Month: June 2022

GLOBAL
BBC News. Secondary school teacher training to start on Isle of Man   Five places will be available to train to teach science, maths or English… Education Minister Julie Edge said it would help to “develop teaching capacity” on the island. Currently those who want to go into teaching must qualify off the island.

TVC News. [Nigeria] Kaduna State Lays Off 2357 Teachers for incompetence   Mr Tijanni Abdulahi added that the State education board will in the coming days recruit additional 10,000 teachers to fill the gaps of those dismissed. This is not the first time, teachers will be sacked in the state, in 2018 over 21,000 teacher were also dismissed for allegedly failing a competency test.

Victoria Times Colonist [CAN]. What has changed since 1988 Sullivan Commission education report?   The ministry document said…that students learn in a variety of ways and at different rates, and that learning is both an individual and a social process. Those precepts, widely accepted by many experienced educators but rejected by some non-educators for a variety of reasons… should have influenced the architectural design of schools, programs for teacher preparation, the integration of curriculum, student assessment and self-assessment practices, and the need to properly accommodate kids at either end of the intellectual and ability spectrum.

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) Future Teachers Begin New Arizona Teach Residency   The Arizona Teacher Residency has accepted its first cohort of 30 future teachers, as well as the 30 supervising teachers who will be working with those teacher residents this next school year. The Arizona Teacher Residency is a first-of-its-kind graduate program in Arizona modeled after medical residencies to help recruit, prepare, support and retain K-12 teachers, especially those with identities that have been underrepresented in the teaching population. 
2) Governor Lamont and Education Commissioner Russel-Tucker Announce Investments to Support Aspiring Educators   Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker today announced new investments to defray certification-related testing costs for aspiring educators in Connecticut. A total of $2 million dollars of federal, state-level reserve American Rescue Plan Act, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP-ESSER) funding is being dedicated over a two-year period, which includes $750,000 in year one and $750,000 in year two. The remaining $500,000 is being set aside for educators of color and other educators who will be completing their student teaching in urban school districts.

Chalkbeat. Michigan student teachers could get paid for their classroom time   The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would provide student teachers a stipend of $90 per day. Experienced teachers who serve as their mentors would receive $1,000, under the bill introduced by Pamela Hornberger, the Chesterfield Township Republican who heads the House Education Committee… The legislation now heads to the Senate.

Chronicle of Higher Education. When Diversity Becomes a Bad Word: In South Dakota, some say a hostile climate is driving them to quit.   In a course Dyanis Conrad teaches called “The Foundations of American Education,” she spends the first few weeks of the semester establishing that racism is real… Conrad said in an interview with The Chronicle that she doesn’t teach CRT. But she does highlight some aspects of it in her teaching — just as other teacher-educators do.

EdSource. California to create teaching credential covering pre-K through 3rd grade that requires literacy training: Commission ties future reading reforms and performance test to PK-3 credential   The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing agreed this week to create a new teaching credential for pre-kindergarten through third grade that will require teacher candidates to show they are trained in how to teach reading. The decision came after the commission addressed criticisms that a separate credential that lacked identical literacy instruction coursework and a reading performance test could undermine separate efforts to improve reading instruction in elementary grades.

Education Week. Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff | FREE EVENT. [Thursday, July 21, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET]

Forbes. FedLoan To Transfer Student Loans In 2022: What To Expect   FedLoan Servicing was previously the exclusive servicer of loans repaid under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and grants received under the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program. The Department of Education has announced that MOHELA will be the new point of contact for participants in these programs. The switch from FedLoan to MOHELA will likely happen for you later in 2022, according to the department, but you can check your loan or grant’s transfer status on MOHELA’s website. 

Hechinger Report. To counter educator bias, we need more Black teachers in our classrooms   If we encourage Black graduates to pursue teaching, we must also recognize the conflict this presents with their long-term wealth potential. Paying teachers a respectable salary that allows them to build their own financial capital is critical, as is ensuring that these salaries are equitably distributed.

