Tag: Teacher Residency

GLOBAL
Chalkbeat. How should the U.S. teach about slavery? Here’s how other countries face their most shameful chapters.   Managing difficult emotions in the classroom requires preparation, particularly when many teachers have lived through the difficult history they are now teaching… In Canada, most teachers did not learn about residential schools when they were students, and huge efforts have been made to provide resources and training… In South Africa, teachers are explicitly trained to facilitate difficult conversations… Alan McCully, a history teacher educator in Northern Ireland, advocates for teacher training to include experiencing discomfort. “You cannot teach controversial history, difficult history, unless you have felt the discomfort of being taught that sort of history yourself,” he argues.

Korea Herald. Education Ministry earmarks W600b for ‘education recovery’: Ministry says omicron-driven virus peak at schools has passed   College students, enrolled in programs trained to be teachers, are to tutor elementary and middle school students, consulting them on learning, relationships and future prospects. 

National Center of Education and the Economy (NCEE). Getting Teachers in Classrooms Where They’re Needed Most: America’s most effective teachers are often not in the classrooms where they’re needed most. Some new research shows other countries face the same challenge.   Ideally, teachers are given rigorous preparation and then when they are placed in schools, they are provided extensive support that leverages the expertise of more experienced, senior teachers. They’re given time to work collaboratively and to intervene with struggling students to help them stay on track. When it comes to teacher assignment policies in particular, Japan, Singapore, and Shanghai offer good examples.

The Guardian. Number of male teachers in England at all-time low as pay levels drop: New research also raises alarm over lack of minority ethnic senior teaching staff    The Department for Education said: “The teaching workforce is becoming more diverse – with the latest data showing 9.3% of teachers reported being from an ethnic minority background, while 21% of postgraduate teacher trainees reported the same. This is compared with 14% of people in the general population, but we know there is further to go.

UNITED STATES
100Kin10. The 100Kin10 Project Team is seeking applicants to serve as faculty interested in implementing a re-imagined Intro to Education Course through a racial equity and social justice lens.   The team searched for introductory courses that take this approach, requested enrollment data from those courses, and created a recommended course syllabus to share with the broader community.

Chalkbeat.
1) Dyslexia bills pass Michigan Senate with bipartisan support   Key features of the bills:… The State Superintendent could no longer allow teacher preparation programs — typically colleges of education at public universities — to provide certification if they don’t offer instruction specific to dyslexia by 2023.
2) How four Philly students ended up working for their principal as teachers   All four attended Lamberton School, in the Overbrook Park section of West Philadelphia, when Travis was principal there between 2003 and 2014. And all of them were, in part, inspired by her to enter teaching, at a time when the profession is suffering a shortage nationwide, and the proportion of Black teachers in particular is on the decline.
3) Teacher prep programs can do better. Here’s how.   Teacher preparation programs should create opportunities for future teachers not only to observe classrooms but also to practice teaching throughout their preparation, in the same way that apprenticeships and medical residencies allow for intensive and sustained on-the-job training. Pre-service teachers should have opportunities to work with students and share leadership of classrooms from their freshman year of college. Mentor teachers must also be trained to support, coach, and gradually release responsibility to their student teachers. 

Courier-Journal. How abolishing useless state tests helps increase Kentucky’s pool of Black teachers    First, no studies indicate that the passing of Praxis ensures that teachers can positively impact K-12 student learning. There is little evidence that these exams predict teacher effectiveness… Second, since the reliance on teacher testing, there has been a steep decline in ethnic and racial minority candidates entering the teaching profession. This decline may be because Black, minority and poor students are more likely to fail the tests.

Deans for Impact. Fueling the fire of teaching desire: How tutoring is helping one future teacher   To ensure teacher-candidates were well-equipped to work as tutors, the district offered comprehensive training to them, including a full-day workshop on Tennessee’s new phonics program, Reading 360, which is being implemented in schools statewide. Instructional coaches from the district are also coaching the candidates throughout the process, grounding their support in the science of reading.

EdSurge. New Research Looks for Better Ways for Schools to Recruit Teachers of Color   …the Premiere 100 Program in Richland, two school districts in South Carolina, where superintendent Baron Davis has a goal to recruit a hundred black male teachers over three years. In his first year, he recruited 50. And he does it through this brotherhood. The Premiere 100 is a brotherhood. So when you join as an African American male teacher, you have a network, a very deep support network.

