GLOBAL
ATEE-EDITE-ELTE CONFERENCE. 11 June, 2021. Doctoral students and early stage researchers will come together in order to summarise and present their research findings, problems, dilemmas and to engage with an international audience, in dialogue with well-known researchers, keynote speakers, school practitioners and the public audience. [Abstracts due 15 May]
Gov.UK. Languages in outstanding primary schools In cases where a specialist teacher visits the school, class teachers practised what has been taught during the week in between languages lessons. In schools where a teacher in school was responsible for organisation and delivery of the languages curriculum, they sometimes used bought packages, recorded sound files and organised good subject-specific continuous professional development; upskilling and supporting staff was seen as essential. In those situations where native speakers lead the subject, they received training linked to understanding and teaching their native language, which was pivotal.
Sydney Morning Herald. Teacher training review key to arresting declining academic results: Tudge The review, which Mr Tudge will launch on Thursday, will be chaired by former Department of Education secretary Lisa Paul. It will look at how to attract talented people into the profession and best prepare them to become effective teachers.
The Print. Where are the gutsy girls of Indian science? They could help us against next pandemic Teachers may themselves need to be further trained to instil a scientific temper in students, and particularly to stimulate an interest in science among girls. Teacher-training institutes could focus more closely on these elements as they build the capacity of early- and mid-career teachers.
UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) AACTE Applauds President Biden’s $9 Billion Proposal to Address the Teacher Shortage Specifically, his plan calls for:
*Doubling the annual amount of TEACH grants from $4,000 to $8,000 per year
*$2.8 billion for year-long, paid teacher residency programs and Grow Your Own programs
*$400 million for teacher preparation at minority-serving institutions (MSIs)
*$900 million for the preparation of new special educators
*$1.6 billion for educators to obtain additional certifications in high-demand fields such as special education and bilingual education
*$2 billion to support the development of teachers as leaders and high-quality mentorship programs for new teachers and teachers of color
2) Our Democracy Depends on Teachers Student learning begins with the quality of the education and training that teachers themselves receive in many of our universities and colleges. Our public education system needs to be revamped to better support teachers’ education, knowledge, and skills. State and federal authorities must focus on improving teaching and making that the cardinal element of school reform…
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). 2021 National Teacher of The Year Juliana Urtubey is the 2020-2021 Nevada State Teacher of the Year. She is the first Latinx Nevada State Teacher of the Year since at least 1992. Ms. Urtubey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bilingual Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in special bilingual education from the University of Arizona. Ms. Urtubey is a National Board-Certified Teacher (Exceptional Needs Specialist, Early Childhood and Young Adults).
Chalkbeat.
1) Colorado got $119 million in early childhood funding from the second federal stimulus bill. Here’s where it’s going. Workforce expansion — $12 million over two years: This pot of money is intended to bring 2,700 new certified child care and preschool educators into the field. It will provide free community college courses to prospective child care workers and free online classes for educators interested in becoming child care directors. It can also be used for scholarships, loan forgiveness, and bonuses.
2) Does Biden’s plan for a $15 minimum wage for child care workers go far enough? In addition to the $15 minimum wage, Biden’s proposal calls for early childhood workers with comparable qualifications to kindergarten teachers — typically at least a bachelor’s degree — to earn commensurate pay. Places such as New York City already have such pay parity efforts, but many workers struggle to take advantage of them because it’s hard to earn the necessary credentials while working full time for little money.
3) Tennessee legislature approves ban on teaching critical race theory in schools Among concepts that teachers will not be able to discuss: that one race bears responsibility for the past actions against another; the United States is fundamentally racist; and a person is inherently privileged or oppressive due to their race.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Considering the Impact of COVID-19 on Teacher Education: What Really Matters To prepare all our candidates to be culturally responsive educators and change agents, we must deeply examine the content and clinical experiences our programs provide
Education Week.
1) Juliana Urtubey, an Elementary Special Educator, Is the 2021 National Teacher of the Year Urtubey told Education Week that being a special education teacher has given her greater insight into the importance of family engagement and has shaped her teaching philosophy… Urtubey said she wants more accessible bilingual education, and is hopeful the Biden administration will give teachers a seat at the table when it comes to policymaking… She also said she wants to use her platform as National Teacher of the Year to advocate for creative ways to recruit and retain teachers of color.