InsideHigherEd. Improving Community College Transfer Pathways Could Help With Teacher Shortages: How improvements to community college transfer policies can alleviate teacher shortages. [by D. Sparks, TC Senior Research Assoc. & doc. student]  While community colleges already make significant contributions to bachelor’s and master’s degrees awarded in Michigan, addressing structural barriers in the vertical transfer pipeline could enable even larger contributions that could alleviate teacher shortages and improve diversity among teachers… Other states and institutions have started to take notice of community colleges’ contribution to teacher labor supply and implemented reforms accordingly. 

MissouriNet. Tweak To Qualifying Certification Test Score Could Put Hundreds Of Educators In Missouri Classrooms   … a slight change to the qualifying score on these exams could add over 550 certified teachers a year to the workforce…Under the plan, the tweak would apply at the beginning of this current test window. It would affect test takers that score within the -1 Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) range of the established qualifying score on all initial teacher certification exams.

New York Times. 23 On-Demand Webinars for Teachers

Rutgers Univ. Two New Bachelor of Arts Degrees at Rutgers-Newark   The Rutgers Board of Governors on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve the creation of two Bachelor of Arts degrees by the School of Arts and Sciences-Newark, one in ESL and Bilingual Urban Education and another in Urban Secondary Education.  The new degree programs will broaden the Urban Education department’s curriculum by offering more support for pre-service teachers to successfully move into ESL/Bilingual and grade 7-12 classrooms. 

Texas Tribune. Texas rejects more rigorous teacher certification exam: The Educative Teacher Performance Assessment was designed to better prepare new teachers, but faced pushback from people who thought it would create barriers for people of color…  The State Board of Education on Friday unanimously rejected a new teacher certification exam that supporters dubbed the solution to prepare and retain new teachers, but critics worried would create barriers for people of color to enter the profession.

Washington Post. Texas GOP to schools: Use live ultrasounds to show a ‘preborn child’   The Texas Republican Party … just-concluded 2022 convention in Houston. Its members advanced a platform that says:… f. Teacher and administrator certification. We call for the abolition of the State Board for Educator Certification.

NEW YORK STATE
New York State Education Department Public comment periods now open
* Proposed Amendment…Relating to Establishing the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) Certificate, Revising the Registration Requirements for Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2) Programs, and Revising the Requirements for the Extension and Limite…
* Proposed Amendment … Relating to Extending Flexibilities for Incidental and Substitute Teaching
* Proposed Amendments … Relating to Establishing Registration Requirements for Residency Programs and Revising Residency Certificate Requirements
Submit comments to: William P. Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department, Office of Higher Education, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 975 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 486-3633, email: [email protected]

NYSED Office of Higher Education.  seeking candidates for the following position in the Office of Teaching Initiatives: Director, Teacher Certification Location: Albany

New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). ‘Grow Your Own’ grants rev up recruiting for future educators   NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango said the grant program is an outgrowth of NYSUT’s Take a Look at Teaching initiative, which began four years ago to address the teacher shortage and improve diversity in the educator workforce. For many of the North Country sophomores and juniors, this was their first visit to the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. They visited dorm rooms, sampled an impressive cafeteria buffet and heard about teacher ed class requirements and field experiences.

NEW YORK CITY
Teachers College. Teachers College Announces New Gift from Jody and John Arnhold to Create the Arnhold Dance Education Research Studios: The new, state-of-the-art dance studios will expand and enhance teaching, learning and research capabilities at the institution where da   But her efforts in supporting Teachers College over the last six years has been critical for tying together all of that work, by creating a new generation of teacher educators and thought leaders who are developing strategies for expanding and improving dance education across the United States.

 

GLOBAL
AllAfrica. Malawi: Minister Nyalonje Outlines President Chakwera’s Vision for Education Sector At Education World Forum 2022   Envoys from the World Bank, the British Government, ministers from countries such as Brazil, and non-profit education organizations, such as the Education Partnerships Group and Lego Foundation, philanthropist organizations such as Big Win and Gates Foundation, and Education Technology companies, pledged to help Malawi design and implement sustainable and effective strategies to scale up interventions that will improve foundation skills, including through teacher preparation…

Inquirer.net. Focus on teacher training, DepEd urged   MANILA, Philippines The incoming Marcos administration should focus on ensuring quality education and sufficient training for teachers to address the education crisis hounding the country, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Monday.