EdWeek. (Unlimited access to TC community via Gottesman site license)
1) Are Teacher-Prep Programs Out of Touch?   This is the first post in a three-part series…. PJ Caposey, Keisha Rembert, Stephanie Smith Budhai, Ph.D., Jasmine M. Wilhelm, and Jeffrey Wilhelm share their responses.
2) Teacher Prep Should Include Classroom-Culture Training   This is the second post in a three-part series… Andrew Sharos, Tairen McCollister, Kelsey Pycior, and Wendi Pillars continue the conversation.
3) The Rise of Tutoring and Where It Falls Short, in Charts   Research has found that paraprofessionals, college students and others, if properly trained and supported, can also be effective tutors. But few districts are going this route.
4) These 3 Latina Teachers Are Pushing the Boundaries of Computer Science Class   Standards are still being written and revised. Curricula are being developed. Teacher-training programs are slowly adjusting. But there’s plenty of excitement about the country’s diversifying computer science teaching force, which now includes a critical mass of Latina educators determined to make their mark.
5) Timeline: How Federal School Accountability Has Waxed and Waned   No Child Left Behind…which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, on Jan. 8, 2002, replacing the previous law. The new law significantly toughens up accountability and introduces teacher-quality requirements.

Hechinger Report. Is recess a right or a privilege?: Despite evidence they shouldn’t, teachers still take away recess. Experts say it’s time to stop.
Training in better classroom management practices could also stem turnover: Many teachers say classroom management struggles are a primary reason for leaving the job.

Iowa Public Radio. English-only test for teaching license frustrates efforts by dual language schools to find teachers   Currently, a Praxis spokesperson said, the general test is only offered in English. Teachers who are studying to become world language educators are offered Praxis exams in the language they will be teaching. However, this test does not apply to dual language immersion teachers who will be educating on all subjects in a different language.

Kxii.com.  Oklahoma removes requirement to pass OGET for future teachers   Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 3658 into effect that removes one of the testing requirements for Oklahoma teachers. Future candidates no longer have to pass the general education portion of the competency examination if they have a bachelor’s degree from an institution whose accreditation is recognized by Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Los Alamos Reporter. PED Ends Requirement For Costly Tests For New Teachers    The Public Education Department is changing the way new teachers prove their fitness for the classroom, moving from a battery of expensive tests to a comprehensive portfolio students will prepare during their New Mexico’s college-based educator preparation programs… The portfolio assessment is an option, not a requirement. Praxis tests still will be available to those who prefer that pathway

NYTimes. Pre-K Is Powerful if Done Right. Here’s How.   A new study by the National Institute for Early Education Research finds that, because of the pandemic, a decade of progress was lost and the equity gap widened. “The pandemic confirmed that providing quality preschool programs that benefit children and families is not easy,” the report notes. Only five states had programs that met the institute’s list of 10 benchmarks of preschool quality, which include “college-educated teachers with specialized early childhood training, small classes that support individualization, and rigorous continuous improvement systems.”

Prism. Why New England school districts are struggling to retain diverse teachers: Teachers of color point to low wages, little institutional support, and a lack of commitment to diversity efforts   After southern schools integrated, Foster said, more than 38,000 Black teachers lost their jobs, and soon after, the idea of teacher testing came about. In the Northeast, Foster said, white teachers were often hired to teach by nearly all-white school district committees. “Those two things collided so that fewer Black people became teachers,” Foster said. “And because most of these school districts struggling to hire teachers don’t know the history, they’re asking themselves, ‘Where are the Black teachers?’—well, you fired them in the ’60s and ’70s!” 

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). SF Board of Education Selects Dr. Matt Wayne as SFUSD’s Finalist for Superintendent of Schools   Dr. Wayne, who is fluent in Spanish, began as an English Language Arts teacher in 1997 at The Riis Upper School at PS 126 in New York City…. Dr. Wayne earned … a Masters of Arts in English Education and a Masters of Education in Public School Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University.

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED.
1) Board of Regents May 2022 Meeting Agenda [5/16 & 17]
2) State Finalists Selected for 2022 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching incl. New York State Science Finalist (K-6) Shiela Lee, TC MA 2011

NYS Register. PROPOSED REGULATORY CHANGES: The April 27, 2022, NYS Register included proposed regulatory amendments regarding registration requirements for residency programs and revision to residency certificate requirements (see page 28 for this proposal). The public comment period is open and will expire on June 27. Submit comments to: William P. Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department, Office of Higher Education, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 975 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 486-3633, email: [email protected] 

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. In a seismic shift, NYC to mandate elementary schools use phonics-based curriculum   Educators will also have more opportunities to be trained in evidence-based phonics programs, including Wilson and Orton-Gillingham… Changing a literacy curriculum is no easy process and can be challenging without buy-in from educators and solid training. 

