GLOBAL
The Guardian.
1) Australian students shun education degrees as fears grow over ‘unprecedented’ teacher shortage: University application first preferences dropped almost 20% this year, compared with 2023 The data, provided to Guardian Australia from the Universities Admissions Centre, showed education degrees received just 1,935 first preferences this year, a 19.24% decline compared with 2023 and the lowest rate since at least 2016, when public records became available. Overall, education was ranked seventh out of 11 major areas of study.
2) France’s schools are in crisis – and it has nothing to do with pupils’ dress To plug staffing gaps, the government launched a scheme in 2022 to recruit “contract” teachers (as opposed to the standard tenure system, under which they count as fonctionnaires or civil servants). They were given four days’ training, despite often having no previous teaching experience. Predictably many quit within six months, owing to lack of adequate training or supervision.
The Hindu. It’s a long wait for students to get graduation certificates from Teacher Education University: Delay jeopardising opportunities of students wanting to study abroad or take up jobs “The degree certificates must bear the signature of the Governor-Chancellor. And the Governor signs around 600 certificates a day. We expect that within the next few weeks everything will be set right. If it is urgent then we ask the students to come immediately and issue the certificates. By second or third week of October, we will give all the certificates,” the official said.
UNESCO.
1) Halfway to 2030, how far are we from achieving SDG 4? Sub-Saharan Africa has made the greatest improvement since 2015, but the region still has the lowest percentage of trained teachers across all levels of education. If countries were on track with their targets, there would be more than 1.7 million trained teachers teaching children in primary school today.
2) Postwar recovery of the Tigray education system: challenges and support needed Before the war, Tigray [Ethiopia] had: about 40,000 classrooms across almost 2,500 schools; two teacher training colleges; 30,000 different electronic devices, including computers, printers, plasma TVs, and heavy-duty photocopying machines; and 300,000 pieces of laboratory equipment and teaching aids. Unfortunately, much of this has been destroyed or looted, leaving the difficult task of rehabilitation, maintenance, and reconstruction.
UNITED STATES
AACTE. Take a Seat at the Table: The Role of EPPS in Teacher Apprenticeship Programs Educator preparation programs (EPPs) have an opportunity to strengthen existing district partnerships and lead the way in co-designing teacher Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs). [Oct 11, 2023 02:00 PM E.T.]
AACTE/ACSR. Fall 2023 Virtual State Leaders Institute This year, the half-day, virtual workshop features presentations on major policy issues impacting educator preparation and a new track on association leadership. [November 1, 12:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. E.T.]
AERA. Call for Applications: Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop This workshop is designed to build the talent pool of undergraduate students who plan to pursue doctorate degrees in education research or in disciplines and fields that examine education and learning from early childhood to workforce participation. [Wednesday, April 10 – Saturday, April 13, 2024, during the AERA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia]
Chalkbeat.
1) Newark teacher pathway program brings community support to aspiring educators …observers say programs like those at Gateway U could help aspiring educators who face financial struggles or other barriers land certified teaching roles… Gateway U’s teacher program includes two pathways: one for students who have college degrees and one for school staff who need academic support to earn bachelor’s degrees. In order to become a teacher in the Garden State, future educators must earn a bachelor’s degree, complete a teacher preparation program, pass certification exams, and complete student-teaching requirements.
2) Philip’s Academy Charter receives award for teacher diversity. Here’s how the Newark school did it. Ashley Daniels knew she liked kids and had enjoyed working as a camp counselor. But, before applying for a job at Philip’s Academy Charter School, she had never worked in education… One step the school is taking to diversify its faculty is investing in young, less-experienced teachers like Daniels. Since being hired in 2018, she has worked as a student aide, teacher associate, and now as a full-time teacher while she earns a master’s in education.
Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Education (CSOTTE). Teacher Education Conference [Oct. 8-10 San Marcos, TX]
EdWeek. What’s Keeping People From Becoming Teachers? An Eye-Popping To-Do List, for One Do prospective teachers eye those job responsibilities and say, “no thanks, I’ll find another line of work?” Ninety percent of educators surveyed by the Ed Week Research Center say yes… The survey of 1,301 principals, teachers, and district leaders was conducted in June and July.
Fox News. Indiana gun law allowing teachers to carry firearms stirs up debate among experts At least seven school corporations in Indiana are in the process of setting up secret “armed response teams” that train staff on the use of deadly force and allow teachers access to firearms locked up in biometric safes.
Hechinger Report.
1) Educators must be on the frontline of social activism: Teacher training should emphasize the power of civic engagement Teaching is inherently activist. Colleges, schools of education and alternative teacher preparation programs prepare people to engage in activism through teaching and learning. This is not what some politicians would call “indoctrination”; instead, these efforts embrace the potential for educators to be true change agents and justice warriors.
2) Teachers struggle to teach the Holocaust without running afoul of new ‘divisive concepts’ rules: In New Hampshire, laws restricting K-12 instruction on ‘divisive concepts’ yet requiring students be taught about the Holocaust are colliding in the classroom Educators who run afoul of this provision can face sanctions, including loss of their teaching licenses.