Sydney Morning Herald. ‘A game-changer’: NSW to introduce an extra year of education   The government is also spending $376.5 million over four years on giving children a full suite of developmental checks. It has also pledged more than $280 million to train early childhood teachers and carers.

tes magazine (UK). Is AI set to change the way you teach?   The key to utilising AI in all of these ways successfully, however, is teacher training. “The key thing that needs to come from the top is the recognition of the value of training around AI…”

UNITED STATES
AACTE. Trends in the Alternative Teacher Certification Sector Outside Higher Education   AACTE has partnered with the Center for American Progress (CAP), which had previously published a study of alternative teacher certification programs…. examined trends among alternative certification programs run by organizations other than institutions of higher education (IHEs) between 2010-11 and 2018-19, the last full academic year prior to the pandemic.

AL.com. Alabama to vote on lower Praxis score for teacher certification requirement   The Alabama Board of Education may begin accepting a below-passing score on the Praxis teacher qualification test, as part of an ongoing effort to get more teachers into classrooms. A teacher who scored below passing would still have to demonstrate a higher GPA or completion of 100 hours of high-quality professional learning in order to obtain a teaching certificate.

Bakersfield.com. New teaching residency at CSUB targets Black student success   There is increasing funding from both the state and federal governments to create and expand residency programs. The governor’s most recent budget proposes $500 million to expand residency slots for teachers and counselors. Administrators are excited about a program that not only recruits teacher candidates — crucial during a teacher shortage — but gives them a full year of training alongside veteran teachers. They get to know their students, which is key to the district’s culture and support systems for students.

Chalkbeat.
1) Does class size really matter? A Chalkbeat look at the research.   Substantially reducing class size generally requires schools to go on a hiring binge in order to staff the new classes — and those new teachers are often less experienced and effective than their peers. That means the benefits from lower class size may be partially counteracted by reductions in teacher quality… the dip in teacher quality appeared temporary, though.
2) Michigan may waive test for veteran teachers certified in other states   Under proposed reciprocity legislation, people with three years’ experience elsewhere would no longer have to take the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification in order to start teaching in the state. And once they start, they would have a year to fulfill other state licensure requirements, including becoming certified in CPR, and, for some, completing additional coursework in reading diagnostics.
3) The exit interview: Hite talks hits, misses as Philly’s superintendent   Individuals are thinking, “I don’t want to be a teacher.” So we have to lift up the teaching profession for young people and think about teaching as leadership rather than just teaching [academic] content. These are people teaching young people social responsibility and social justice. I think we have to do a much better job of rebranding what teaching means today. The answers to the teacher shortage are sitting in classrooms right now. We have to find ways to maybe do a Middle College type program for the development of teachers. 

Chronicle. Why Does the Education Department Need a Chief Economist?   Matsudaira’s experience and academic background appear to fit well with his titles. He has a doctorate in economics and public policy from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and has held several faculty positions in those fields. Most recently, he was appointed associate professor of economics and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. 

Education Week.
1) Students Deepen Access to Civics Education In Hard-Fought Legal Battle   Michael Rebell, who led the plaintiffs’ case as executive director of the Center for Educational Equity and Professor of Law and Educational Practice at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York, said Wednesday that while the lawsuit failed to establish that right under the U.S. Constitution, it has helped elevate the need for good civic education, and has created a mechanism for change in Rhode Island.
2) What’s Ahead for the Nation’s First Federally Approved Teacher-Apprenticeship Program?   Tennessee’s Grow Your Own (GYO) work is an educator-preparation strategy focused on developing and retaining candidates from local communities, for local communities. Our new, sustainable model—the Tennessee Teacher Apprenticeship—starts with the creation of a strong partnership between a school district and an educator-preparation provider…instead of offering competitive grants for districts to receive one-time funding, Tennessee’s Teacher Apprenticeships now offer sustainable funding options for no-cost pathways and compensation… We currently have more than 650 educators in our Grow Your Own teacher pipeline spanning 14 EPPs and 65 school districts. 

