GLOBAL
Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE). ATEE WINTER CONFERENCE Teacher Professional Development in Times of Global and Glocal Transformations: International Perspectives and Challenges [26-28 October, 2023 University of Minho, Braga, Portugal]
International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET). Future proofing education systems: learning from the legacy of the Covid-19 Network with teachers /teacher educators worldwide: benchmarking knowledge & experiences about post-covid innovations in teaching & learning [Teacher Voice Webinar: Wednesday, 15 November, 18:00 GMT/UK time]
New York Times. In Ukraine, Mathematics Offers Strength in Numbers: Mathematicians gathered in Kyiv and Warsaw to inaugurate a new center and “open, or reopen, Ukrainian science for the world.” The program is named in memory of Yulia Zdanovska, a talented mathematician and computer scientist, and a teacher with Teach for Ukraine, who was killed in March 2022 at the age of 21 during Russian shelling in her home city of Kharkiv.
Teachers College Advancing Literacy. International Workshop Series: Explore Ways Your Writing Conferences Can Foster Student Agency (Virtual & FREE) Join us for a series of free, 1 hour virtual workshops, offered by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and designed to support educators in international schools, including schools teaching IB programmes. [FREE 14-21 Sep, 2023 – K-8]
UNITED STATES
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
1) 2024 Annual Meeting Ascending New Heights: Propelling the Profession Into the Future. Early Bird Registration Now Open. [Feb. 16-18 Aurora/Denver, CO]
2) K-State College of Education, Hutchinson Community College Develop Teacher Pathway Program for Area Kansas State University’s College of Education and Hutchinson Community College have begun a partnership that paves a seamless pathway for area students to earn a bachelor’s degree in education online while remaining in their home communities. This pathway program begins in high school, where students chart their journeys to becoming teachers and take dual credit courses through Hutchinson Community College.
CNN. Doubling up on classrooms, using online teachers and turning to support staff: How schools are dealing with the ongoing teacher shortage As states lower the certification standards to become a teacher, education experts worry these tactics could delay students’ recovery from pandemic learning loss. … More states are now “fast-tracking” the teacher certification process. At least 23 states have lowered certification standards for new teachers to get them into classrooms more quickly…
EdWeek.
1) A Majority of New Teachers Aren’t Prepared to Teach With Technology. What’s the Fix? Many university professors haven’t been classroom teachers for years, Conan Simpson said. While they may try to keep up their skills, they haven’t had firsthand experience with using the latest tech in the classroom. Teacher-preparation programs could get at that problem by hiring technology coaches, the same way school districts do, she suggested. What’s more, many preparation programs used to offer at least one technology course but jettisoned it in favor of integrating tech into every class…
2) How Many Teachers Work in Their Hometown? Here’s the Latest Data This summer, 10 states joined a new compact promising that they would automatically grant teaching licenses to teachers moving into their state if they have a bachelor’s degree, had completed a state-approved teacher-licensure program in another state, and have a full teaching license…
3) Teachers Work 50-Plus Hours a Week—And Other Findings From a New Survey on Teacher Pay Past research has found that when comparing weekly wages, teachers earn an average of about 24 percent less than other college-educated workers.
4) Teachers, You Don’t Need to Choose Sides in the Reading Wars Instead of choosing sides, teachers can: Choose explicit phonics instruction AND content-rich curriculum: Too often, the reading wars are framed as a debate between whether and how to teach phonics. But this framing is inaccurate and misleading. A rich instructional program aligned to the “science of reading” includes both code-breaking and meaning-making. It includes knowledge-building and strategy instruction…
5) What Teachers Need to Know About AI, But Don’t: Students must be critical AI users. 3 steps for teachers to prepare 2. Preservice teacher training needs a revamp. Some researchers and educators I talked to said schools of education are not exactly known for being ahead of the curve on preparing prospective teachers to integrate emerging technologies into instruction.
Hechinger Report.
1) Our students need up-to-date approaches to math education for a quickly changing world: Data science and statistical reasoning must be part of what all students learn …statistical reasoning and data fluency are becoming indispensable in the 21st century, regardless of profession. Digital technologies are changing everything from fitness training to personal investing. But many students are missing out on this essential learning because so many teachers feel ill-equipped to teach these topics, simply run out of time or bow to the perceived preferences of colleges.
