Month: October 2023

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of Oct. 23 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
Daily Post Nigeria. Teast empowers educators from all backgrounds to discover teaching jobs abroad   *Tips for Non-native English Speakers Seeking Teaching Roles. Certification is Key: Having a TEFL or TESOL certification can significantly boost your chances. It shows potential employers that you’ve been trained to teach English as a foreign language.

New York Times.
1) Jamaica Fears Brain Drain as Teachers Leave for U.S. Schools …the exodus of Jamaican teachers reflected positive aspects of the country’s education system, like its 14 institutions dedicated to training teachers. Instead of poaching teachers directly, Ms. Williams suggested that countries like the United States could ease some of the pressure on Jamaica’s schools by providing scholarships to train new teachers in Jamaica, who could go on to take jobs in American schools.
2) What Most American Schools Do Wrong   Finland and Estonia have professionalized education systems—they often require master’s degrees for teachers, training them in evidence-based education practices and methods for interpreting ongoing research in the field. And teachers are entrusted with a great deal of autonomy. Whereas American kindergarten has become more like first grade, with more emphasis on spelling, writing and math, Finland and Estonia make learning fun with a play-based curriculum.

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) Unlock Big Savings: Register Early for AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting. “Ascending New Heights: Propelling the Profession into the Future”  Register by Nov. 1 for Best Rates. [Feb. 16-18 Aurora/Denver, CO]
2) Using ATLAS to Help Preservice Teachers to See Structures of Teaching   Accomplished Teaching Learning and Schools (ATLAS) is a resource of the NBPTS. The subscription-based site contains curated teaching videos, along with supporting commentary and instructional materials, submitted as part of teaching evaluations such as the edTPA, and National Board Certification. 

DisabilityScoop. Schools Nationwide Report Shortage of Special Educators   The federal government is working to tackle the shortage of special education staff, with the U.S. Department of Education recently announcing a $35 million investment aimed at strengthening the workforce of special education teachers, administrators, related services providers, those at early intervention programs and university faculty preparing these specialists.

EdResearch in Action. Increasing Teacher Preparedness Through Effective Student Teaching  Mentors are often not well compensated or trained and are not provided time outside the regular demands of the role, which can make teachers reluctant to serve… Teachers who experience high alignment between their student teaching placements and current job are more effective and more likely to stay in the profession…

EdWeek.
1) These Researchers Are Seeking Consensus in the Reading and Math Wars   What teachers do or don’t learn from professors in their preparation programs and other respected voices in the field has consequences for their classroom practice—and ultimately for the students they teach…
2) What Is the Orton-Gillingham Method for Teaching Reading?   … efforts in many states to legislate mandatory support for teacher training and instruction in these approaches. As part of this legislation, some states provide lists of approved providers of evidence-based reading methods. 
Orton-Gillingham is among them, according to the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education, which trains teachers in the approach, which was once used primarily with children who have dyslexia but is now being used more broadly.

Hechinger Report. AI might disrupt math and computer science classes – in a good way: AI can serve as a tutor, help teachers plan math lessons, or write a variety of math problems geared toward different levels of instruction   Teachers can also ask ChatGPT to recommend different levels of math problems for students with different mastery of the concept, she said. This is particularly helpful for teachers who are new to the profession or have students with diverse needs — special education or English language learners, Sun said. 

Miami Herald. Who’s teaching our kids? These 4 charts break down K-12 teachers by education level, race, and more   1. More than half of school teachers have earned a master’s, making teachers among the most well-educated professionals…

One Million Teachers of Color (1MToC). Webinar: The Essentials for Long-term Impact in Educator Diversity  Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to hear from district and CMO leaders in the “Driving Toward Diversity” cohort who took concrete steps to meaningfully advance educator diversity. [November 15th  – 1:00 p.m. ET]

U.S. Dept. of Education OSEP. U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $35 Million to Develop Personnel in Support of Children with Disabilities incl. 5-year awards to Teachers College: $1.25M for Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs (TC Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program); PLUS $1.17M for Preparation of Related Services Personnel Service Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs (TC Communication and Speech Disorders Program).

Wall Street Journal. ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Is an Oklahoma Story, but Educators There Might Not Teach It: Movie about murders of Osage people prompts renewed discussion of state law   Teachers found to have run afoul of the law could lose their teaching licenses, and their schools could face accreditation penalties.

Word in Black. School Districts Push for Black Studies   Made up of a coalition of organizations, including the Black Education Research Center at Columbia University, Black Edfluencers United, and others. These groups are responsible for the curation of the first-ever interdisciplinary Black Studies curriculum for New York City public schools. Led by Dr. Sonya Douglass, founding director of the Black Education Research Collective, the program started this year in K-12 schools. During the livestream premiere of the curriculum, she sat down with Michele Verdiner, principal at Teachers College Community School, to explain why it’s necessary for students in NYC and nationwide. 