NYTimes. This Company Knows How to Increase Students’ Test Scores    Some critics of NewGlobe are put off that its teaching is highly scripted and standardized… According to union-supported research, school inspectors and other officials in Kenya “describe this method of teaching as ‘robotic’, ‘too controlling’, ‘disabling the teachers from using their creativity and innovativeness’, ‘neocolonial’ and representing a form of ‘slavery.’”

InsideHigherEd.
1) ‘It’s Not a Luxury Degree’: Many teachers face the need to acquire a graduate degree, often taking on student debt for a high-demand job that yields few economic rewards.   The level of education, training and certificates needed to become a teacher vary state by state. In New York, Ohio and Massachusetts, for example, all K-12 teachers are required to earn a master’s degree within the first five years of signing a teaching contract. However, most teaching positions will offer larger salaries to those with graduate degrees.
2) Senate Bill Would Boost Funding for Civics Education  … $15 million for a new fellowship program that recognizes educators in underrepresented communities and gives a stipend for a five-year commitment to teaching.

The74. New Mexico’s Education Reform Plan Presented to Tribal Leaders   The state’s plan makes it clear why this teacher pipeline is necessary, writing that students perform better when educators have ties to the community where they work and live.

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED. State Library’s Research Library Renamed in Honor of Regent Joseph E. Bowman, Jr.  Dr. Bowman continued his education at Teacher’s College, Columbia University where he pursued other master’s degrees in educational technology as well as a doctorate in Communications and Technology in Education [EdD ‘91].

NYSED Board of Regents. June meetings
Proposed Amendments
* Proposed Amendment… Relating to the Standards for School Building Leader Preparation Programs, Definition of “Leadership Standards” for Annual Professional Performance Reviews, and Safety Net for the School Building Leader Assessment
* Proposed Amendment …Relating to the Implementation Timeline for the Computer Science Statement of Continued Eligibility*Proposed Amendment… Relating to Computer Science Being Considered a Career and Technical Education Subject
* Proposed Amendment … Relating to Establishing the Literacy (All Grades) Certificate  [45 day comment period begins June 29]
Higher Education Consent Agenda
* Appointments and Reappointments to the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching* Proposed Amendment … Relating to the Content Core Requirement in Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Certification for Candidates Who Are Seeking an Additional Science Certificate

TimesUnion. Board of Regents approves literacy teaching certificate change to address teacher shortage: Proposal is now available for public comment before the final vote   The “slimmer” literacy certificate would replace two, one for birth through sixth grade and another for fifth through 12th grades. To get the all-ages certificate, the teacher would have to spend at least 50 hours teaching literacy, partly in grades pre-K through four and partly in grades five through 12.

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. NYC budget deal cuts school funding amid declining enrollment   Fewer students could mean a need for fewer teachers. But reduced funding complicates plans that principals had for their schools, such as launching new programs or hiring new staff. The city is also facing a new state law requiring New York City to reduce class sizes, but officials have not explained how they’ll reconcile the new mandate with cuts to school budgets.

Teachers College. Alumni Profile Audrey Yatdon Tchoukoua [MA TESOL ‘22], graduate of the Teacher Opportunity Corp and Teaching Residents at Teachers College programs. “I realized I wanted to give something back.” Engaging audiences on the stage and in the classroom, TC grad Audrey Yatdon finds purpose and new challenges as an educator.

GLOBAL
Free Press Journal. Special Teacher Training In Kashmir For Student’s Socio-emotional Wellness   In Jammu and Kashmir, a special teacher training programme on employing art-based tools to improve children’s emotional well-being and academic achievement was begun on Sunday, officials said.

