GLOBAL
Australian Department of Education, Skills, and Employment. The Quality Initial Teacher Education Review (the Review) has now concluded and the Australian Government has released the final report. The Expert Panel has made recommendations across three key areas: *Attracting high-quality, diverse candidates into initial teacher education *Ensuring their preparation is evidence-based and practical *Supporting early years teachers.
Education International. Iraq: Education unionists meet parliamentary committee to enhance teaching conditions The KTU delegation insistd that the Parliament and its Committee of Education and Higher Education and Scientific Research do their best to respect the legal rights of Kurdistan’s teachers as soon as possible and to improve the education process at all levels, from pre-primary to higher education.
The Straits Times. New campus for Muis postgraduate course to upskill religious teachers The new campus will allow Muis to build local expertise and expand its networks with local and foreign scholars and academic institutions, which will be a key step towards the long-term plan to develop the Singapore Islamic College. The college, first announced six years ago, aims to train a new generation of religious teachers who understand Singapore’s multiracial, multi-religious context.
UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) AACTE to Host Webinar on Colleges of Education: A National Portrait [March 28, 1pm]
2) New Volunteer Leaders Prepare to Guide AACTE The recently concluded 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans marked a transition in leadership for AACTE’s Board of Directors. Michael Dantley, dean emeritus of the College of Education, Health and Society at Miami University of Ohio is the new chair of the Board of Directors. He is joined on the AACTE Executive Committee by the following…
Abilene Reporter News. New teacher certification exam will hurt Texas education …the adoption of edTPA would increase financial burdens on aspiring teachers because the exam costs $311, which is on top of other fees or alternative teacher preparation programs… Hispanic teachers were three times as likely as their peers to fail the exam, which would mean these candidates would either take the test multiple times at an added expense or would be unable to receive a certification.
Chalkbeat.
1) As pandemic complicates recruitment, Teach For America’s incoming class expected to hit a 15-year low Other teacher residency and alternative teacher prep programs are experiencing similar challenges. TNTP, for example, which runs a teacher fellowship program in Baltimore, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and elsewhere, has received fewer applications than it typically would by this time of year. Similarly, applications to the Chicago Teacher Residency program are slightly down from last year, a spokesperson wrote in an email…
2) How to help Colorado student teachers across the finish line? Pay them. House Bill 1220 would provide stipends to student teachers, who currently have to work for free while still paying tuition, and would provide alternative ways to prove mastery of teacher training requirements.
3) New teachers need experienced mentors: Early career educators aren’t getting the feedback they require to thrive. In 2019, Colorado passed the “Growing Great Teachers Act,” which awarded grants to establish training for mentor teachers. The teachers selected for such programs should have adequate experience, positive references, and an incentive to enter the world of mentoring.
4) Uptick but no exodus: Despite stress, most teachers stay put Regardless of whether teachers decide to leave, their heightened stress still matters — for them, their schools, and the future of the profession. Interest in teaching among high school and college students has been declining for years, and dissatisfied current teachers could dissuade would-be educators from entering the classroom in the first place.
Education Week. ‘How Bad Could It Get?’ State and District Leaders Work to Combat Teacher Shortages While a recent survey by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education found that most teacher-preparation programs said the pandemic has had either no or minimal impact on enrollment, a fifth of institutions did see a decline in new undergraduate enrollment of 11 percent or more.
Fast Company. How to convince people to become teachers Here are three problems the U.S. faces in recruiting the next class of teachers, along with some innovative solutions. Problem #1: high debt and low pay, possible solution: subsidize teacher prep. Problem #2: teacher prep is long and complex, possible solution: “grow your own” programs…
InsideHigherEd. ‘A Voice That Needs to Be Heard’: The American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers are teaming up to boost faculty say in legislative affairs and in academe’s future. The proposed legislative agenda seeks reinvestment in higher education at the state and federal levels, the end of mass employment of low-paid adjunct instructors, academic freedom surrounding the teaching of inequality and U.S. history, student debt relief, and increased college access.
Hechinger Report. Debunking the myth that teachers stop improving after five years Papay assumed that new teachers start at the same starting line every year. That is, the cohort of rookie teachers in 2001 were just as effective as the cohort of rookie teachers in 2009. That might not be true if teacher preparation programs have improved.
KMA. Bill eliminating teacher tests moves through legislature The Iowa House recently approved a bill eliminating the exit exam college graduates must pass in order to receive certification necessary to land teaching jobs… Passage is expected in the Iowa Senate. Once that happens, Moore says it’s important for Governor Kim Reynolds to sign the bill ASAP, so that prospective teachers won’t have to be tested this spring.
Las Cruses Sun News. ‘College is too damn expensive’: New Mexico governor signs free college tuition bill into law With an initial appropriation of $75 million, the law covers tuition and fees for undergraduate students at two- or four-year higher education institutions, including tribal colleges, in the state. Students are required to enroll in at least six and no more than 18 credit hours and maintain a 2.5 grade-point average. Eligible students may pursue career training certificates as well as associate’s or bachelor’s degrees.