NEW YORK STATE
Fox News. New York GOP lawmakers accuse state education board of pushing antisemitic material to kids: NYSED has a history of sharing ‘anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist material,’ according to GOP lawmakers   In a letter to Education Department (NYSED) Chancellor Lester Young Jr. and Commissioner Betty Rosa, Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., and the GOP delegation from New York called out a video and training materials linked from a government website designed to help educators teach children about the war in Israel following Hamas’ deadly terror attacks.

Lohud | Westchester County. NYS Education Commissioner Rosa supports added power to suspend accused teachers   With state lawmakers demanding reform, state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa says she’d support legislation giving her department added powers to suspend the teaching licenses of educators accused of sexual misconduct and violence.  

NYSED. New York State Selected for Hunt Institute’s the Path Forward to Transform Literacy Instruction: Literacy Academy Collective and New York State Education Department to Convene Team In Partnership with SUNY, CUNY, NYC Public Schools   …New York State has been chosen to participate in the third cohort of Hunt Institute’s The Path Forward for Teacher Preparation and Licensure in Early Literacy. In coordination with the New York State Education Department (NYSED), Literacy Academy Collective (LAC) has been tapped to convene the NY State Path Forward cohort team, with the aim to transform early literacy instruction in New York State by embedding the science of reading into educator preparation…

NYTimes. Corporal Punishment in Private Schools Is Outlawed in New York: The measure was proposed in response to a New York Times investigation that revealed widespread use of such punishment in Hasidic Jewish private schools.   Under state law, private schools must provide an education that is at least on par with what is offered in public schools. But the investigators described visiting schools and finding deficiencies in course planning and teacher training. In some cases, officials reported seeing no instruction at all in core subjects like English, math, history and science.

NEW YORK CITY
Teachers College. Teaching with Purpose: Meet Newark’s Teacher of the Year, Juanita Greene   Greene’s “aha!” moment began in Charlottesville, Virginia, during her first summer teaching eighth grade math, an internship opportunity she secured through her undergraduate work at the University of Virginia… She would later go on to pursue her master’s degree in the Mathematics Education program at Teachers College. “Teachers College gave me the confidence to feel like I could have a deeper understanding of high school math. It had a better sense of what goes into the curriculum, and I learned from so many other educators along the way. 

The74Million.  To Get STEM Education to Every Student, Train All New Teachers in Computing: City University of NY program teaches future educators to use computing concepts in a broad range of subjects, at all grade levels.   Nearly one-third of the new teachers hired by the district each year graduate from CUNY… Fewer than half of CUNY’s education faculty have participated in the program to date, and its practices are only just beginning to become embedded in CUNY’s teacher education programs. As a result, most aspiring educators-in-training at CUNY do not yet receive instruction and coaching in equitable computing education practices.

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of Oct. 16 in Teacher Ed News


GLOBAL
EL PAÍS. Wanted: 3.2 million teachers Latin America and the Caribbean have an enormous educational setback, and those who carry the burden are poorly paid, technologically challenged teachers with pandemic fatigue  “Those who study to become teachers have to know what it means to teach long before they graduate,” since in cities like Buenos Aires, for instance, only one in three teaching students graduates.

The Scotsman. Student teacher scheme ‘failing’ as fewer than 7% agree to be sent anywhere in Scotland   Under the scheme, student teachers can choose to be placed anywhere in Scotland for their probation year by ticking the preference waiver payment box… If they tick the box, secondary teachers receive a payment of £8,000, while primary teachers get £6,000… A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “There are undoubtedly challenges around the recruitment of teachers in certain geographical areas, which is why we provide up to £8,000 for probationary teachers if they are willing to complete their probation anywhere in Scotland, specifically in remote and rural areas.

Times of India. First batch of Integrated Teacher Education Programme begins at IIT   Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, which has introduced a 4-year BSc-BEd Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) from the 2023-24 academic year, began classes for the first batch of 50 students from Tuesday. IIT Bhubaneswar is one among the two IITs to start the programme this year. Other one is IIT Kharagpur. The students were selected via a national-level common entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) Co-Teaching Coast-to-Coast: Virtual Conversations and Co-Teaching Engagement Awards   The AACTE Co-Teaching in Clinical Practice Topical Action Group (TAG) recently wrapped up two exciting initiatives focused on bringing teacher preparation faculty together with administrators and teachers in schools across the country… Teacher preparation institutional partnerships with local school districts where co-teaching is valued seem to be increasing expertise for clinical interns, practitioners, and the higher education teacher preparation faculty involved.
2) Preview #AACTE24 Featured Sessions  Ascending New Heights: Propelling the Profession into the Future November 1 – Early Bird Registration closes [Feb. 16-18 Denver, CO]
3) Virginia State University to Address Petersburg Teacher Shortage   The Virginia State University (VSU) College of Education has announced a new teacher residency program to help with the teacher shortage in Petersburg, VA, and provide future educators with an immersive educational experience… HERO, or Hybrid Education Residency Opportunity, is a comprehensive and innovative program that combines coursework and practical teaching in an actual classroom setting. In total, five VSU students are participating in the HERO program for the 2023-2024 school year.