Irish Times. Strong teacher-training colleges’ performance under new social mobility rankings for higher education   Teacher-training colleges are among the strongest performers in boosting the prospects of students from low-income backgrounds, according to a new social mobility ranking developed by the Oireachtas Parliamentary Budget Office.

The Guardian. Rules to be relaxed for foreign teachers to work in schools in England   Candidates will be able to apply for qualified teacher status, and if the government considers that their qualifications match those of teachers in the UK, they can apply for jobs in schools, which will sponsor their skilled worker visa if their application is successful.

UNESCO. Teachers are often trained in private institutions   As the new paper shows, non-state teacher training institutions operate in at least 22 sub-Saharan African, 17 Latin American and 7 South Asian countries. Non-state actors have made an important contribution to teacher education programmes in conflict-affected countries…  non-state teacher training programmes are increasingly available by distance, which raises concern about the lack of a practical component…

UNITED STATES
Chalkbeat.
1) Cardona urges support for educators as rocky year comes to a close   In addition to teacher pay, Cardona said that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, teacher residencies, and guided leadership and mentorship programs could be tools for ensuring teachers are well prepared and incentivized to stay.
2) Detroit district embraces intensive tutoring to try to close literacy gap   The Beyond Basics program aims to improve students’ reading level by two grades in the span of six to 10 weeks. Its approach has evolved over the years to adopt the Orton-Gillingham method and shift from using volunteers to paid tutors trained in that method.
3) How the age-appropriate debate is altering curriculum in Tennessee and nationwide   Tatum, who authored the best-selling book “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?,” agrees that teachers need training and support for talking about tough topics to students at any age… But such training is at risk of being scuttled or avoided — potential collateral damage under new state laws like Tennessee’s that restrict discussions about race.
4) Mayor Duggan aims to expand preschool, boost Detroit’s influence in early education   State officials set strict requirements for GSRP programs that they say are integral to its quality, including a list of approved curriculums and minimum credential requirements for teachers. Even if the city is allowed to distribute GSRP dollars, it could not unilaterally change those requirements.

Community College Research Center (CCRC).  How Improvements in Community College Transfer Pathways Could Help With Teacher Labor Shortages   An associate degree alone does not qualify Michiganders to teach, but it does place students on a path toward bachelor’s degree and teacher preparation program completion. Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree also have access to Michigan’s alternative route to teacher certification (ARC), an expedited program designed for individuals who hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and are employed as a teacher under an Interim Teaching Certificate.

Education Week.
1) Advice From Teachers in 7 Words or Less
2) Alternative Certification Programs Are Booming. But Candidates Aren’t Finishing   … the sector ended up contributing fewer teachers to the workforce in 2019 than it did nearly a decade ago: The number of completions declined over that same time period by 10 percent…  past research has found that teachers who enter the profession through alternative-certification programs are more likely to leave than those who came in via traditional routes, adding to the question of how to alleviate teacher shortages in the long term.
3) K-12 Essentials Forum Free Webinar: How To Teach STEM Problem Solving Skills to All K-12 Students [June 22 2pm ET]
4) Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff [July 21 2-6pm EDT]

InsideHigherEd. Ed Department: Use ARP Funding to Address Teaching Shortage   Miguel Cardona, U.S. education secretary, on Thursday outlined a strategy to address the national teaching shortage that rose as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has recommended improvements to teacher-preparation programs, support for specialty teaching areas and assistance to help teachers pay off student loan debt… the letter outlined federal grant opportunities that can be used to access additional federal resources to further address the teacher shortage. These grants include funding for professional development, education and preparation; funding to target teacher hires from underserved communities; and improvements to teacher residency programs.

Tucson Sentinel. UA Native education programs win grants from AZ education department   With the help of a grant from the Arizona Department of Education, the Native SOAR program at the University of Arizona hopes to expand its mentoring program and provide more quality services to Indigenous students and Arizona educators, both in person and online.