2) Science of Reading Advocates Have a Messaging Problem: The reading wars are back. Opaque language isn’t helping Once we get past the logjams, wars, ad hoc recriminations, and so forth, we can make sure anyone teaching our kids to read has, understands, and can use the best knowledge and tools available. For that to happen, we must stop getting distracted and mystifying others with opaque language. It’s just not helpful.
InsideHigherEd. Two-Year Institutions, Four-Year Degrees: Community colleges in Arizona can now offer four-year programs, providing more affordable and streamlined pathways to bachelor’s degrees. Maricopa Community College District…is considering offering baccalaureate programs in areas such as police and fire science, information technology, respiratory therapy, and teacher education at a low cost to students…And while universities offer teacher education, they aren’t graduating enough students to meet demand, so offering those degrees won’t encroach on public universities’ offerings.
National Education Policy Center (NEPC). Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2021 It is recommended that policymakers:…* Define certification training and relevant teacher licensure requirements specific to teaching responsibilities in virtual schools, and require research-based professional development to promote effective online teaching… Given that all states require most online teachers-of-record be certified, the emphasis on certification in hiring teachers for virtual schools suggests there may be too few certified teachers applying, which may be forcing virtual school administrators to focus more on basic qualifications than on other criteria likely related to teacher quality and effectiveness…
NEA News.
1) Meet Miguel Cardona, the New U.S. Secretary of Education: Cardona answers educators’ questions at an NEA-hosted virtual town hall. Cardona stated that he will focus on … creating equitable access to college and career programs; and making higher education affordable.
2) Retired Teachers Still Struggling with Student Debt: Twenty-something educators aren’t the only ones saddled with student loans. Many retired educators have been paying back their student loans for decades. … the astronomical cost of higher education, even public higher education, forces many Americans to reap a lifetime of debt… NEA has called on the Biden administration to cancel the debt of any public-service worker who has served their community for at least 10 years.
NYTimes. Meet the Man Now at the Center of the Debate Over Student Debt Mr. Cordray will inherit a plethora of other problems at the Education Department, including extensive errors and obstacles in the department’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which is intended to forgive the debts of teachers, military members, nonprofit workers and others in public-service careers.
Partnership for the Future of Learning. Teaching Profession Playbook: Building a Strong and Diverse Teaching Profession Chapters incl. Effective Recruitment Strategies, High-Retention and Culturally Responsive Preparation, Effective Retention Strategies…
Politico. Does your child’s teacher know how to teach? Nearly a decade ago, in a case known as Renee v. Duncan, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the practice of disproportionately placing uncertified teachers, teachers in training or teacher interns in classrooms serving poor and minority students is “discriminatory” and “does harm.” Further, the court indicated that the appellants in the case provided evidence that 41 percent of interns in California taught in the 25 percent of schools with the highest concentration of students of color.
TODAY. She started out as the school custodian. Years later, she’s its most beloved teacher Wanda Smith persevered through college while working two jobs and raising a family to become a teacher at the same elementary school where she was once a custodian and bus monitor.
Washington Post. As schools expand racial equity work, conservatives see a new threat in critical race theory Many school systems were already working to incorporate diversity and racial equity themes into their policies and curriculum, but the effort spread after the police murder of George Floyd last May and the worldwide protests that followed.. The work underway in schools takes a wide variety of forms. Officials are adding the perspectives and experiences of people of color to curriculum, challenging teachers to examine their biases, and reviewing policies on discipline…
Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board. ANNOUNCEMENT: In April 2021, the Washington Legislature approved state law, 2SHB 1028, eliminating the edTPA as a state requirement for teacher certification. [Signed by Governor Inslee Wed. May 5]
NEW YORK STATE
CICU. Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities Announces Lola Brabham as New President
NYSATE/NYACTE. CFP Fall 2021 Conference Oct. 13 OR 21 [deadline June 1st]
NEW YORK CITY
NY Daily News. NYC expands teacher hiring programs after pandemic cuts. All in all, about 1,250 new teachers are expected to enter the city teaching force next fall through “pipeline” programs, up from 500 last year. Another 800 are expected to join the teaching force in the 2022-2023 school year.
Teachers College. The Long Road Home: Carolyn Swen’s family fled war-torn Liberia. Using her TC degree, she wants to start a school back on the continent She spent the next two years working for the Peace Corps in two Ethiopian villages, teaching high school English, community development, and sexual and reproductive health…. her master’s integrative project focused on a topic close to home: “Perception of the Teaching and Learning Process During the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Case of Teachers College, Columbia University.”