Care.com. What’s the best age to learn a new language?: Experts share the research and the benefits of learning a second language in early childhood.  “Children learn languages, especially pronunciation, more effectively and efficiently if they learn them early. Plus, learning a language early opens up communication with others, different worlds and cultures and ways of thinking, and the realization that there’s not just one way to speak or to live or to think.” —Erika S. Levy, director of the speech production and perception lab at Teachers College, Columbia University

Chalkbeat.
1) A career switch led this teacher to helping students build businesses of their own   I decided to become a teacher during 2020, during the pandemic, when I was working in marketing for a local credit union in the investment department… Now that I’m three years in, I absolutely love what I do and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I just wish I would have done it sooner.
2) Dyslexia support proposals are back in the Michigan Legislature   * Sen. Dayna Polehanki, a Democrat who represents parts of Canton and Livonia, introduced a bill that would set standards for teacher education programs to ensure future educators have the tools to help students with dyslexia….* Schmaltz’ House bill would require school districts to have at least one teacher trained in Orton-Gillingham, a multisensory teaching methodology that research suggests helps students with dyslexia.
3) Illinois is revamping its literacy plan. Parents, advocates say it needs more for students with dyslexia.   In June, the state board released an initial draft of the plan, which says universal screening for literacy skills is essential and aspiring teachers need to be trained in the science of reading… The so-called  “Right to Read” Act required the state board to create literacy grants, change teacher licensure tests for elementary school teachers, and develop professional development opportunities for current teachers. 
4) My students asked if I was ‘Team Israeli’ or ‘Team Palestinian.’ Here’s what I said.   I highly recommend the following resources to educators looking to teach the topic in their classrooms: War Grips Israel and Gaza After Surprise Attack from PBS NewsHour Classroom, Processing the Violence in Israel and Gaza from Facing History & Ourselves, The Israel-Hamas War: A Forum for Young People to React in The New York Times, How Do I Talk to My Kids About Violence? from Common Sense Media, and What Is U.S. Policy on the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis? from the Council on Foreign Relations. [by S. B. Rosenberg, TC MA’02]
5) Schoolwork shouldn’t double as screentime: Learning on screens was the best could do during school closures — not a best practice that we should continue.  Many educators are demoralized and under-appreciated, but an over-reliance on screens will not make the work of teaching more rewarding or valued. It’s human connections that make teaching an endlessly rewarding calling. I know this from my own classrooms and my experience training future teachers.  [by J. Frank TC PhD’10]

EdSource.
1) Credentialing commission could change the way California tests teachers   The CBEST is a barrier for educators of color, said John Affeldt, managing attorney at Public Advocates told EdSource after the meeting. He said the best outcome would be for legislators to eliminate the test…“We continue to struggle with the reality that our state, through these examinations, is systematically discriminating against the very diversity it alleges it wants to track into our workforce,” Davis said. “This can end with this body.
2) Time to retire the tainted, unfair basic skills test for teachers   … former employee of the defendant Commission on Teacher Credentialing had examined the CBEST for her doctoral dissertation and concluded it was racially and culturally biased. The Commission suppressed the study, including when our lawsuit specifically requested such reports… It’s time for the credentialing commission and the state to drop the tainted CBEST. It’s also time for some reconciliation. The commission can start by releasing that long-suppressed study of the CBEST’s racial and cultural bias.

EdWeek.
1) Here’s What High School Students of Color Think About Being a Teacher   The students cited a few common deterrents to choosing teaching as a future career. For starters, they mentioned low salaries… Another concern shared by many of the students was that teachers don’t have the autonomy to design a curriculum that is representative of the diversity of their schools … Finally, the students also noted that they’ve experienced microaggressions and harmful comments at school, both from students and staff. 
2) Reading Recovery Sues Ohio Over Ban on ‘Cueing’ in Literacy Instruction   The Reading Recovery Council of North America filed a lawsuit against the state and DeWine earlier this month, prompted largely by the bill’s attempt to stamp out a teaching practice that it has used in its own teacher-training program.
3) Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff Find your next job in K-12 education! [November 9, 2023 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST (11 a.m. – 3 p.m. PT) FREE EVENT]

Hechinger Report. Disabilities in math affect many students — but get little attention: Dyscalculia and similar disorders are largely ignored in schools and in policy   Teacher training programs offer little instruction on disabilities of any kind, and even less on math. In a 2023 survey by Education Week, nearly 75 percent of teachers reported that they had received little to no preservice or in-service training on supporting students with math disabilities.