U.S. News. Cardona: Americans Shouldn’t be Surprised by Teacher Shortage   Cardona called on teacher preparation programs, especially those at historically Black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions, to put more resources into recruiting students of color to become educators. He also said high schools should experiment with offering students interested in becoming teachers specialized career tracks, the way some do for various career and technical education.

NEW YORK STATE
NYS Board of Regents
1) June meeting agenda
2) Public comment periods now open
* Proposed Amendment…Relating to Establishing the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) Certificate, Revising the Registration Requirements for Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2) Programs, and Revising the Requirements for the Extension and Limite…
* Proposed Amendment … Relating to Extending Flexibilities for Incidental and Substitute Teaching
* Proposed Amendments … Relating to Establishing Registration Requirements for Residency Programs and Revising Residency Certificate Requirements
Submit comments to: William P. Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department, Office of Higher Education, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 975 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 486-3633, email: [email protected]
3) Statement on Board of Regents Appointment from Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. and Commissioner Betty A. Rosa   We congratulate and welcome Dr. Roger Catania as the next member of the Board of Regents and representative of New York’s 4th Judicial District. 

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat.
1) As Eric Adams keeps control over NYC schools, he’s forced to lower class sizes   But the measure is expected to be costly, as it will likely require hiring more teachers and construction of more classroom space. 
2) NYC educators wrestle with budget cuts for 2022-23 school year   Generally, fewer students could mean that fewer teachers are needed, but in practice that’s a far more complicated problem to solve… For example, a principal might have planned to offer a new Advanced Placement course but won’t have the money to cover a teacher licensed in that subject area… An additional complication: the city is now tasked with limiting class sizes over the next five years, which could require the hiring of more teachers and creating more classroom space. 

City Limits. After Tough Time for Art in City Schools, Advocates Seek More Funding   The city’s annual Arts in Schools Report found that only about a third of middle students met the state requirement that they take courses in two different arts disciplines with a certified teacher.

New York Post. NYC public schools set to lose $215M from budget cuts, hurting hope for smaller class sizes   …the city foresees a loss of about 1,500 teaching positions next year, and more than 3,000 after that. Overall city funding for schools has been reduced primarily due to lower enrollment, a spokesperson for City Hall told The Post.

News 12 Brooklyn. Ocean Hill charter school introduces educator fellowship to curb teacher shortage   A charter school in Ocean Hill is hoping to reverse the nationwide teacher shortage problem with a program to prepare college students for future teaching roles. The Uncommon Schools’ Summer Teaching Fellows program is the school system’s largest and most successful program for new teachers. 

GLOBAL
ABC Central Victoria. Victorian teachers being offered financial incentives to work in bush, ease COVID-related staff shortages   “Whether it’s through normal CRT (casual relief teachers) process… pre-service or career-break teachers, we’re supporting schools to stay open and continue learning face to face,” a spokesperson said… In addition, 335 final-year initial teacher education students have been granted permission to teach in Victorian government and Catholic schools this year.

India Education Diary. National Council For Teacher Education Launches Online Portal To Streamline Process Of Recognition Of Teacher Education Programs   National Council for Teacher Education has launched an online portal to streamline the process of recognition of teacher education programs of Higher Education Institutions and Teacher Education Institutions. This portal will bring in a paradigm shift in the functioning of National Council for Teacher Education.

NYTimes. Student Contest Winner: An International Teacher on Showing Up for Life  [This piece is one of 10 winners of our 2022 Profile Contest.]  When did you decide that you wanted to go into teaching? In my early 20s, I was bartending, sneaking into the 1996 Olympics, quite directionless. When I decided to go into a teaching program, it was organic. Generally, that is how things work out. You stumble upon something, say, “That’s a good idea. I’ll pursue that and see if I like it.” I appreciate that a lot of life is luck. It’s showing up. Being present.

The Straits Times. NIE to train teachers in using AI in classroom, invest in research   By 2026, topics about artificial intelligence in education will be offered for trainee teachers at all levels, including undergraduates, post-graduate and in-service teachers at the National Institute of Education (NIE).