2) The ‘science of reading’ swept reforms into classrooms nationwide. What about math?: Supporters say teaching practices supported by quantitative research could help students, but they are still coming into focus Math is “a creative, artistic, playful, reasoning-rich activity. And it’s very different than algorithms,” said Nick Wasserman, a professor of math education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Supporters argue mastering math facts unlocks creative problem-solving by freeing up working memory — and that inquiry, creativity and collaboration are still all crucial to student success.
InsideHigherEd. Despite National Pushback, West Virginia Will Cut Faculty, Programs During WVU’s official appeal process, the university withdrew some proposed faculty cuts and program eliminations, such as the suggestions to nix the master’s degrees in creative writing, acting and special education… The university is eliminating all its foreign language degrees… and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)…
NYTimes. No One Wants to Be a Teacher Anymore. Can You Blame Them? [Opinion by J. Grose] So what can be done to help get more teachers into the profession and keep them there? Cutting the costs of a teaching degree is one lever to pull… Teacher pay is an obvious concern, but it is really state dependent… But perhaps just as important is that as a society we need to give teachers more respect…
Wall Street Journal. Historically Black Colleges Land $124 Million Donation to Boost Enrollment, Graduation Rates: Donation from Blue Meridian Partners will support recruitment, technology, student advising “I have an asset that’s performing well, but is underinvested,” said Jim Shelton, president and chief investment and impact officer at Blue Meridian, noting that HBCUs already educate a significant share of Black doctors, teachers and lawyers. “If I put in more resources, what could happen?”
Washington Post.
1) Holding kids back can’t explain Mississippi’s education ‘miracle’ In Mississippi, literacy coaches have been painstakingly selected, trained and monitored by the state and dispatched to perform one job: supporting teachers as they learn, and learn to teach, the science of reading. Teacher preparation programs have evolved to encompass these methods. The curricular materials recommended by the state match up, too.
2) KIPP charter grads finish college at higher rates than their peers Feinberg and Levin invented KIPP during a late-night brainstorming session in October 1993 at the apartment they shared in Houston. They were elementary school teachers recruited by the Teach For America program.
NEW YORK STATE
NYS Dept. of Labor.
1) 2023 Job Seeker Survey Results If specific skill training were available (on your schedule and affordable/at no-cost), in what type(s) of training would you be interested? 1. Digital Skills… 19. Teaching… 24. Home Health Aide
2) 2023 Business Workforce Survey Results Which positions are most difficult to fill? Business’ ranked responses: All Industries/Statewide (2023) 1. Teacher
NYS Education Department (NYSED) Board of Regents. September meetings
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
Higher Education Committee
1) Proposed Amendment … Relating to the Requirements for Certification as a School Counselor through Individual Evaluation
2) Proposed Amendment … relating to Regents Accreditation
3) Proposed Amendment … Relating to the Computer Science Tenure Area
CONSENT AGENDA (all motions passed)
A. Higher Education Committee
1) Proposed Amendment … Relating to the Deadline to Apply and Qualify for the Provisional School Counselor Certificate The proposed amendment would provide appropriate flexibility for qualified candidates who completed a registered program leading to Provisional School Counselor certification, as well as candidates who may still be matriculating in this type of program but will complete it by February 2, 2024.
2) Proposed Amendment … Relating to Extending a Flexibility for Incidental Teaching Through incidental teaching, certified teachers can teach a subject not covered by their certificate when no certified or qualified teachers are available after extensive and documented recruitment… The Department now proposes to extend the flexibility for incidental teaching again through the 2023-2024 school year. This proposal enables school districts to address their continuing teacher shortages by providing them with flexibility in making teaching assignments.
3) Proposed Amendment … Relating to the Employment of Substitute Teachers Given the successful implementation of this flexibility for seven school years, the Department is proposing to remove the end date for this provision that has been in effect since July 27, 2016… Thus, substitute teachers who do not hold a valid teaching certificate and are not working towards certification, but who hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, may be employed by a school district or BOCES beyond the 40-day limit during a school year
B. Higher Education/P-12 Education Joint Meeting Committee
Proposed Amendment…Relating to Flexibilities for the Supplementary Certificate and Supplementary Bilingual Education Extension Requirements in Response to the Influx of Recently Arrived and Asylum-Seeking Students the Department proposes to amend the Supplementary certificate requirements to provide flexibility for certified teachers who apply for the Supplementary English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) certificate, and for teachers who hold a valid Initial, Professional, or Permanent ESOL certificate and apply for a Supplementary certificate in another area, who apply for such extension between September 12, 2023, and August 31, 2024. This flexibility will allow candidates to complete either the examination requirement or the enrollment and education requirements, instead of both sets of requirements…This flexibility will allow candidates to pass the Bilingual Education Assessment (BEA), if available, in lieu of matriculating in a registered program leading to a Bilingual Education extension and completing coursework. Additionally, the proposed amendment permits candidates to renew the Supplementary Bilingual Education extension one time for a period of three years from effective date of the renewal if they obtain their first extension through this flexibility and meet the currently existing requirements for the extension as described above.