InsideHigherEd. Faculty Teaching the Way They Were Taught: Whether you consider teaching an art, craft, science or profession, it is clear that K-12 teachers are more fully prepared than many of us who teach in higher ed.   Teacher education programs leading to elementary and secondary certification often require significantly more than the traditional 120 credit hours for the baccalaureate degree… To renew teacher certification commonly requires the completion of continuing professional development courses. Elementary and secondary school teachers have far more schooling in the teaching field than most of our Ph.D. programs require.

MSN.com. After life-changing setback, former Miss Oregon rebounds to create groundbreaking preschool program   Emily Cadiz used her Miss America scholarship money to attend Columbia University and would follow her family of educators to become a special education teacher… In 2015, a student attacked Cadiz in the classroom. She suffered a severe brain injury and lost much of her ability to speak… At the September Portland Incubator event, Cadiz told visitors interested in her educational system that more attention needs to be focused on early education. Cadiz believes teachers aren’t given the most effective tools to help young children get ready to read. 

NEA Today. Teacher ‘Pay Penalty’ Reaches Record High   According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the teacher “pay penalty”—the gap between the weekly wages of teachers and college graduates working in other professions—grew to a record 26.4% in 2022, an increase from 23.5% in 2021… Such a disparity in salary makes teaching a less attractive career choice to college students, exacerbating staff shortages and harming student outcomes.  

NYTimes.
1) How readers are working to renovate our democracy  There were some respondents who have been able to make their democracy concerns a full-time occupation — social studies teachers and advocates in particular. One reader wrote: “I have become a certified teacher in my state for social studies and teach at a local public school.”
2) Smaller Classes? At Elite Schools, Some Parents Say ‘No Thanks.’  Beyond admissions, officials will face other challenges, including hiring about 9,000 new educators. School officials have often warned that the law could worsen the system’s financial constraints and require tough trade-offs…
3) Teaching About the Israel-Hamas War A collection of resources to help students learn about Hamas’s recent attack on Israel, the dire situation in Gaza, the conflict’s roots, media literacy and more.
4) The True Story Behind ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Is Being Erased From Oklahoma Classrooms   … ironically, at the same time that the film is being released, there is a new attempt to suppress the teaching of this very history in the state where it took place… The vagueness of the law has caused teachers to censor themselves, for fear of losing their licenses or their school’s accreditation.
5) What Pain Will a New Wave of Student Loan Payments Bring?   More effectively regulating interest rates, offering relief to those who have overpaid because of compounded interest and developing a program similar to Public Service Loan Forgiveness to address pandemic debt would be crucial steps forward.

The74. America Is Facing a Shortage of STEM Teachers: Here’s One Way to Solve It    In a September 2023 policy paper, a colleague and I recommend that in order to solve America’s STEM educator shortage, elected officials and education leaders should adopt something that is widely used in higher education – an endowed chair position for STEM teachers… The benefit of an endowed chair is that it will be paid for decades to come by the interest on investment…

Washington Post. A high school band teacher quit. Now, the students teach, direct themselves.  West Virginia is experiencing a certified teacher shortage like many states nationwide, Riley said, noting that music programs are often in short supply.

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED Board of Regents October Meetings
1) Higher Education Committee
Presentation by the Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE) 
Presentation of Proposed Amendment …Relating to the Use of the Term University
2) Higher Education Consent Agenda
* Proposed Amendment … Relating to the Requirements for the Endorsement of a Certificate for Service as a School Counselor   The Department proposes regulatory amendments to align the pathways for certification for school counselor candidates with the pathways for certification for teacher and educational leadership candidates who hold a certificate from, and/or completed an educator preparation program in, another state or territory of the United States (U.S.) or the District of Columbia.
* Proposed Addition …Amendment…. Relating to Temporary Practice by Certain U.S. Servicemembers and Servicemembers’ Spouses Licensed or Certified in Another State   The proposed amendment also allows the Department to issue an educator permit to eligible servicemembers or their spouses who hold an out-of-state educator certificate comparable to a New York State certificate. The temporary practice certificate/educator permit would provide evidence that the individual is authorized to practice in New York State under the out-of-state license or certificate for the duration of the military order or orders.

NEW YORK CITY
Teachers College
1) Center for Educational Equity. Media Literacy & Democracy: An Essential Partnership with Nan Eileen Mead, MA, MEd, DemocracyReady NY  How an effort in New York State is working to help educators & policymakers build students’ media literacy skills to become democracy ready. [Virtual Event. FREE. October 26th, 12:00 – 1:00pm ET]
2) Digital Futures Institute. Exploring AI in K-12 Education: Empowering Educators to Take the Lead   This workshop is designed to equip K-12 educators with the essential knowledge and skills to navigate the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI).Through this interactive session, you’ll explore AI fundamentals, its capabilities, risks, and ethical considerations, while also discovering innovative ways to integrate AI solutions into your classroom and community. [Saturday, October 21 · 10am – 12pm EDT Russell Hall 4th Fl – Smith Learning Theater 525 West 120th Street New York, NY]
3) Guest Talk: Connecting, Curating, and Constructing Mathematical and STEAM Learning through Purposeful Pedagogy, with Dyanne Baptiste Porter   Some of her research interests include equitable teaching and learning practices in STEM and increasing representation in advanced mathematical sciences. [ONLINE.  Wednesday, October 25, 2023 2:00pm – 3:30pm]

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of Oct. 9 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
International Society for Music Education (ISME). 36th ISME World Conference, “Advocacy for Sustainability in Music Education.” To ensure that all our existing members and new members can submit their work easily through our submission portal our deadline has now been extended to 13th October 11:59 PM PST.