3) Why it matters that Americans are comparatively bad at math: Employers, experts raise new alarms about competitiveness and national security Ten years after graduating, math majors out-earn graduates in other fields by about 17 percent… That premium would be even higher if it wasn’t for the fact that 16 percent of math majors become teachers.
InsideHigherEd. A Tenure Critic May Cut Faculty—by Ending Their Programs: Dickinson State University in North Dakota could lose its undergraduate degree offerings in English, math, music and other areas. …cutting undergraduate degrees in English, math, political science, communication, music, theater, chemistry, environmental science and computer technology management, including the teaching tracks for those subjects, such as math education.
National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP). Fall Institute. Deep Dive: Sharpening Our Advocacy Skills to Promote Community College Teacher Education [FREE. The discussion board will open on Monday, October 16th and the live session will take place on Friday, October 20th at 1 pm MST.]
One Million Teachers of Color Campaign (1MToC) Mobilizing Toward a Diverse Educator Workforce [WEBINAR: Oct 18, 2023 01:00 PM in E.T.]
Scientific American. Two Thirds of American Kids Can’t Read Fluently: Phonics may be a popular way to teach reading, but it fails too many children Research offers sound ideas for alternative methods of teaching reading—methods we must explore for the health of our children, our nation and our scientific integrity. Phonics should not have monopolistic power. Even if phonics were effective, it would be important to study alternatives, since they might be faster, cheaper or otherwise more appealing. But given the rates of failure that have plagued phonics for generations, alternatives are not only desirable. They are vital.
The 74. Montana is Struggling to Retain New Teachers; Experts Cite Waning Ed Graduates More than half of newly licensed teachers in Montana leave the state or the profession within the first three years on the job and 86% of education graduates decide to leave the state or don’t pursue teaching… One reason the Learning Policy Institute cited was financial. Montana is dead last in starting teacher salaries, which average $36,480.
U.S. Dept. of Education. UPDATED PSLF HELP TOOL For the first time since the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program began, borrowers can now sign & submit their PSLF form entirely digitally & track its status throughout the process.
Wall Street Journal. Suicide Ignites Debate Over Protecting Teachers Just five years ago South Korean teachers were more likely than their counterparts in many other wealthy countries to say their profession was valued in society, said Aaron Pallas, professor of sociology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University… A group of college students training to become teachers blamed the government for structural issues and called the suicide a case of “social manslaughter.”
Washington Post. [Academic rate] Home schooling today is less religious and more diverse, poll finds In the 1980s and 1990s, activists who viewed home schooling as a form of religious liberty persuaded officials in many states to eliminate or minimize testing of their children’s academic progress and to do away with basic qualifications for parents who wished to be home educators. Today, there may be more openness to oversight.
NEW YORK STATE
New York State Education Department.
1) NYSED Announces Rochester Music Teacher Named 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year Congratulations to Zachary Arenz, a music teacher at Flower City School Number 54 in Rochester… He holds several music [SUNY Fredonia] and arts certificates, as well as a certificate in therapeutic crisis intervention for schools
2) Office of Higher Education September Newsletter
A. Board of Regents September Items: Computer Science Certification, Supplementary Certificate and Supplementary Bilingual Education Extension, School Counselor Certification, Science of Reading
B. Virtual Implementation of Teaching and Learning (Vital) Educator Program: VITAL educators will participate in professional development modules and additional train-the-trainer activities to facilitate their ability to train others on virtual instructional design, curriculum, and practice.
NEW YORK CITY
ABC7NY. NYC educational program offers apprenticeship, work experience for high school students Hundreds of students are in this unique career-training program. Parents are on board as the kids move straight from high school into jobs in computers making $60,000 to $100,000 a year and this is also expanding to programs in teaching, nursing, and radiology.
Chalkbeat. How to shrink class sizes in NYC? A working group shares its recommendations The city will also need enough teachers to staff newly opened classes. Education Department officials have estimated that the city’s teaching force, currently at around 76,000, will need to grow by 9,000 by the time the law takes full effect. Suggestions for boosting teacher hiring include easing the process for paraprofessionals and teacher aides to earn their teacher license…
Gothamist. An NYC student’s yearslong struggle to get proper instruction for dyslexia … most public school teachers throughout the city, were not trained in how to teach students with dyslexia…
Teachers College.
1) Countering Hate-Fueled Violence, TC’s Amra Sabic-El-Rayess Embarks on New Initiative to Share Unifying Stories: With a new innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the TC professor builds out her comprehensive vision for resilience Her latest project will create a digital library of unifying stories of resilience told by and for educators that can be integrated into curricula as a resource in violence and hate prevention.
2) It’s Time To Teach The Truth: A Report on American Attitudes Towards K-12 Education Please join us at Teachers College on October 5 at 6 PM as the Black Education Research Center (BERC) releases findings from a new national poll capturing Americans’ outlooks on teaching and learning in K-12 public schools in the current political moment. [Oct. 6. 6:00-7:30 PM. Milbank Chapel, 525 W. 120th Street New York, New York 10027]
