GLOBAL
Philippine Star. CHED to review moratorium on new teacher education programs Following its decision to lift the moratorium on new nursing programs, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said it will also review the existing rule prohibiting higher education institutions from opening new degree program on teacher education.
The Conversation. Growing numbers of unqualified teachers are being sent into classrooms – this is not the way to ‘fix’ the teacher shortage Our colleagues around Australia are regularly telling us about their students being recruited into paid teaching roles with special permissions to teach. This can be as early as their first, second or third year of study… Putting student teachers in the classroom to help deal with the teacher shortage seems logical. But it is a quick and risky fix
Washington Post. Russia sending teachers to Ukraine to control what students learn: The Kremlin is promising teachers big money to ‘prepare schools’ in Ukrainian regions its forces now occupy Several days after the head of Putin’s party announced this month that a “brigade” of student teachers had reached Ukraine, Kravtsov visited a city in the northeast and said the first batch of Russian textbooks, including language and history books, had arrived. Ukrainian children, he noted, must be educated in “traditions of friendship” with Russians… Larisa expects history teachers to have the most difficult task: changing Ukrainian students’ views of their country’s past to fit Russian government demands.
UNITED STATES
AL.com. Alabama lowers teacher certification, Praxis requirements, effective immediately If the teacher scores within one standard error measure of the required passing score, passes the edTPA, has graduated from an Alabama college or university but does not have at least a 2.75, the teacher can be given a non-professional temporary certificate for up to three years while they work toward either a passing score on the Praxis or complete 100 hours of professional learning approved by the state department of education.
Chalkbeat.
1) MSCS reports over 200 teacher vacancies three weeks before school starts In Tennessee, the latest report card on the state’s 43 teacher training programs found that the number of new educators graduating has dropped by nearly one-fifth over five years, leading the state Department of Education and the University of Tennessee system this spring to announce a $20 million Grow Your Own Center to create new paths to the teaching profession.
2) Pennsylvania aims to reverse decline in new teachers, diversify K-12 workforce …improve pathways to Pennsylvania teacher certification for teachers prepared out of state… puts in place a talent recruitment grant program for colleges to increase participation in the education workforce, and waives the basic skills assessment for education candidates for three years.
Chronicle. A College’s Explosive Online Growth Drew Scrutiny. Now the Feds Are Stepping In. In a blistering three-page letter sent to Eastern Gateway Community College this week, federal education officials ordered an immediate halt to the program…The college, federal officials say, used Pell Grant and state financial-aid dollars from students to finance its “free” college offerings, but it improperly waived all tuition costs for students who didn’t qualify for financial aid.. Students in the program could pursue degrees in such fields as accounting, criminal justice, health-care administration, and teacher education.
Education Week.
1) AFT Head Randi Weingarten to Conservatives: Stop Politicizing Education and Let Teachers Teach They do not care about children’s knowledge if they are watering down credentialing so that you do not have people who know their content, know how to teach. That has always been signified by a college diploma, and they would never do it in the professions or the occupations they thought were important. It shows you why they don’t think teaching is important.
2) Which States Have Passed ‘Science of Reading’ Laws? What’s in Them? These mandates touch on many different components of instruction, including teacher training, curriculum, and how students are identified for extra support.
3) Why Putting the ‘Science of Reading’ Into Practice Is So Challenging Some districts have tried to use data to make the case for the science of reading, using stagnant student achievement scores to argue that current methods aren’t working. Leaders stress that they’re not trying to blame or shame teachers, but to help them use methods that weren’t emphasized in their preparation.
Hechinger Report. The paradox of ‘good’ teaching: Researchers find a tradeoff between raising achievement and engaging students Researchers like Blazar dream of developing a “science of teaching,” so that schools of education and school coaches can better train teachers to teach well. But first we need to agree what we want teachers to do and what we want students to achieve.
Inside Higher Ed.
1) Democrats Want Public Service Loan Waiver Made Permanent The waiver was announced by the Biden administration in late 2021 and was designed to eliminate bureaucratic red tape that made the program confusing and inaccessible to eligible borrowers working in public service jobs like teaching, nursing or military service. The waiver is only temporary, however, and is set to expire at the end of October.
2) Hillsdale President Clarifies Criticism of Teachers “Dumb can mean ‘unintelligent,’ which I did not mean. Dumb also means ‘ill-conceived’ or ‘misdirected,’ which is, sadly, a fitting description for many education schools today. Professors of college and graduate education programs primarily teach methods. To be sure, methods are important in almost any human activity, but they are seldom the chief object…”
NJ.com. Some new college grads are ditching plans to become N.J. teachers. Here’s why. …a number of recent college graduates in New Jersey who studied education but have decided not to become teachers. Their reasons vary, but experts say some students are giving up on their plans to teach over concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, well-publicized fights over race and gender curriculum and a general lack of support for educators in the classroom.
Philly Voice. Pennsylvania seeks to reverse teacher shortage, diversify staff in K-12 schools with new plan: The state’s Department of Education hopes to recruit and retain thousands of educators over the next three years …amend the Public School Code and eliminate the basic skills assessment required for entry into an educator preparation program. This amendment was approved earlier this month, waiving the requirement for the next three years. Other approved amendments include improved pathways to certification for teachers coming into Pennsylvania from other states.
Teachers College. Meet Four TC Alumni Leading Education in Big Ways: Four education champions are the latest to join the ranks of TC alumni in major leadership roles throughout the education sector Chrystalla Mouza (Ed.D. ’02, M.Ed. ’99, M.A ’98) is the new Dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign… Holding degrees from both TC’s English Education and Education Leadership programs, Matt Wayne began his career in New York City public schools before relocating for leadership positions in northern California.
The74. Despite Urgency, New National Tutoring Effort Could Take 6 Months to Ramp Up Some districts, she said, hire “surplus” educators who don’t yet have a classroom position, retired teachers and those still in teacher preparation programs.
US Dept. of Education Federal Student Aid. PSLF Waiver Offers Way to Get Closer to Loan Forgiveness … change to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program rules for a limited time as a result of the COVID-19 emergency. Now, for a limited time, borrowers may receive credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify for PSLF.
NEW YORK STATE
News 1. What’s causing massive staff shortages in New York public schools Administrators say many leave to teach in other states that have fewer hoops to jump through. The New York State Department of Education said it’s working to enhance the talent pipeline and remove barriers that impede candidates from teaching
NYSED. New Framework, Resources Available to Support Ongoing Success of Remote and Hybrid Teaching and Learning The QRT is a framework for statewide support and continuing success for teaching both in a remote/hybrid learning environment and to facilitate the use of technology in traditional classrooms, using lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic over the last three school years. It is intended to help teachers navigate the broad landscape of teaching, utilizing technology both in-person and online, and learning