Phys.Org. (Cambridge Univ.) Experts call for more evidence as medical and teacher education embrace simulation technologies   In a recent trial in Germany, AI was used to ‘mark’ and feedback on the work of trainee teachers who were learning to assess students for potential learning difficulties and was found to improve their diagnostic reasoning. Virtual classrooms have also been used to help teachers practice how they talk with students and cultivate oracy, which is a focus of the Labor Party’s latest education plans.

Premium Times (Nigeria). Jigawa is 32,000 short of teachers, NUT raises alarm: The governor said he has employed 1,000 teachers as part of his administration’s efforts to address the teachers gap in the state.   The Chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Jigawa State, Abdulkadir Yunusa, on Thursday, said the state has a shortfall of 32,000 classroom teachers… There are many models of teaching and innovation in the teaching line, but the level of your education doesn’t qualify you to be a teacher, teachers need constant upgrades and orientation on how to teach in the classrooms,” Mr Yunusa said while appealing to the government to prioritise teachers’ recruitment and development.

The Presidency Republic of Ghana. “Teachers’ Capacity Enhanced With Skills, Improved Welfare Incentives”   President Akufo-Addo   President Akufo-Addo also added that just as the “Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), have trained 75,000 teachers in Teaching and Learning in a Digital Age” at a time when the use and knowledge of technological products and tools is a pre-requisite to 21st century teaching and learning.

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) Cal Lutheran Receives $1.2M Federal Grant to Support Educators of Deaf/Hard of Hearing   The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Cal Lutheran a $1,241,679 grant to support the Graduate School of Education’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Credential Program. The five-year grant will fund Access Teach: Closing the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Educator Gap, a project to support 60 graduate-level students who will leave the program as credentialed teachers of high-need deaf and hard-of-hearing students in public schools. In addition to tuition, financial aid, textbooks, and instructional materials, the project will provide mentoring and other support to recruit and retain students.
2) In Montana: Schools Turn to Virtual Teachers to Combat Shortage   The reliance on virtual teachers is just one symptom of an unprecedented nationwide crisis of rebuilding the teacher pipeline and retaining those in the field. Data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey show Montana schools are struggling to fill nearly 60 percent of open jobs. Schools nationwide are increasing class sizes, canceling courses, hiring underqualified staff, and turning to virtual learning to cope with the crisis.
3) Lunch with Lynn – Empowering Advocacy The October Lunch with Lynn conversation will focus on AACTE’s advocacy efforts at the federal and state levels. [Via ZOOM Oct 25, 2023 01:00 ET]

Deans for Impact. Request for Proposals NCTR National Symposium for Educator Preparation, Policy, and Leadership 2024. Wednesday, April 17, 2024 – Friday, April 19, 2024 at The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago. [Deadline: Monday, October 16, 2023 at 5pm]

EdWeek.
1) How to Talk About the Israel-Hamas War: Resources for Educators   To help educators explain the conflict and guide students in how to talk about emotionally charged, violent events like this in measured, respectful ways, Education Week has collected several resources. 
2) Michigan’s Gov. Whitmer Has a Message for Teachers: Move to a State That Has Your Back   In Texas, where 1 in 3 teachers do not have a teaching certificate, lawmakers are focused on ripping more books off school shelves than any other state in the country—except Florida. Meanwhile, in Michigan, we are using every tool available to recruit, train, and retain educators. We established a fellowship offering college students scholarships up to $30,000 over three years to become certified teachers. We pay student-teachers $9,600 a semester. We are helping pay back teachers’ student loans—up to $400 a month.
3) Teachers From Online-Only Prep Programs Hinder Student Achievement, Report Finds   Texas teachers entering the classroom from the state’s fully virtual teacher-preparation programs negatively impact their students’ achievement, according to a policy brief released recently by the Center for Research in Leadership at Texas Tech University…. And teachers prepared by online-only programs are 2.5 times more likely to leave the classroom in the first several years of teaching than teachers trained in traditional face-to-face programs.
4) Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff  FREE EVENT [November 9, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET (11 a.m. – 3 p.m. PT)]
5) We Asked Educators How They Define the ‘Science of Reading.’ Here’s What They Said   “The term ‘science of reading’ isn’t one that researchers use very much,” said Mark Seidenberg, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison… Exactly how much training educators need in cognitive science and psychology research is an open question. In the long term, schools of education could incorporate more courses in these subjects for students, said Seidenberg. But in the shorter term, he called on curriculum providers to bake research into their materials from the beginning.
6) What Teachers Should Know Before Using AI With English Learners   … Lalitha Vasudevan, vice dean for digital innovation and managing director of the Teachers College Digital Futures Institute, at Teachers College, Columbia University… what teachers want to avoid is relying too much on AI tools for instruction… This is especially important to consider who students acquiring the English language. “While there is great value in incorporating these tools to really strengthen students’ confidence, students’ fluency, students’ ability to engage in conversation using these tools, we shouldn’t let go of what is gained when we do work on a piece of writing,” Vasudevan said. “We work things out in our thinking through writing.”