National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE). NCEE Board of Trustees Names Dr. Vicki Phillips New CEO Vicki began her career as a middle and high school teacher… She holds a… Master of Arts in school psychology from Western Kentucky University; and a Bachelor of Science in elementary (K-8) and special education (K-12) from Western Kentucky University.
NJ.com. Should N.J. get rid of test needed to become a teacher? 9 organizations say yes. … college students must have a bachelor’s degree, complete a teacher preparation program, complete a minimum of 12 weeks as a student teacher and pass required assessments — including the edTPA. As the state heads toward the end of its third school year impacted by the COVID pandemic, some education organizations continue to push to remove an assessment they feel deters prospective teachers.
New Jersey Monitor. Bill advances that would eliminate a ‘burdensome’ test for would-be teachers To become a public school teacher in New Jersey, you have to obtain a bachelor’s degree…also must pass a performance-based test known as edTPA… After the Senate committee passed the bill Monday, the crowd of dozens of teachers, school educators, and administrators watching the meeting applauded. A companion bill in the Assembly was introduced in January and has yet to be scheduled for a committee vote.
New York Times.
1) It’s ‘Alarming’: Children Are Severely Behind in Reading …shortage of educators like Mrs. John, 30, a Tufts University graduate who received formal training in phonics instruction in a previous job. Many graduates of teacher-preparation programs lack this skill set, and some of the nation’s most popular reading curriculums do not emphasize it, despite a large body of research showing it is crucial.
2) Too Many Americans Don’t Understand What Happens in Their Schools [by Dr. M. B. Cucchiara, TC MA ‘97] First, Americans fail to take the work of teachers seriously. This manifests in teachers’ low salaries compared with other professions, of course, but also in the requirements for entering and remaining in the profession. Compared with teachers in higher-performing countries … teachers in the United States receive less rigorous training before entering the classroom and are less likely to participate in high-quality, sustained professional development throughout their careers.
NEW YORK STATE
NYSED. Department Proposes Regulations for the Substantial Equivalency of Instruction in Nonpublic Schools: Regulations Would Provide Multiple Pathways to Nonpublic Schools to Demonstrate Substantial Equivalency of Instruction Competent teacher means instructional staff employed by the school who demonstrate the appropriate knowledge, skill, and dispositions to provide substantially equivalent instruction. A competent teacher need not be certified. Public Comments Accepted Through May 30, 2022 to submit a comment, email [email protected](link sends e-mail) or mail them to: 89 Washington Ave., EBA Room 1078, State Office of Religious and Independent Schools, SE Regulation Comments, Albany, NY 12234.
The Daily Gazette. Mohonasen to pay physical education teachers more for covering multiple classes simultaneously SUNY Cortland has one of the largest teacher education programs in the SUNY system and one the largest physical education teacher programs in the nation, said Rebecca Bryan, an associate professor and the interim director of its Physical Education Department. She said enrollment numbers and numbers of students becoming certified as physical education teachers remains steady.
NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat.
1) Here’s how NYC schools are spending $7 billion in COVID federal relief While they can spend the money to pay teachers overtime to run any programs they create, they can’t hire new full-time staff since the funding is temporary.
2) I teach high school history. It’s my job to help teens understand the war in Ukraine. [by S. B. Rosenberg TC MA ‘02] If we continue teaching critical thinking skills and fostering empathy, Generation Z will lead us into a more accepting, equitable, and peaceful world.
Teachers College.
1) Center for Educational Equity. Finding Common Ground for Civic Education in Turbulent Times …mini-conference to explore how conservatives and liberals can agree on how schools throughout the country can teach, support, and encourage students to become capable citizens despite our politically polarized culture. [March 24 1:30-4:30 pm]
2) Student Profile. An Early Start: Family Put Geordany Arias on Path to Teacher Opportunity Corps and Career in the Classroom. The sense of isolation that seeped into his first weeks as a TC student dissipated with acceptance to the Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC), the state-funded program that places teachers from underrepresented backgrounds in New York classrooms. The TC program supports students with financial aid, workshops and faculty guidance during internships in New York City schools… Arias, also an Abby O’Neill Fellow, is in his second year with the program.
3) Views in the News. In Times of Crisis, Students Turn to Social Studies Teachers: In Chalkbeat, TC alumna Sari Beth Rosenberg takes us inside her classroom conversations with students about the Russia-Ukraine War Students are more aware than ever, as America grapples with extreme political division, economic inequity and now, a new war between two sovereign nations… That’s where social studies teachers play a critical role, writes TC alumna Sari Beth Rosenberg (MA ’02, Social Studies Education) in her latest column for Chalkbeat.
