GLOBAL
Independent Online (South Africa). 4IR dream for Africa will collapse unless teachers are appreciated and better paid One of the targets around education in the UN Sustainable Development Goals implores governments to “make teaching an attractive, first-choice profession with continuing training and development by improving teachers’ professional status, working conditions and support”. Throughout Africa, evidence of this is not visible.
SchoolsWeekUK. The week in education: How it all changed for schools It means two of the main architects of teacher training reforms, Gribbell and Bickford Smith, are leaving at a critical time, with fears the ITT review will lead to a deficit of teacher training places, and gloomy predictions about recruitment over the next few years.
The Telegraph. How Elizabeth II’s early years shaped the future Queen In the autumn of 1933, Elizabeth’s education was entrusted to a recent graduate of a Scottish teacher training establishment, Marion Crawford, a serious young woman with a bent for history and patchy knowledge of mathematics, which Queen Mary considered unnecessary for a girl in Elizabeth’s position who would not be expected to manage her own household accounts.
WomenofChina. Xi Replies to Letter from Students in Teacher Training Program at Beijing Normal University Xi… said he was pleased to learn that the students, through classroom study and teaching practices during the first year of school, had gained more knowledge, broadened their horizons, and strengthened their commitment to teaching and educating people at the grassroots level… In 2021, the country launched a program to train about 10,000 teachers each year at normal universities for primary and secondary schools in 832 counties in the central and western regions.
UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) AACTE Participates in White House Discussion on School Staffing Shortage: Strengthening the Teaching Profession Through Public and Private Sector Actions “It was an honor to have AACTE at the table with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and other key decision makers, such as the Secretaries of Education and Labor,” said AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D… “To have this spotlight today on the education profession from the White House elevates the importance of teachers and education in the U.S.”
2) AACTE President Keynotes at Congress of Latin American University Deans AACTE President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., delivered the opening Keynote of the First Congress of the Network of Deans and Deans of Education of Latin American Universities (Redecanedu) in Santiago, Chile, on Sept. 1… Gangone’s keynote entitled “Preserving Teaching as a Respected Profession: A Cautionary Tale from the U.S.,”
Apprenticeship.gov. National Apprenticeship Week How Can Registered Apprenticeship Address Teacher Workforce Challenges and Shortages? [Week Nov. 14-20]
Chalkbeat.
1) Indiana announces $111 million for phonics-focused reading instruction The bulk of the total money — $85 million — comes from the Lilly Endowment, an Indianapolis-based philanthropic foundation, and will go toward training current and future teachers on phonics-focused literacy instruction.
2) Michigan’s child care crisis is worse than policymakers have estimated But the agency, known as LARA, has found more than 9,000 child care staff vacancies across the state and is now letting some facilities apply for rule exemptions to hire younger staff who are finishing required coursework and are awaiting final certifications.
3) State orders CU Denver to fix reading courses in teacher prep program The University of Colorado Denver must change how it trains future teachers on reading instruction before it can earn full state approval for four majors in the university’s teacher preparation program. In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the State Board of Education granted partial approval to the university’s elementary education, special education, early childhood education, and reading teacher programs.
DCist. Federal Court Upholds D.C.’s New Requirements That Child Care Workers Get College Degrees A four-year legal battle over D.C.’s new requirements that many child care workers get a college degree has seemingly come to an end… Under the new rules, directors of child care centers will need a bachelor’s degree in early education, teachers will need an associate’s degree in early education, and assistant teachers and caregivers in home-based daycares will need a Child Development Associate’s credential.
EdWeek.
1) Grants Aim to Support Alaska Native Students’ Education, Well-Being …the Sealaska Heritage Institute, a Native Alaska preservation nonprofit in Juneau, received $8.8 million in four separate grants for projects that will create culturally responsive STEAM education for middle school students, “indigenize and transform” teacher and administration preparation programs, expand dual language pathways for the Tlingit culture and language…
2) When Did Equity Become a ‘Trigger’ Word? … the law didn’t fundamentally change the fact that we continue to fail to give students a “fair playing field”… Low-income students continue to get more underprepared and out-of-field teachers… And we can take steps to make sure students are taught by well-prepared teachers who are ready to deliver that curriculum.
Hechinger Report.
1) Can apprenticeships help alleviate teacher shortages? In January, Tennessee announced that it was expanding its “grow your own programs” to recruit and train teachers by developing the new apprenticeship model, which connects school districts and educator preparation programs. Tennessee’s department of education launched this program with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and Austin-Peay State University, making it the first registered teaching apprenticeship program in the country.
2) Some childcare workers can get their college loans forgiven — but many are blocked The federal Department of Education allows child care providers to participate in its Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, but only if they work in a nonprofit or federally run child care center, like Head Start, for 10 years… Nearly 1 in 5 child care workers have student loan debt, according to a Stanford University survey of 802 providers across the United States.
Mountain Times. A standardized test is keeping potential teachers out of the workforce, Vermont to make it optional To become a licensed teacher in Vermont — in any grade or subject area — applicants must receive a passing grade on the Praxis Core test… Proposed changes in state rules would allow applicants to “demonstrate competency with basic skills through a method determined by the Standards Board.” Relevant coursework, or certain grades could be substituted.
NYTimes. How to Use The Learning Network Since 1998, The Learning Network has been helping people teach and learn with The New York Times. Here’s how to use our features.
NEA News.
1) Poll: Without Better Pay, Teaching Isn’t Viable Career The national PDK Poll finds support for public schools is strong, but parents don’t want kids to become teachers without better pay and working conditions.