If adopted as an emergency rule at the September 2023 Regents meeting, the emergency rule will become effective September 12, 2023… Because the emergency action will expire before the January 2024 Regents meeting, it is anticipated that an additional emergency action will be presented for adoption at the November 2023 meeting. If adopted at the January 2024 meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective as a permanent rule on January 24, 2024.
C. Professional Practice Committee
Proposed Addition … and repeal… Relating to the Licensure of Applied Behavior Analysts and Certification of Applied Behavior Analyst Assistants The proposed amendment implements the provisions of Chapters 818 and 641, and makes additional amendments to LBA and CBAA provisions to align such provisions more closely with national standards If adopted as an emergency rule at the September 2023 meeting, the emergency rule will become effective September 12, 2023… Because the emergency action will expire before the December 2023 Regents meeting, it is anticipated that an additional emergency action will be presented at the October 2023 meeting. If adopted at the December meeting, the proposed revised rule will become effective as a permanent rule on December 27, 2023.
NYSED News. State Education Department Announces Rochester Music Teacher Named 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year The Board of Regents today named Zachary Arenz, a music teacher at Flower City School Number 54 in Rochester, as the 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year… He holds several music and arts certificates, as well as a certificate in therapeutic crisis intervention for schools.
NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. Eric Adams vowed all NYC students would get dyslexia screening. So far 1,500 have. Education department officials said they were paying close attention to schools that are part of the city’s sweeping new literacy curriculum mandate — starting with nearly half of all elementary campuses this year. They will have access to educators who are trained to deliver the screening and provide more individual help to address students’ reading challenges, said Carolyne Quintana, the Education Department’s deputy chancellor of teaching and learning
NY Amsterdam News. URBAN AGENDA: A Conversation with NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks As far as resources go, perhaps our most important resources are our 5,100-plus teachers with bilingual or English as a New Language certifications – who, as of last week, are now able to teach under that certification without losing tenure they’ve gained under another teaching license. This will ensure we are maximizing the number of teachers who are best positioned to support our newest students.
NYDailyNews. Faced with migrant surge, NYC schools cutting red tape to increase the number of bilingual teachers The city is scrapping a bureaucratic hurdle to get qualified teachers in front of thousands of migrant children, as public schools face a shortage of bilingual educators on the first day of classes. Teachers with more than one certificate — which can include expertise in bilingual or English as a new language programs — are often dissuaded from switching subjects, due to strict tenure rules that require them to start over accruing seniority. But the immediate changes announced Thursday will give tenured teachers in other subjects, who also have the skill set to teach the newcomer students English, automatic tenure — freeing up another 500 to 600 educators to pivot without impacting their careers.
Teachers College.
1) Meet Our Latest Faculty Granted Tenure and Full Professorships Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Professor of English Education, has dedicated her research to the exploration of racial literacy within teacher education. She collaborates with K-12 and higher education institutions to elevate racial literacy awareness and cultivate more equitable learning environments for Black and Latinae students
2) Meet TC’s Newest Faculty Members: Set to cultivate courageous inquiry through research and scholarship at TC, several new faculty members join the College’s robust academic community this fall Tamara Handy, Assistant Professor Disability Studies in Education,.. Her research focuses on the intersections of race and disability among children and youth, and their current and future teachers in relation to special education and inclusive education systems in public schools. Handy has extensive experience working with organizations like UNICEF and GIZ in the development sector, contributing to teacher education and professional development projects in Sri Lanka… Daniela Romero-Amaya (Ph.D. ’21, M.A. ’15), a graduate of the Social Studies Education and International Education Development programs. Her research interests include social studies education, human rights and social justice approaches to teaching and learning, among other topics. She’s completed teacher education initiatives across the world, including in her home nation of Colombia, the topic of much of her research.