NYTimes.
1) Kathy Boudin, Radical Imprisoned in a Fatal Robbery, Dies at 78   … she got a master’s degree in adult education and literacy from Norwich College while in prison and then, five years after her release, a doctorate from Teachers College at Columbia University. 
2) Mayor Adams Unveils Program to Address Dyslexia in N.Y.C. Schools   The mayor, who has dyslexia himself, would open two new schools, train teachers and direct schools to use phonics-based lessons as a way to address a literacy crisis in the city.

Teachers College. An Aspiring Hometown Hero for Newark Schools  Sociology & Education graduate Elijah Gardner looks to fulfilling a historic family promise to improving public education in Newark, New Jersey

GLOBAL
AllAfrica. Ghana: Govt Committed to Quality Teacher Education   The government is committed in the promotion of quality teacher education in the country to make it more relevant and beneficial to society, Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo Maafo, has stated. “In view of this everything possible will be done to improve infrastructure in our Colleges of Education as well as promote the welfare of teachers who are at the centre of education,” he assured.

Financial Express (India). NCTE invites applications for the four year Integrated Teacher Education Programme 2022-23   National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) under Ministry of Education (MoE) has invited online application for the four year Integrated Teacher Education Programmes (ITEP) for academic session 2023-24. Admission for ITEP will be carried out by the National Testing Agency (NTA) through the National Common Entrance Test (NCET). The four year ITEP will be available for all students who choose teaching as a profession after secondary, by choice. 

Manila Bulletin. Duterte signs Excellence in Teacher Education Act   Republic Act (RA) No. 11713, which Duterte signed on April 27, 2022, applies to teachers and school leaders in all public and private primary education institutions and all public and private technical education institutions (TEIs). The new law mandates the creation of Teacher Education Centers of Excellence (Teacher Education-COEs) in strategic places in every region of the country. These are public or private colleges, institutes, schools, or agencies that may exist by themselves or within a university or college, that are engaged in providing academic training…

The Guardian. UK faces childcare crisis as staff shortages force nurseries to close   “We used to have a lot of applicants when we advertised but nowadays we can’t attract the staff and those with the right qualifications aren’t coming through”

UNITED STATES
Chalkeat.
1) In Chicago, a new push to steer more young men of color into teaching   University of Illinois Chicago started a program for would-be male Black and Latino teachers named Call Me MISTER, which offers scholarships, mentoring and help with finding a job. In Chicago, the Thrive pilot has built on a district program called Teach Chicago Tomorrow, which supports high school students interested in education jobs more broadly. That program is among efforts the district credits for helping it increase the portion of Black and Latino new teacher hires from about 30% in 2019 to 45% last year.
2) Without state leadership, Michigan’s patchwork tutoring programs struggle to address learning loss   At least a dozen states and many large city districts have created large-scale tutoring efforts … Tennessee is spending $200 million to hire and train tutors and provide matching grants to districts. New Mexico plans to spend $62 million to train tutors and support districts in developing programs. Louisiana used COVID funds to create an extensive series of educator trainings and technical guidance on tutoring.

Education Trust. Addressing Teacher Shortages in the Short- & Long-Term   Below are some short- and long-term actions that state and district leaders can take to address these shortages and support the most underserved students and teachers to prevent deeper, persistent inequities.

Education Week.
1) The Pool of Future Teachers Is Dwindling. Can It Be Refilled?   Almost half of district leaders and principals labeled their staff shortages as “severe” or “very severe” in a fall 2021 survey by the EdWeek Research Center. AACTE data also revealed that, over the past 50 years, the number of education degrees awarded plunged from 200,000 annually in the 1970s to fewer than 90,000 in 2019. 
2) Why These Aspiring Teachers Are Eager to Enter a Beleaguered Profession   Education Week spoke to four students at NC State University’s college of education about why they’re choosing teaching, despite all the challenges and stressors. They say they are well-aware that job satisfaction among teachers has plummeted over the years, and that low teacher salaries are discouraging—but they’re still excited to pursue their dream job.

KBTX. Could a new certification exam help Texas’ teacher shortage?   The people who want to move to the edTPA exam argue that the PPR exam is too easy to pass. While the edTPA exam may be more difficult to pass, proponents believe it could actually be the answer to the teacher shortage in Texas. Lopez explained that with the edTPA exam you “can kind of analyze what a teacher is good at, what they might be lacking in some aspects, so that way down the line, they don’t feel overwhelmed and leave the profession.”

