, in 2001 and moved to Huntsville, Ala., where she graduated cum laude from Oakwood University in 2006 with a bachelor’s in elementary education. She returned to Camden and landed a teaching position at Parkside Elementary, and later was selected by her colleagues as Teacher of the Year for five straight years.

USA Today. Math scores stink in America. Other countries teach it differently – and see higher achievement.   “Math phobia is real. Math anxiety is real,” said DeAnn Huinker, a professor of mathematics education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who teaches future elementary and middle school teachers. New research suggests that when teachers improve their attitude toward math, it can help to raise student test scores.

NEW YORK STATE
LOHUD. Frances Wills, former schools chief in Briarcliff Manor, Putnam Valley, chosen for Board of Regents   Wills served in education for more than 50 years. She retired on July 1, 2019, as Putnam Valley superintendent after six years on the job. She previously served as Briarcliff Manor’s schools chief for 16 years. Before that, she worked in Maine for 25 years.

NYSED Board of Regents. Statement from Chancellor Betty A. Rosa and Interim State Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe on Board of Regents Appointments    We are thrilled to congratulate Regents Cashin, Collins, Ouderkirk, Tilles and Young on their re-elections to the Board of Regents….We are also delighted to welcome Dr. Frances Wills to the Board of Regents and look forward to working with her to raise the knowledge, skill, and opportunity of all the people in New York.  

NYSED Board of Regents Meetings.
Early Childhood Education Blue Ribbon Committee Recommendations:

• Strengthen New York State’s Early Childhood Teachers and Leaders
• Birth to Grade 3: Consider expanding Early Childhood Education certification to include Grade 3 to align with Board of Regents policy.
• Preservice Teacher and Leader Preparation
• Teaching Assistant Certification

Proposed Amendments to …Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to the Eligibility Requirements for Loan Forgiveness and Grant Programs

NEW YORK CITY
EdSurge. This Program Is Building a Pipeline of Special Education Teachers   …Terrero enrolled in our Grow Your Own Workforce Development Program (GYO), which is designed to recruit and retain new early childhood educators in New York City. The program exposed her to strategies for working with children with special needs, which she is now applying both at home and in her new role as a certified teacher assistant at the Kennedy Children’s Center, a public special education preschool in New York City. 

Teachers College Human Resources. edTPA Video Services Assistant. Apply now Job no: 505620 Position type: Staff Location: New York City Categories: Information Systems/Technology