Harvard Graduate School of Education. Introducing the Black Teacher Archive, an open-access digital portal that opens a new lens on the history of education, on Black history, and on American history.

Hechinger Report. Teacher Voice: White teachers need more skills and specific training to handle tough questions about race   As pivotal long-term efforts to recruit and retain more teachers of color take root, there remains an immediate need for our teacher training programs to prepare white teachers to truly support our students in all areas of their growth and development.

InsideHigherEd. Ed Department: Mass Loan Cancellation Is Off the Table   Abernathy was clear that ED wouldn’t be reopening the regulations governing the new income-driven repayment plan or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which were updated and finalized in the past year. 

NYTimes. Who Runs the Best U.S. Schools? It May Be the Defense Department.   … teachers typically have 10 to 15 years of experience… strict structure is something Cicely Abron, an eighth-grade math teacher, rarely experienced in nearly 20 years in public education… she cannot supplement curriculum and must work off an approved list. She receives detailed feedback from coaches and administrators who observe her class. Collaboration with other teachers is required and built into her weekly schedule.

Texas A&M Today. Texas A&M Wins Federal Grant To Tackle Teacher Shortage In Texas: The School of Education and Human Development will lead research to support future educators.   Texas A&M University will address the demand for teachers in Texas with the help of a $3 million Hispanic Serving Institution capacity-building grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Through the five-year grant, the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) will lead the development and assessment of a pilot program to recruit, mentor and retain students who want to major in education…

U.S. Department of Education. Biden-Harris Administration Announces an Additional $9 Billion in Student Debt Relief    The Biden-Harris administration announced today that an additional 125,000 Americans have been approved for $9 billion in debt relief through fixes the U.S. Department of Education has made to income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)… The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing it has approved: * $5.2 billion in additional debt relief for 53,000 borrowers under Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs.

Washington Post. Call for 2024 nominations: 41st annual Washington Post Teacher and Principal of the Year Awards [now open through January 29, 2024]

NEW YORK STATE
Chalkbeat. New York to rethink how teacher prep programs approach literacy instruction   The Hunt Institute, a nonprofit affiliated with Duke University, is leading the effort… Improving teacher preparation programs could bolster New York City’s curriculum overhaul, as some educators have noted they did not receive rigorous instruction on how to teach children to read. An analysis of 38 teacher preparation programs across New York released this year by the National Council on Teacher Quality found that the state’s programs generally ranked well below others across the country when it comes to reading instruction. 

NYSED Board of Regents. October Meetings Agenda:10/16-17

NEW YORK CITY
Teachers College.
1) Applications now accepted for the Advanced Certificate in Literacy, available through the TC Reading Specialist Program  Dr. Susan Masullo, Director. 15 points/credit hours
2) Exploring AI in K-12 Education: Empowering Educators to Take the Lead. By TC’s Digital Futures Institute  Our first kick-off workshop for Teachers Supporting Teacher 2023-2024 school year we will focus on, “Empowering K-12 Educators: AI in Education and Beyond.” This workshop is designed to equip K-12 educators with the essential knowledge and skills to navigate the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) [Saturday, October 21 · 10am – 12pm EDT Russell Hall 4th Fl – Smith Learning Theater 525 West 120th Street New York, NY 10027]
3) Human Resources: Vice Dean for Teacher Education and School & Community Partnerships   Reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the College, the Vice Dean for Teacher Education and School and Community Partnerships will provide collaborative, imaginative, strategic leadership and advocacy for teacher education practice, policy, and research at the College…. Establish and maintain productive partnerships with our community, including P-12 partners, particularly our college partnership with NYC Community School District #4, NYC Public Schools, New York State Education Department, AAQEP and/or other accreditation agencies as needed, professional organizations and associations, and our many clinical placement sites…

 

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of Oct. 2 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET). Future proofing education systems: learning from the legacy of the Covid-19   Recommendations for policy makers and school leaders for future proofing the quality of education for young people, for teacher preparation, and for teacher retention. [ONLINE: Wednesday 15 November 18:00 GMT/UK time]

JanamOnline [India]. Think before choosing B.Ed. course…! Radical changes to teacher education   The state government intends to replace existing teacher education courses, such as the Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), with an integrated degree program. According to directives from the central authority, the minimum qualification required to become a teacher will now be graduation. The Kerala government will conduct a special aptitude test for admission to teaching degree programmes, ensuring that only individuals genuinely interested in teaching secure admission

National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE). Top Performers Reimagine the Teaching Profession   *Rethinking Teacher Preparation Teachers’ standards and certification requirements are evolving to ensure that every teacher gets the support needed to thrive. As the job of teaching continues to change, teacher preparation program content and structure, the nature of the candidates’ practicum, mentoring programs, and teachers’ standards and accountability systems keep pace.