Los Angeles Times. USC education school omitted key data for U.S. News & World Report rankings, report says    The report describes a practice that lasted for many years under Dean Karen Symms Gallagher, who oversaw the Rossier School from 2000 to 2020, and continued under Dean Pedro Noguera, who started in 2020. Both deans signed off on the misreporting, though Noguera in late 2021 alerted the school’s provost to a possible problem.

NEA News. Meet Kurt Russell, the 2022 National Teacher of the Year: The Ohio history teacher aims to bring attention and awareness to the importance of a diverse teaching force and an inclusive curriculum that empowers every student.   Russell was born and raised in Oberlin and attended the same school where he now teaches. He was inspired to become a teacher by Larry Thomas, the first Black teacher he ever had. It was a revelation, he recalled, to actually see a teacher who looked like him. Thomas regularly attended student events, always dressed well, and was respected in school and in the community—a model Russell has successfully emulated throughout his career.

Next Pittsburg. Pittsburgh-area student teachers help close pandemic learning gaps   “[PALS] doesn’t only provide help with learning loss with children, it’s also helping to support our preservice teachers to get the hours they need to become a certified teacher,” said Tanya Baronti, apprenticeship coaching coordinator in the education and liberal studies department at Carlow University. Baronti said the state eased its requirement on hours of service for student teachers during the pandemic to allow them to graduate. 

NPR. The education culture war is raging. But for most parents, it’s background noise   …when you zoom in closer, parents seem to like their own kids’ school, and they like their kids’ teachers even more… 88% of respondents agree “my child’s teacher(s) have done the best they could, given the circumstances around the pandemic.” And 82% agree “my child’s school has handled the pandemic well.”

Santa Fe New Mexican.
1) New Mexico governor announces expansion of free child care   Noble and Freeman were most excited about a seemingly smaller investment they believe will make the biggest difference: a stipend for people pursuing degrees in early childhood education at public colleges and universities in New Mexico. That program will take effect May 5. The stipends will provide $2,000 a semester and replace an existing scholarship program run through the Early Childhood Education and Care Department.
2) Public Education Department to eliminate exam requirements for teachers in training   Officials with the state Public Education Department announced Friday they are planning to overhaul the teacher licensing system, scrapping a requirement for the long and costly tests and offering instead a portfolio-based option for teachers in training to demonstrate competence… Currently, the state uses a series of exams through a company called Praxis. 

Texas Tribune. Texas moves one step closer to adopting a new, more rigorous teacher certification exam .   The 11-member State Board for Educator Certification, which oversees the preparation, certification and standards of conduct of public school educators, adopted the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment, also known as the edTPA exam, in a 8-to-1 vote… The State Board of Education must still approve the test before it’s officially adopted for new Texas teachers. The board is expected to consider the matter in June.

The74. Bipartisan Bills in Michigan Would Help Provide Dyslexia Screenings For Kids & Teacher Training    Senate Bill 381, introduced by Sen. Lana Theis (R-Brighton), would mandate teacher preparation institutions to include instruction on the characteristics of dyslexia, the consequences of dyslexia, evidence-based interventions and accommodations for students with dyslexia… Senate Bill 382, introduced by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), would mandate that new teacher’s certificates only be granted to those who have received instruction on the characteristics of dyslexia, secondary consequences of dyslexia, effective interventions, accommodations for those with dyslexia…

Washington Post. A brief lesson on Roe v. Wade

NEW YORK STATE
New York State Education Dept.
1) Gale OneFile: Educator’s Reference Complete is a fantastic resource for educators and education students.
2) State Education Department Announces Fifth Class of My Brother’s Keeper Fellows   More than $18.45 million in Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) grants have been awarded to 23 colleges and universities since 2016. The TOC II statewide enrollment as of August 2021 was 647, with TOC II institutions reporting 624 graduates of the program. Eligible applicants are New York State public and independent degree-granting colleges and universities with a teacher preparation (undergraduate or graduate) program approved by NYSED.

NEW YORK CITY
Gothamist. Mayor Adams proposes $7.4 million plan for public schools to address dyslexia   Families and advocacy groups welcomed the news, but say that the city needs to commit to training all teachers across the system on strong, proven literacy strategies that benefit students with dyslexia and other reading challenges, such as training more teachers in evidence-based interventions. 

NYPost. NYC DOE falls short of preparing students with reading skills: advocates   Typically, schools stop prioritizing reading after the early elementary grades, even though many students don’t master the subject before third grade, according to the report. Advocates for Children also found a lack of consistency in reading instruction and teacher trainings across neighborhoods, schools and classrooms.