2) Student Debt Cancellation, PSLF & More: What Educators Need to Know Once again: The PSLF waiver expires on October 31. It’s vital for educators to apply before the waiver expires. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t gotten to 120 payments yet. If you have old payments, late payments, payments on ineligible federal student loans, or payments made on non-income driven plans… you need to apply.
NY Education Report. UMBA: If Murphy Is Serious About Addressing Our Teacher Shortage, He’ll Eliminate This Test As New Jersey lawmakers, we owe it to every young professional to search for the unnecessary edTPA-like barriers to other careers and stamp them out like they’re a pervasive species of Spotted Lantern Fly.
TIME. Inside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids Are Taught to Read So far this year, five states have passed laws that require training for teachers in phonics-based reading techniques, adding to the 13 that passed such laws last year. And in May, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that elementary schools in the biggest district in the country would be required to adopt a phonics-based reading program.
Washington Post.
1) New York will force Orthodox Jewish schools to meet education standards The regulations require the instruction be offered in math, science, English language arts and social studies, by a competent teacher and in English. Students with limited English skills must be provided instructional programs.
2) The most-regretted (and lowest-paying) college majors The annual Fed’s Survey of Household Economics and Decision making also asks if folks regret the specific school they went to. Those in vocational programs are most likely to regret their school, while education majors are least likely.
3) Trust in teachers is plunging amid a culture war in education The growing distrust of teachers is also leading to greater scrutiny of teacher education programs. In Florida, DeSantis alleges they are churning out educators who encourage children to do things like switch gender identities without telling their parents… Will Flanders, one of the authors, said blame for parental mistrust of teachers must be laid at the feet of education schools: “Across the country these notions are being taught in schools where the local ideologies don’t match these concepts, [and] that’s why we’re seeing these discussions and these angry parents.” But Hill, the Harvard professor who also serves as co-chair of the university’s teacher education program, disagreed with this depiction of what teacher training looks like and is meant to do.
NEW YORK STATE
NYSED Board of Regents. September 2022 Meeting
* P-12 Education Committee.
1) Proposed Addition … Relating to Substantially Equivalent Instruction for Nonpublic School Students 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… English is the language of instruction…
2) Proposed Amendment … Relating to Universal Prekindergarten Program (UPK) Staffing Qualifications Thus, the proposed rule requires that staff of eligible agencies collaborating with the district to provide Pre-K services have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a teaching license or certificate valid for services in the childhood grades. If such staff lack these qualifications, the district must obtain a waiver from the Department as a condition of their employment.
* Higher Education Committee. Proposed Amendment…Relating to the Degree and Experience Requirements for College Professors for the Transitional G Certificate and Through the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Certification Therefore, the Department proposes to expand the P-12 teaching pool through the following three flexibilities:…
The Buffalo News. UB Teacher Residency Program is ‘future of teacher education’ …the program allows anyone with a qualifying bachelor’s degree to spend a year of intensive training to be a teacher, including co-teaching and being mentored by a veteran teacher in a Buffalo public school classroom for the full school year. The program assists residents with an $18,000 stipend and requires they commit to three years of teaching in city schools afterward.
NEW YORK CITY
ABC 7. One-on-one with NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks “We’ve engaged in a partnership with the Dominican Republic, where they are sending a number of their teachers to come and work with us here,” Banks said. “Many of will serve as bilingual teachers. And they couldn’t come at a more important time, as we are dealing with so many students who are coming in as asylum seekers.”
Chalkbeat.
1) After months of suspense, Hochul signs NYC class size bill into law One Manhattan principal who spoke on condition of anonymity to offer a frank opinion of the bill said he worries that his school doesn’t have space to accommodate smaller classes nor guaranteed funding to hire enough teachers to staff smaller classes.
2) Eric Adams touts NYC’s literacy efforts in school year kickoff At P.S. 161, the pilot will include a second and third grade classroom staffed by teachers who have received intensive training to reach struggling readers
Gothamist. Gov. Kathy Hochul signs NYC class-size cap with one-year delay But Mayor Eric Adams pushed back against the measure, arguing that it would cost the city millions of dollars to hire more teachers and secure more classroom space to account for smaller class sizes. He called on Hochul and state lawmakers to come up with funding to implement the change.
Teachers College.
1) From TC Way and Back Again: Profoundly influenced by her own education at TC, music education scholar and TC alumna Cathy Benedict (Ed.D. ’04, M.Ed. ’96) returns to the College to pay it forward When Cathy Benedict first came to Teachers College to earn her master’s degree, she embraced a still uncommon approach to music education: leveraging a Curriculum & Teaching lens to forge new ground in how music teachers can best challenge and aid their students.
2) Meet Our Latest Faculty Granted Tenure and Full Professorships Lori Custodero, Professor of Music Education, connects students to music in the context of human development, classroom learning, community and the rubric of family. She is currently compiling reflections from music teachers to develop a foundational understanding of musical instruction within the framework of pedagogy and practice.
3) Welcoming New Faculty to TC Way: Joining our academic community with robust expertise and scholarship across disciplines in education… Bettina Love, the William F. Russell Professor in the Foundations of Education, joins the Curriculum & Teaching program…Patrick Schmidt, Professor of Music & Music Education, has published extensively in the areas of critical pedagogy, urban music education and policy studies…Tran Nguyen Templeton (Ed.D. ’18, Curriculum & Teaching), Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education, explores how childhoods are impacted by larger social practices through the ways young children present, negotiate and configure their identities through photography…
