GLOBAL
Education International. Albania: Education unions’ success in combating child labour More than 500 trade union leaders and 6,000 teachers have been trained in preventing dropping-out and in reintegrating former child labourers into school. The unions estimate that these efforts have resulted in more than 2,800 children returning to school and another 6,600 not dropping out.
International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET). 64th World Assembly 2022. Building Creative Global Teacher Education Communities Post-Pandemic: international research-based collaboration [21-23 June, Bath Spa University, UK]
My News Ghana. Teacher education in crisis following introduction of the 4-year system – EduWatch “Colleges of Education (CoEs) are now running double and triple track, the reason some students have been on vacation for about 6 months without knowing when they are returning to school. Even though COE’s were built to run 3-Year programmes, the additional infrastructure required to start the 4-Year Degree Programme in 2019 is still not available today, affecting teaching,” Mr. Asare lamented.
UNITED STATES
AACTE. AACTE Announces Derek W. Black as 2022 Annual Meeting Opening Keynote Speaker [March 4 – 6, New Orleans, LA]
ABC News. Youngkin looks to root out critical race theory in Virginia There is no evidence that CRT has been formally adopted into state curricula. But there is ample evidence key education administrators have incorporated the concept into teacher training. And critics have found examples of what they consider to be critical race theory seeping into classroom lessons.
Chalkbeat.
1) Report: Too few new educators are graduating to reverse Tennessee teacher shortage With teacher prep programs producing fewer potential hires, Tennessee is looking to several new initiatives to help replenish the ranks. The state has cleared the way for school systems to develop “grow your own” training programs similar to one pioneered by Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools and Austin Peay State University. While the programs vary by district, they generally hire prospective teachers who can work in a school in a support role and get paid while pursuing their education and credentials through a teacher training program.
2) The next generation of Philly teachers will include more Black men, these future educators say The Center for Black Educator Development launched the project in partnership with the United Negro College Fund as “a way to develop leaders to be able to lead within schools and communities,” Sharif El-Mekki, founder of the center, said in an interview. The fellows commit to teaching in one of the project’s partner cities — currently Philadelphia, Camden, and Detroit, and possibly expanding to as many as 10 cities over the next decade — and receive financial and professional support along the way.
3) Universal free preschool is coming. How will Colorado ensure quality? A spokesman for the governor said the state’s new early childhood department, set to launch in July, will convene a group this summer to review various sets of quality standards and create a set for universal preschool that layer on top of minimum licensing requirements.
Daily Wildcat. The UA, a home for Indigenous students everywhere The Indigenous Teacher Education Program… is another UA program that sponsors and supports Indigenous students in their studies even after they have graduated. ITEP’s goal is to get more Indigenous teachers back into their communities and to support these students all throughout their last two years completing their bachelor’s degrees in elementary education.
Education Week. Exits by Black and Hispanic Teachers Pose a Threat to Learning Recovery To make up the gap, schools have hired poorly prepared replacements, which aggravates learning difficulties, said Tara Kini, chief of staff and director of state policy for the Learning Policy Institute. Another study by her group found that minority-majority schools were four times as likely as mostly white schools to employ uncertified teachers.
Fox 6 Milwaukee. Funding for teacher training, recruitment; $1M committed by state The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced on Monday, Feb. 14 $1 million in funding for the Teacher Training and Recruitment Grant program.
InsideHigherEd. University of Kansas Looks to Cut 42 Academic Programs: Faculty members agree with the administration on cutting 28 programs but are fighting to keep 14 others alive. More cuts may be on the horizon for the state university system. The 14 programs that faculty members want to save include bachelor’s degrees in humanities, Latin American and Caribbean studies, visual art education, and a variety of minors…
KXXV 25 News. Potential teacher certification requirement faces pushback from Texas teaching organizations A controversial new certification requirement for new Texas teachers is set for a vote by the State Board of Education this summer. The edTPA assessment requires future educators to submit a portfolio including lesson plans, student teaching videos, and reflection essays. Those materials are then given a score and state policies indicate a “passing” or “failing” score… The Texas Education Agency told 25 News that the new exam requirement would replace the current multiple-choice certification exams, and would help to better prepare future educators.