Teaching Residents at Teachers College. Induction and Beyond. May 2022 Educator Resources.  Special Announcements; Educator Grant Opportunities; Induction Highlights; more…

GLOBAL
Concordia University of Edmonton. CUE welcomes Dr. Brent Bradford as Dean of Education.  The office of the Vice-President Academic & Provost is pleased to announce that Dr. Brent Bradford has been named as the new Dean of Education. He will assume this new role on June 1, 2022.

Humana People to People India (HPPI). Necessary Teacher Training (NeTT) Programme in Ranchi, Jharkhand   HPPI’s Necessary Teacher Training (NeTT) Program aims to develop self-motivated teachers who can adopt a children-centric pedagogy in the classrooms. The program is aligned with the vision presented in the National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) 2009 and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The Independent. Seychelles hunts for Ugandan teachers to revamp its education sector   The government of Seychelles is currently looking for teachers from Uganda as part of its bid to revamp the sector and remove instructors who do not possess the approved teaching qualifications. The sought after teachers in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English, and design technology must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from a recognized institution or university, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and a working experience of at least three years.

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) Deadline Extended for Nominations to AACTE Board and Advisory Committees   AACTE is extending the nomination deadline to serve on the AACTE Board of Directors or a programmatic advisory committee to May 15.
2) Perspectives of Faculty, Teacher Candidates, and Teachers on EPP Entrance Exams   The AACTE Consortium for Research-Based and Equitable Assessments (CREA) is examining how cut scores are being set for these assessments and its impact on aspiring teachers and the teacher-of-color pipeline… Four key themes emerged from the focus groups: Test Preparation; Cost of Test; Relevance of Test; Stress of Testing

Brooklyn Public Library. Books Unbanned. Brooklyn Public Library is adding our voice to those fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions. Inspired by the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement, BPL’s Books Unbanned initiative is a response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves.

Chalkbeat.
1) Colorado refugee women earn early childhood degrees, bring special skills to the classroom   The Village Institute aims to serve refugee families from a holistic approach, providing housing, language resources, childcare, job readiness, and mental health services, all under one roof. That includes a pipeline where refugee women, including Gasimba and Harriet Kwitegetse, can go through education and certification courses to help advance their careers. In this case, the training put Gasimba and Kwitegetse directly back into serving other refugee families by leading a preschool class. 
2) What people say when they hear I’m becoming a teacher: I’m an education major. Here’s what draws me to a profession many are leaving.   In my IUPUI classes, I’ve learned about educational inequities, past and present; the importance of choosing books with diverse authors and stories; and the benefits of building strong relationships with students and their families. These lessons reinforced my decision to earn a college degree and helped me understand what it means to be an educator in the 21st century.

Education Week.
1) 3 Counterintuitive Findings About Motivation That Teachers Can Use   At the annual American Educational Research Association conference here, global and national motivation experts from education, business, and other fields discussed what instructional approaches and student characteristics make the biggest difference in academic drive.
2) Nation’s Top Teachers Bask in White House Spotlight   Jill Biden, who teaches English at a community college in Virginia, urged people to go into teaching to make a difference. “We need more teachers,” she said, emphasizing each word. “I can’t promise that it will be an easy job—right? But I can promise that it will fill your life with meaning and purpose and joy.”

Hechinger Report.
1) ‘More than a warm body’: Schools try long-term solutions to substitute teacher shortage   … Central Falls School District in Rhode Island…  launched a teaching fellowship program to provide yearlong contracts to about 30 aspiring teachers who are placed in its six schools. They can earn a higher daily rate than traditional substitutes, or put the extra amount toward health benefits. The district also provides individual coaching for the fellows and pays them a stipend to attend after-school training… Seattle Public Schools has also tried to use substitute teaching as a way to both fill immediate needs and train future teachers… teachers-in-training take night and weekend classes at local colleges or universities to study for their certification and a guaranteed teaching placement in the city’s schools. In the meantime, they serve as substitutes…
2) The child care worker shortage is reaching crisis proportions nationally. Could Milwaukee provide the answer?   To spark interest in early childhood careers among a younger generation, the dual enrollment initiative was created as a partnership between local high schools, MATC, the state Department of Workforce Development and Next Door, a Milwaukee-based early childhood provider and nonprofit… Nationwide, apprenticeship models have become a popular route for early educators, especially as a way to get more people through training and into classrooms while earning an income.
3) What do classroom conversations about race, identity and history really look like?: Young people and educators in Alabama, Texas, Washington and Virginia talk about how they are navigating issues ensnared in the culture wars   By the time she becomes a teacher, Gloria Zelaya hopes, the furor over teaching history will have died down… Zelaya is scheduled to graduate from George Wythe in June. She’s planning to study early childhood education at a local community college with the goal of returning to the Richmond public school system. “If this is going on right now, what happens in four years when I’m a teacher?” said Zelaya of the crackdown on teaching “divisive” topics. “Will I not be able to teach what I was taught? It hits on different levels.”

