GLOBAL
ConservativeHome (UK). Our reforms to teacher training put us on the side of trainees, pupils and taxpayers. The last unreformed area of the school system is teacher training – but not for long. Earlier this year, the Prime Minister announced 500,000 teacher training programmes would be delivered this Parliament, significantly raising the quality of teaching in schools. Important reforms are already being delivered, providing in-school training for teachers in the first two years in the classroom…
DutchNews.nl Shortage of teachers is hurting efforts to spend extra education budgets The council executives are calling for the wage gap between primary school teachers and secondary school teachers to be closed, a structural budget to make teaching a more attractive option for students, and measures to encourage teachers not to abandon the profession.
Relief Web. Education in South Sudan There are more than two million children in South Sudan, but only 8000 primary schools, 120 secondary schools, one University, and only one Teacher Training College to meet the growing demand for training teachers. No wonder that 70% of South Sudan’s children are out of school and 63% of teachers are without formal training..
The Teacher Task Force/UNESCO. Closing the gap – Ensuring there are enough qualified and supported teachers in sub-Saharan Africa This advocacy brief considers what it will take to increase the supply of qualified teachers in sub-Saharan Africa, the region where the teacher shortage is most acute… It examines the fiscal pressures on low-income countries to cover salary costs and the costs of initial teacher education and continuing professional development, and it proposes some recommendations for governments and the international community to achieve the essential target of substantially increasing the supply of well qualified teachers.
UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) AACTE Provides Innovative Solutions to Revolutionize Ed Prep [4 min. video summary]
2) Designing Simulations for Science Teacher Preparation: Reflections from the 2021 Convening
Chalkbeat.
1) A Bronx principal turned congressman unveils ambitious Green New Deal for nation’s schools Another $250 billion in block grants would go toward hiring more staff at high-need schools, which districts could use to hire and train more teachers, paraprofessionals, school psychologists, and counselors.
2) Big education funders Gates, Walton, and Chan Zuckerberg are coming together to seek ‘breakthroughs.’ Will it work? Ben Riley, the head of Deans for Impact, which has pushed for teacher prep programs to help teachers understand the “science of learning,” said focusing on executive functioning skills is a promising idea, but he’s interested in seeing more specifics.
3) More Tennesseans of color walk away from teaching profession if they fail first licensure test, report shows About a fourth of Tennessee elementary school teacher candidates who fail their licensure test on their first attempt don’t try again, with an even higher “walkaway rate” for aspiring teachers of color, says national data released Wednesday.
4) Pennsylvania districts should use federal stimulus to improve teacher racial diversity, educators say School District of Philadelphia Chief Talent Officer Larisa Shambaugh and Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet said their districts are committed to using American Rescue Plan funds to continue to build programs and partnerships to prepare more diverse students to enter the teaching profession.
EdSource. California cuts the number of tests teachers must take to earn credential California’s newly approved state budget allows teacher candidates to skip two of the tests that had been required to earn a teaching credential if they take approved coursework. Teacher candidates no longer have to take the California Basic Skills Test, or CBEST, or the California Subject Matter Exams for Teachers, referred to as CSET to earn a credential.
EdWeek. First-Time Pass Rates on Teacher Licensure Exams Were Secret Until Now. See the Data New data show that many aspiring teachers do not pass their state’s licensing exam on the first attempt. And nearly a quarter of those candidates who fail do not try again, quashing their plans to teach. That’s even higher for test takers of color—30 percent don’t retake the test after failing the first time.
InsideHigherEd. Warren Using Her Power Over ED She has raised concerns about the department’s oversight of for-profit colleges and how it plans to assist student borrowers in the COVID-19 economic recovery. She has also questioned management of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program — in which only 2 percent of applicants have been approved — and the role that loan servicers play in the student loan system.
New America. [ONLINE event] – Transforming Teacher Preparation to Best Serve Students We invite you to join us for an event where we examine why transforming teacher preparation must be a national priority now and explore how to make high-quality teacher preparation a sustainable reality through practices and policies at all levels. [July 27]
NYTimes. Can A.I. Grade Your Next Test? Researchers have been building automated teaching tools since the 1970s, including robo-tutors and computerized essay graders. But progress has been slow. Building a system that can simply and clearly guide students often requires years of work, with designers struggling to define each tiny piece of behavior.
Pearson Education. Educative Assessment & Meaningful Support : 2019 edTPA Administrative Report [published July 2021] While the average scores of African American/Black and American Indian or Alaskan Native candidates were lower than those of other candidate groups (p < .05), the fact that African American/Black candidates made up a very small portion of the candidate pool (6.5%) and the low N for American Indian or Alaskan Native candidates (141) should be considered and interpreted with caution.
NEW YORK STATE
NYS Legislature. Graduate Education Admissions Reform. Two bills reforming the admissions requirements for graduate education programs passed both chambers this year and await Governor Cuomo’s signature.
- S.5666/A.7490would increase the exemption to GPA and GRE requirements from 15% to 50%
- S.6600/A.7491would eliminate the GRE requirement for admissions.
NEW YORK CITY
NYDaily News. Give a universal curriculum a chance: The NYC initiative holds promise [Opinion R. Pondiscio] New York could also reach out to the colleges of education across the state who produce most of the teachers who fill its classrooms and make it clear their graduates will have a leg up come hiring time if they’re trained as undergraduates to teach NYC’s reading and math curriculum.
Newsday. Long Island Needs More Minority Schoolteachers [TC Prof] Amy Stuart-Wells urges Long Island public schools to prioritize diversifying its teaching staff in order to better support students of color.