MSN.com. Union will pay $1,200 per semester to students enrolled in Newark teacher training academy The national president of the American Federation of Teachers union was in Newark on Monday to announce that the union will pay a stipend to high school students enrolled in a teacher training academy to help them avoid having to take after-school jobs that could force them to drop out of the program. AFT President Randi Weingarten said the union would pay $1,200 for the Spring semester to each of the 34 students enrolled in the Red Hawks Rising Teacher Training Academy at East Side High School…
NEA Today. Recruiting New Teachers with Residency Programs: Teacher residencies can help draw more people to the profession while offering community, collaboration—and cash. Residency programs attract more teachers to the profession because of tuition assistance. They retain more new teachers as well by providing ongoing support, creating community, and reducing isolation. The best residencies are founded on social justice principles so that new teachers can learn from day one what it means to create educational justice.
New York Times. How Can This University Charge Nothing for Tuition? The UoPeople ain’t Harvard. It offers few electives and a narrow set of academic programs: business administration, computer science, health science and education [Master of Education in Advanced Teaching Degree]
NEW YORK STATE
Board of Regents Feb. Meetings: Higher Education Subcommittee
Proposals
*Proposed Amendment … Relating to Establishing the Literacy (All Grades) Certificate Following the 60-day public comment period required under the State Administrative Procedure Act, it is anticipated that the proposed amendment will be presented to the Board of Regents for adoption at its June 2022 meeting. If adopted at the June meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on June 29, 2022.
*Proposed Amendment … Relating to the Content Core Requirement in Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Certification for Candidates Who Are Seeking an Additional Science Certificate the Department is proposing to revise the content core requirement in registered teacher preparation programs such that programs would require candidates who hold a classroom teaching certificate in a science certificate title, or are simultaneously preparing for two or more classroom teaching certificates in different science certificate titles, to complete 18 semester hours for the content core in the subject area(s) of the additional science certificate(s). By reducing the number of semester hours in the second content core, candidates may be more interested in seeking an additional science certificate in a different discipline and be able to complete the requirements for an additional science certificate during their program. Public comment begins March 2, 2022. If adopted at the June meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on June 29, 2022.
Consent Agenda
Proposed Amendment… Relating to Removing the Face-to-Face Instruction Requirement for the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Training. If adopted at the February 2022 meeting, the proposed amendments will become effective as a permanent rule on March 2, 2022.
Hechinger Report. The End of ‘Dark Days’ for SUNY Students in Debt: People with unpaid tuition bills at the State University of New York could see their burdens ease in the coming months. The change could mean an end to blocking students from re-enrolling if they owed money. This has often forced students to drop out — even for balances as little as $100 — although the chancellor has not indicated when the practice will end. The SUNY board’s resolution also stopped the practice of withholding transcripts from students who had completed courses but still had debt.
NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. Home schooling nearly doubled in NYC since pandemic’s start When a remote option didn’t materialize, Shujaat opted to enroll her two children, who are in the fifth and sixth grades, in The Muslim Academy, a virtual school that includes a mix of religious and secular studies at a cost of about $600 a month for the pair. (The children are considered home-schooled.) “I never considered home-schooling them myself,” she said. “They provide the curriculum and all the parent has to do is provide support for the child.” The curriculum is largely pre-recorded except for two classes…
New York Post. DOE panel weighs contract to give funds to new chancellor’s former foundation Under the United Way contract, the Eagle Academy Foundation would build awareness. develop teacher training, and oversee a 10-week pilot project in 15 districts, among other duties.
Teachers College Student Profile. Empowering Students In and Out of the Classroom: Abby M. O’Neill Fellow William Cheung weaves a tapestry of past and present A gift from O’Neill, a TC Trustee Emerita who died in 2017, the O’Neill Fellowships award $40,000 in tuition-assistance per student. To be eligible, students must intend to enroll in an elementary or secondary teacher education master’s degree program, leading to initial certification. This year’s 12 Master’s students represent 9 different fields of study. The gift reflects that O’Neill Fellows are committed to spending at least two years teaching in New York public schools following graduation.
Teaching Residents at Teachers College [TR@TC].
1) Fill Your Cup Teacher-Facing SEL Workshop [Monday, Feb. 21st, 5:00-6:30pm] Join us for an interactive session as we take time to nourish our minds and add to our own SEL/Mental Health toolbox. Participants will walk away with tangible tools they can apply now to support them in managing their everyday life as an educator.
2) Body Love February: Community and Co-Working Day [Thursday Feb. 24th, 10am-3pm] Let us fill your cup with community and self-care this winter. Join us for a day of community and wellness during your mid-winter recess.
3) Finding Rest & Relaxation in Community [Thursday Feb. 24 1-3pm] Restoration is a contemplative experience supporting our bodies and mind to find the small places of rest.