JD Supra. Latest Developments from the Connecticut General Assembly: The Education Committee Has Spoken    Here is a summary of these bills (which now await action by the full General Assembly)… PRESERVICE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS: H.B. No. 5286 (“An Act Concerning The Development Of A New Preservice Performance Assessment For Teacher Preparation Programs”) would cease the state-wide implementation of the preservice performance assessment “edTPA” on July 1, 2024 and instead create a new state-wide preservice performance assessment for teacher preparation programs offered in our state’s institutions of higher education. 

NCTQ. In gratitude – A final message from Kate Walsh   At the end of this week, I will be stepping down as NCTQ President… Without discounting the work NCTQ has done with states’ teacher policies, much of it forged by my former colleague Sandi Jacobs, I believe our work on teacher preparation will ultimately serve as NCTQ’s greatest contribution. 

New York Times. A College Fights ‘Leftist Academics’ by Expanding Into Charter Schools: Hillsdale College is building a national charter school network. Tennessee invited the college to start 50 of them, using public funds.   …in a speech last year to Hillsdale supporters in Tennessee, Dr. Arnn outlined his vision for expansion — including plans for a new master’s program to train teachers in classical education, a home-school division, online students and education centers.

Texas Tribune.
1) Amid a teacher shortage, some Texas educators are losing their licenses for quitting during the school year: The policy sidelines educators, often for two school years, at a time when districts are already struggling to keep teachers in the classrooms.   Teachers who opt to leave in the middle of a school year can be reported to the state, and the State Board for Educator Certification can either suspend or revoke a teacher’s certification. In most cases, teachers receive a one-year suspension of their certification.
2) Facing a teacher shortage, Texas considers a more rigorous teacher certification exam: Two states have dropped the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment, and three others passed on it or want it gone.   On Friday, the 11-member State Board for Educator Certification will vote on whether to adopt the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment, also known as the edTPA exam… If approved, the move would mean ditching the old Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities exam, a test of 100 multiple choice questions that has been in use since 2002.

Washington Post. Pandemic erased a decade of progress for public pre-K programs, report finds   …only five states — Alabama, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi and Rhode Island — had programs that met all 10 benchmarks for minimum quality standards to support preschool quality, including college-educated teachers with specialized early childhood training, small classes that support individualization… Florida requires little more than a high school diploma for teachers.

WWBT.  Virginia schools look to fill over a thousand teacher vacancies   Schools are filling these open positions by hiring individuals who carry provisional licenses, according to Hoffman. The licenses allow individuals to start teaching without completing teacher preparation programs, according to Hoffman. They must obtain full licensure requirements before the provisional license expires. However, these individuals have significant attrition rates, according to Hoffman. “Recruiting pools of people and making it easier for them to enter doesn’t actually solve the crisis,” Hoffman said. “I equate it to filling a leaky bucket.”

NEW YORK STATE
New York Attorney General. Attorney General James Secures Student Debt Relief for Thousands of New Yorkers  New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured student debt relief for thousands of New York borrowers whose federal loans were allegedly mismanaged by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)… PHEAA is required to audit thousands of accounts to identify errors that may have caused borrowers to miss out on benefits, such as income-driven repayment (IDR) plans or debt forgiveness for eligible borrowers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. 

NYSED Office of Higher Education. Educator Preparation Newsletter April 2022.
*Board Of Regents April Items: Residency Programs and Certificate; Teacher Performance Assessment; General Education Core in Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirement
* Distance Education Flexibility
* Supporting Effective Educator Development (Seed) Program Award Application

NYS Register: Open Public Comments accepted until May 2, 2022.
Submit comments to:  Dr. William P. Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department, Office of Higher Education, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 975 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518)473-3781, email: [email protected]
* Changes to Content Core Requirement in Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Certification for Candidates Who Are Seeking an Additional Science Certificate
* Establishment of a NEW Literacy (All Grades) Certificate 

NEW YORK CITY
Teachers College. TC Provost Stephanie J. Rowley to Become Dean of University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development Rowley also reinforced the College’s commitment to teacher education with the appointment of a new Vice Dean for Teacher Education, Celia Oyler, and by cultivating strong partnerships with local and state schools.