The School Superintendents Association. When Addressing Teacher Shortages, One State Learns from Singapore   Teacher education and induction programs equip early-career educators with the skills, abilities and cultural competencies to thrive…teachers who want to advance are offered experiences to prepare them for more advanced positions, and advancement in their profession does not require leaving the classroom. As a result, Singapore and other high performers avoid the teacher shortages that are increasingly common across the U.S.

UNITED STATES
AACTE. WEBINAR: Leveraging Technology and Digital Advances to Develop Global Competencies in Teacher Educators and Candidates  The session will showcase examples of pedagogy, practice, and actions teachers can employ with students in developing global competencies. [Viz ZOOM Oct 12, 2023 01:00 PM E.T.]

Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Online Workshop: Ensuring Data Quality and Equity [November 1 & 2, 1:00-4:00 p.m. EDT]

Chalkbeat.
1) How charter schools work in Philadelphia, and why they’re controversial   Pennsylvania law says at least 75% of charter school professional staff must hold appropriate licenses and certification… Special education teachers, school nurses, school psychologists, speech and language pathologists, and any positions defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, must also hold appropriate and valid certifications. Unlike at public schools in Philadelphia, regular teachers at charter schools are not required to be certified.
2) Mark Zuckerberg tried to revolutionize American education with technology. It didn’t go as planned.   Much of the money has gone to develop and maintain the Summit Learning Program and provide training to educators… the New York Times published a piece featuring complaints from parents in Kansas. “We’re allowing the computers to teach and the kids all looked like zombies,” one parent told the Times. 
3) Will a portrayal of abuse, cultural destruction in Indian boarding schools spur change in Colorado?   Colorado state standards already call for Native American history to be included in American history and civics education. But districts have control over curriculum decisions, and the results are inconsistent… Chrisjohn, who is an enrolled Sicangu Lakota and a descendant of the Diné nation, is calling for more training for teachers to understand Native students’ needs. 

Education Week.
1) Do Future Teachers Have Math Anxiety? Their University Instructors Think So   …most math instructors and math education instructors at the college level—88 percent—think that their students have at least some anxiety about math, according to recent results from the EdWeek Research Center.
2) Solving the Mismatch Between Teaching Programs’ Supply and What Districts Need   There’s often misalignment between teacher-preparation programs and school districts when it comes to the teacher pipeline… A new tool aims to help. The Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity, a national organization that provides resources and support for educator-preparation programs at minority-serving institutions, has launched a tool to help colleges and universities and partner school districts track and understand teacher vacancy data over time.
3) Universities Are Teaching Competing Math Philosophies to Future Teachers. Why That Matters: The value of explicit teaching, fact fluency, and ability grouping remain tension points   In essence, the results show widespread division in the field—on instructors’ perspectives on explicit instruction, the importance of math facts, inquiry-based learning, and grouping students by ability. This dissonance has implications for future teachers and their students, as educators will likely enter the field without a shared core of principles to guide their instruction. 
4) Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff    Find your next job in K-12 education! [November 9, 2023 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST]

Hechinger Report.
1) Aging states to college graduates: We’ll pay you to stay: More states desperate for skilled workers are helping them pay off their student loans   South Carolina will pay off up to $5,000 per year of student loans for teachers. Illinois will help repay the student loan debt of school social workers.
2) Five things you need to know about sex ed in the US: Types of sex education vary widely across the country. Here’s what you need to know to make sense of what’s out there.   In schools that do teach it, sex ed typically takes up a small portion of a student’s overall time in school and, when taught by school staff, is often incorporated into health, physical education or science classes. Outside providers of sex education curriculums are also common, including Planned Parenthood, crisis pregnancy centers and online programs.
3) How one state is incorporating data science in every subject – even art: Jobs in data science are booming. N.C. State teaches the topic across disciplines — now the university is working with K-12 schools too   The university’s College of Education is also using the ADAPT model to prepare future K-12 teachers for the classroom. Using federal grants, N.C. State researchers are studying the model and its impact on teaching and learning. 
4) ‘They just tried to scare us’: How anti-abortion centers teach sex ed inside public schools   A LifeGuard job ad for a curriculum specialist noted that the new hire must have a “strong commitment and dedication to the sanctity of human life and sexual abstinence.” A job posting for an abstinence educator from 180 Degrees listed the top qualification as: “Pro-Life, Christ follower, and believes that the Bible is the inerrant word of God.”… Talarico, meanwhile, says it’s not enough for organizations to simply say that they are unbiased in the classroom. “There is no public school district in the state of Texas that can legally screen educators based on their political beliefs,” he said. 