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) MSU-led, NSF-Funded Project Aims to Strengthen Rural Educator Pipeline   A $2.4 million National Science Foundation grant supports a Mississippi State University-led project that aims better prepare educators for teaching in rural settings. 
2) SFA State University Partners with School District for Paid Internships   Stephen F. Austin State University’s James I. Perkins College of Education has partnered with the Nacogdoches Independent School District to staff up to eight paid internships during the 2022-23 academic year. The program, which launches this fall, will let students use clinical teaching assignments to gain valuable classroom experience before entering the education workforce.

Chalkbeat.
1) If schools want more Black male teachers, they can’t treat us like ‘disciplinarians first’   Senate Bill 99 (PA) would fund educator preparation programs aimed at diversifying the teaching workforce, and it would remove barriers to certification that disproportionately impact teachers of color. 
2) Newark raises pay for veteran and rookie teachers amid staffing crunch   Raising the starting salary for new teachers with a bachelor’s degree by $6,500, and by $4,500 for new teachers with a master’s degree, will make the district “one of the most competitive urban school systems in the northeast,” Superintendent Roger León said…Newark has also started a teacher pipeline program that encourages high school students to pursue a teaching career and promises a teaching contract with the district after graduating with their bachelor’s degrees.  

Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Most of Texas’ new teachers are career changers. Here’s why that matters.   …new teachers who are alternatively certified have made up the majority of new hires entering the state teacher workforce… But Texas doesn’t require alternative certification programs to include a student teaching component, meaning new alternatively certified teachers have no real-world experience when they begin their first years of teaching. Alternatively certified teachers are also more likely to leave the profession early in their careers than those who have bachelor’s degrees in education

NorthJersey.com. Murphy spotlights Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Still time to apply.   Murphy and federal officials encouraged teachers and nurses to apply to the program, created in recognition of the extraordinary risks and responsibilities public employees took during the COVID-19 public health emergency, before the October deadline.

NJ.com. State creates path for more prospective teachers, as shortages grow   The new policies will allow teachers to enter the profession through the state’s alternate route program even if they fall slightly short of the required grade point averages or standardized test scores… the Department of Education on Tuesday launched a new online certification system to simplify applying for positions and speed the granting of certificates, department spokesman Michael Yaple said. The department has also expanded the hours of its certification call center…

Politico. The Ugly Backlash to Brown v. Board of Ed That No One Talks About   The historical record shows that the Black educator pipeline was purposely decimated by racists intent on keeping schools segregated even in the face of mandates by Brown and numerous other legal cases that states desegregate students, faculty and staff. Prior to Brown, in the 17 dual system states, 35-50 percent of educators were Black. Today, there is no state that approaches these percentages.

Rolling Stone. I Teach Teachers. I Have No Idea How to Prepare Them For Mass Shootings   To become a teacher in the U.S. is to make the conscious decision to risk their lives… There is no way for me to approach my students with a book, worksheet, video, or lesson and say “this is the thing that will prevent your death in a K-12 classroom” because these materials do not exist… I will never know how to prepare my student teachers for when a gunman enters their classroom. I shouldn’t have to learn.

WeAreIowa. How educators are talking to aspiring teachers when it comes to handling a violent attack in their school   “We talk a lot about it,” the Associate Dean of Teacher Education at the University of Iowa said. “That we understand your challenges and your concerns and your questions. But we also are grateful that you have decided that you want to be a teacher.” He says one thing that’s been helpful in answering questions and concerns is engaging students with current educators and administrators in surrounding districts to learn what their best practices are. 

WHO Des Moines. New bill would remove hurdles for aspiring teachers  …the bill would remove the requirement of a preprofessional skills test for students entering a teacher preparation program. It would also remove the requirement that a candidate for a teacher’s license would need to pass the PRAXIS test.

NEW YORK STATE
Forward. New York State to monitor compliance with Holocaust education requirements   Congress passed in 2020 the Never Again Education Act, which provides $10 million over five years to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to bolster its educational programming to give teachers the resources and training to teach about the Holocaust.