UNITED STATES
Chalkbeat. Why the star of ‘Abbott Elementary’ surprised this Philadelphia teacher   What do you say to people thinking about becoming a teacher? Do it. We need you. Especially our teachers of color. Especially our Black teachers of color, because our young boys need them so much. Even if you feel like you’re not the best speaker or don’t know everything — it’s okay. Just showing up shows that you care. 

LPI. Teacher Salaries: A Key Factor in Recruitment and Retention   Recent teacher surveys highlight that in addition to the stresses of COVID-19—such as longer working hours, concerns about contracting the virus, and juggling child care responsibilities—teacher salaries also contribute to shortages. This should come as no surprise, since U.S. teachers generally earn only about 80% of what other college-educated workers earn on a weekly basis. 

NYTimes.
1) In Several States, Teachers Get Their Biggest Raise in Decades: Budget surpluses have enabled states to pass bills giving teachers a bigger paycheck, but not everyone is certain that will help improve schooling.   “There are various things a state can do to attract more people to the profession, and keep people in who are already there,” Thomas Bailey, an economist and the president of Teachers College at Columbia University, said. “Those changes are long overdue.”
2) Marion Joseph, Citizen Warrior on Reading Instruction, Dies at 95: Arguing for phonics as a learning tool and getting results, she exerted influence on educational policy in California and beyond.   Ms. Joseph had no formal training in education but immersed herself in the methodology of teaching literacy after she was invited to an open house in 1989 at the elementary school attended by her grandson, Isaac.

Philadelphia Enquirer. ‘The strongest talent is already in our schools’: Paraprofessionals get help making the leap to teacher   The Camden Education Fund has enrolled 15 paraprofessionals in the Camden school district in an accelerated program to obtain their teaching credentials.

NEW YORK STATE
Chalkbeat.
1) Newark will recruit retired teachers as staff shortages persist   The district, which is short more than 100 teachers, also applied to participate in another state program meant to ease the school-staffing crunch, according to the announcement. The new program, created by a state law passed last year, allows approved districts to hire would-be teachers who failed to meet one of the requirements for certification, such as a minimum grade point average in college or a passing score on a required test.
2) New York officials vote to scrap edTPA teacher certification exam   Prospective teachers in New York state will no longer have to take the controversial edTPA, a national assessment that some have criticized as being a barrier to diversifying and growing the teacher workforce. New York’s Board of Regents, the state’s education policymaking body, voted unanimously Tuesday to remove the multi-part exam as a requirement for earning a teaching certificate. The change goes into effect April 27.

Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU). Statement from Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities President, Lola W. Brabham, on FY 2023 Enacted State Budget

NYSED Board of Regents April meeting agenda
2022-2023 Enacted Budget Update
Higher Education
*Proposed Amendments
Relating to Establishing Registration Requirements for Residency Programs and Revising Residency Certificate Requirements
Supplementary Presentation: Proposed Residency Program Registration Requirements and Residency Certificate Changes
*Consent Agenda
Relating to the General Education Core in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirement for Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Teacher Certification
Relating to the Requirements for the Reissuance of an Initial Certificate
Relating to the Teacher Performance Assessment Requirement for Certification and Establishing a Teacher Performance Assessment Requirement for Registered Teacher Preparation Programs

NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives.
* edTPA Certification Requirement
* Elimination of the General Core in Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirement for Certification 
* Revised Definition of a Year of Experience   “…a minimum of 180 days in a 12-month period of full-time satisfactory experience, or its equivalent, in an educational setting acceptable to the Department.

NYS Register. Proposed Establishment of a NEW Literacy (All Grades) Certificate  The proposal was posted in the March 2 NYS Register. See pp. 11-13. The memo describing the proposal to the Regents is here. The proposed new certification would phase out the two existing literacy certificates and would allow literacy teachers to teach the full range of grade levels and give school districts more flexibility in placing teachers in the grade levels with the highest staffing needs. Submit comments to:  William P. Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department, Office of Higher Education, 89 Washington Avenue, Room 975 EBA, Albany, NY 12234, (518)473-3781, email: [email protected]. Public comment is open until May 2, 2022.  

University at Buffalo. U.S. Department of Education highlights UB’s Teacher Residency Program as model for nation   Launched in 2019, the UB Teacher Residency Program enables individuals interested in a career in education to earn New York State initial teacher certification through a paid residency. The one-year program combines coursework with experience educating alongside a mentor teacher for an entire school year in Buffalo Public Schools.