National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR). RFP: National Symposium for Educator Preparation, Policy, & LeadershipAPRIL 17-19, 2024 Chicago, IL. [Proposals due Monday, October 16, 2023 at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET]

New York Times.
1) Biden Cancels an Additional $9 Billion in Student Loan Debt: The move comes just three days after student loan repayments resumed following a three-year pause.   The move affects 125,000 people who qualify under existing programs, including for public-service workers such as teachers and firefighters and for people on permanent disability, according to a White House statement.
2) Teachers Can’t Hold Students Accountable. It’s Making the Job Miserable.  Yes, there are still college graduates and young professionals willing to commit to a challenging career that frequently comes with low pay, but that pool shrinks when you factor in mountainous student debt, declining respect for teachers and the reality that schools are ground zero for the culture wars.
3) The Great American Teacher Crisis: College students don’t want to become teachers. Here’s how to change that.   The Opinion writer Jessica Grose argues that Americans have to change the way they pay, train and appreciate teachers — or millions of children will suffer the consequences.

North Texas Daily. TWU and Houston ISD partner up to combat teacher shortage   Texas Woman’s University is helping around 100 teaching assistants obtain bachelor’s degrees and Texas teaching certifications, financed by $500,000 in grants awarded from Houston Independent School District. 

U.S. Dept. of Education. Proposed Priorities, Requirements, and Definitions-National Professional Development Program   Proposed Priority 1—Increase the Number of Bilingual or Multilingual Teachers Through Pre-Service Programs. Projects that propose to increase the number of licensed or certified bilingual or multilingual teachers working in language instruction educational programs or serving ELs, and improve their qualifications and skills, through evidence-based pre-service programs. … We must receive your comments on or before October 16, 2023.

Washington Post. Biden touts $9B more in student loan forgiveness, progress in debt relief   The administration said it has also helped deliver almost $51 billion in loan cancellation for 715,000 public servants such as teachers or service members through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which cancels outstanding federal student debt held by public servants after 10 years of on-time payments.

NEW YORK STATE
Stony Brook University. Stony Brook University Earns National Accreditation for Teacher and Leader Preparation Programs   The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) has awarded full seven-year accreditation to Stony Brook University for its teacher and school administrator preparation programs. AAQEP’s Accreditation Commission issued the decision after a comprehensive review of the University’s Distributed Teacher and Leader Education (D-TALE) model.

NEW YORK CITY
Education Trust-New York. 5 Things to Know About the Influx of Migrant Students in New York   NYC schools have twice as many ESL teachers as bilingual teachers. Bilingual teachers are certified to teach in the two bilingual programs available to NYC students, dual language and transitional bilingual education, which aim to strengthen both home language skills and support English acquisition. ESL teachers are qualified to teach English as a New Language, which provides instruction in English with support of the home language, with the aim of English acquisition.

NYDailyNews. Class size cap just won’t work: NYC schools will suffer from Albany mandate   From where will those teachers magically materialize? Will they be certified in low-availability subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subject areas, Bilingual and Special Education?… there is a trade-off between lowering the bar and teaching quality. Furthermore, the need for new teachers will be greatest in many high-performing districts. This will likely result in a flood of teacher transfer applications out of districts which have traditionally been harder to staff.

Teachers College.
1) Educators Build Capacity to Teach Climate Change with TC Institute: Empowering educators to teach climate change with confidence starts with a joint endeavor between TC, NYC Public Schools and Columbia   “We are here as part of a global effort to address the most existential threat to society,” said Oren Pizmony-Levy, Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education and Director of CSF, in his welcoming remarks. “I want you to keep that in mind that what we’re doing here this week is not only about the pedagogy and it’s not only about getting the knowledge or the facts. It’s about…how all of us together can help society address climate change.”
2) These 2023 Education Graduates Embody the Spirit of TC: Meet a handful of standout education graduates, and learn what drives them and where they’re heading next   Meet Hanyue Sha (M.A. ’23, Bilingual/Bicultural Education): After pursuing her passion at TC and taking courses with Associate Professor Patricia Martínez Álvarez, Sha also developed an interest in special education. Meet Carolina Snaider (Ed.D. ’23, Early Childhood Education) Snaider has seen the positive impact of critical teacher education firsthand while at TC and it has inspired her to work with future teachers to encourage new perspectives on early childhood education.
3) VACANCY NOTICE: Vice Dean for Teacher Education and School & Community Partnerships   The Vice Dean for Teacher Education and School and Community Partnerships will take advantage of the current moment not only to support but to enhance teacher education activity at the College, including support for early, mid, and late-career teachers, catalyzing new visions, innovations, and increased ambitions among the diverse and distinguished group of TC teacher educators…