NYS Board of Regents: Public comment periods now open
* Proposed Amendment…Relating to Establishing the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) Certificate, Revising the Registration Requirements for Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2) Programs, and Revising the Requirements for the Extension and Limite…
* Proposed Amendment … Relating to Extending Flexibilities for Incidental and Substitute Teaching
* Proposed Amendments … Relating to Establishing Registration Requirements for Residency Programs and Revising Residency Certificate Requirements
Submit comments to: William P. Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department, Office of Higher Education, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 975 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 486-3633, email: [email protected]

NYSED Office of Higher Education.  May Newsletter
* Board of Regents May Items: New Students with Disabilities (All Grades) Certificate
* Position Opening: Director, Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE)
* Teacher Performance Assessment Submission Process

NYSED Office of Human Resources. Director, Teacher Certification, M3 (Management/Confidential)   The New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of Education Policy is seeking candidates for a Director, Teacher Certification position in the Office of Teaching Initiatives. This Office oversees the certification process for teachers in New York State.

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. Albany to give Adams 2 years of mayoral control and calls for shrinking NYC class sizes: The first-term mayor will be back in Albany sooner than he had hoped to renew mayoral control, and will now also be tasked with shrinking class sizes.   Tied to the measure is another major move to cap the size of classes in city schools between 20 to 25 students, depending on the grade, over the next five years.

Gothamist. New state bills would extend mayoral control — with changes to class size, governance   State lawmakers have struck an agreement on bills that would extend mayoral control of the New York City school system for two years and mandate reductions in public school class size… The new bill would cap kindergarten through third grade classes at 20 students; fourth through eighth grade classes at 23 students; and high school classes at 25 students… The reduction would be phased in starting this fall, and would have to be complete by 2027. If the city does not comply, money will be withheld.

NYPost. Bill shrinking class sizes in NYC public schools passes state legislature   The legislation includes exceptions for space restrictions or over-enrollment in school buildings — though the capital budget must demonstrate attempts to resolve those problems. It also creates carveouts in the cases of certified teacher shortages and “severe economic distress.”

NYTimes.
1) Class Sizes Set to Shrink in New York City Schools, but at What Cost?   The total could come to $1 billion a year across all grades, education department officials said. The estimates include the cost of hiring teachers and opening additional classes within schools… The federal pandemic aid will run out, but union officials suggested it could be used to begin hiring teachers to reduce class sizes. State funding for city schools, which officials had promised to increase, could maintain the program, they suggested.
2) How Eric Adams’s Struggle With Dyslexia Is Shaping His Mayoralty: Mr. Adams was not diagnosed with a learning disability until college. Now, he is making dyslexia screenings a central policy issue.   The education plan will not be easy to implement, and it is unclear how much it will cost. It calls for testing hundreds of thousands of students, creating special programs for dyslexic students at schools in every borough and retraining teachers who teach children how to read… Teachers in kindergarten through second grade will be required to use a phonics-based curriculum, which teaches the 44 unique sounds in the English language known as phonemes. 

Teachers College.
1) Pedagogies of Possibility: Exploring Culturally Responsive Education during COVID-19. [By TC prof. D. Price-Dennis, et al.] Data shows specific ways participants were called upon to support their students and families that were outside of the professional credentials or required knowledge and skill sets beyond their teacher preparation.
2) Reimagining Education Summer Institute: Teaching, Learning and Leading for a Racially Just Society Summer Institute [July 11-15, 2022]
3) TR@TC Induction and Beyond June 2022: Educator Resources

The City. Nonprofit Receives Grant to Teach Lakota Language in NYC, Despite Standing Rock Ban.   The New York Community Trust, the state’s oldest public charity, awarded nonprofit The Language Conservancy a $44,000 grant in late April to teach the Lakota language … But who should teach the language and how is a heated debate topic at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation spanning North and South Dakota, a headquarters for the nation’s shrinking Lakota-speaking populations.

US Dept. of Education. Conversation with US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona 9:00 AM ET Thursday, June 9 [The Interchurch Center 61 Claremont Ave, New York, NY 10027]