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. Here are education highlights from New York’s state budget   NYC schools get $56 million less than proposed.  Unlike previous years, it was clear from the governor’s proposal in January that school districts would receive an influx of cash following commitments last year to boost Foundation Aid, which gives districts the most flexibility, including the ability to hire more teachers or create new programs.

Columbia News. President Bollinger to Step Down in 2023   During his two-decade-long tenure, Columbia has flourished as a center of academic excellence that is redefining what it means to be a great research university in the 21st century… Board of Trustees co-chairs Lisa Carnoy and Jonathan Lavine shared their thoughts on Bollinger’s legacy: “… But at heart he is an educator, and every new building project, academic initiative, and fundraising campaign that he undertook was in service of creating a world-class environment for learning and teaching.”

New York Post. Gov. Hochul promises to extend Mayor Adams’ control of NYC schools

Teachers College Transition Announcement about Erica N. Walker.  … Professor Erica Walker has been named Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, effective January 2023… As Clifford Brewster Upton Professor of Mathematical Education, Director of the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Urban & Minority Education (IUME) since 2018, and immediate past Chair of the Department of Mathematics, Science & Technology (MST), Professor Walker has infused TC with an unbridled passion for collaborative, impactful research and equity in education.

GLOBAL
India.com. Teachers Who Did Not Pass TET Not Entitled To Continue in Service, Rules Madras High Court   The Madras High Court on Thursday said that teachers who did not pass the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) cannot continue in service.

The Guardian.  Education union criticises ‘badly flawed’ evidence behind academy drive: National Education Union found ‘no compelling reason’ for all schools in England to join academy trusts    The Department for Education (DfE) roundly rejected the NEU’s criticisms. “We want all schools to be part of a strong academy trust so they can benefit from the trust’s support in everything from teacher training, curriculum, financial planning and inclusivity towards children with additional needs, to excellent behaviour and attendance cultures.”

University of Toronto. ‘Preparing students to tackle world crises’: Here are the 2022 OISE Teaching Excellence Award winners   Award for Excellence in Initial Teacher Education Winner: Andrew B. Campbell, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

UNITED STATES
AERA Division K. Fireside Chat. Mentoring Within and Across Differences: Mentors Supporting Mentees and Future Graduate Student Mentors “Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz Is an Award-Winning Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her Research Focuses on Racial Literacy in Teacher Education…”  [San Diego, April 23, 2:30pm]

Chalkbeat.
1) Colorado needs preschool teachers. Will these incentives work?   …hundreds of students across Colorado taking advantage of a new state program that pays for two introductory early childhood courses — a stepping stone to teaching in the field. The initiative, funded with $4 million in federal COVID aid, is part of a state effort to mint more early childhood teachers before the state’s universal preschool launch in 2023, and help the industry recover from staff shortages exacerbated by the pandemic.
2) How a Grammy-nominated Chicago teacher is using music to help students heal   I was supposed to major in physics, but one month before I went off to college, I realized that I had spent my later years of high school entering people’s lives with my own piano improvisations. The music — created out of my pain and trauma — built connection and allowed healing to happen. I thought: Wouldn’t it be neat to become a teacher and teach students to heal those around them by also connecting with sound?… Here I am, 13 years in, teaching music and choir in Chicago.

EdSurge.  Our Nation’s Teachers Are Hustling to Survive: Nearly 1 in 5 American public school teachers work a second job outside of the classroom.   Americans like to think that the surest path to success runs through university campuses. That upward mobility begins in higher education and breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty requires an entrance fee of a college degree. Many people, including aspiring teachers, internalize this and make steep sacrifices to attend college. Sometimes, that looks like a 19-year-old taking out hefty student loans and choosing a career path with a poor return-on-investment.

InsideHigherEd. Tenure Awarded at University of San Francisco: Cheryl Jones-Walker, teacher education

Learning Policy Institute. Testimony to U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee by Linda Darling-Hammond on Social and Emotional Learning and Whole Child Approaches in K–12 Education   Embedding SEL in comprehensive approaches to teacher preparation is important because it enables them to understand students well, develop productive relationships and curriculum in their classrooms, and feel competent and confident so they communicate a sense of efficacy to their students. In addition, teachers and principals who are better prepared feel more efficacious, experience less stress in their jobs, and are more likely to stay in the profession, providing students with the stability they need.

NEA News. Missing: Future Teachers in Colleges of Education In a sign that the teacher shortage may worsen, a new study shows the declining numbers of college students in fields of education.   A lot of it, frankly, has to do with money. “The fact is teachers aren’t paid adequately—and everybody knows it and everybody talks about it,” says Cameo Kendrick, chair of the NEA Aspiring Educators.

San Francisco Chronicle. California math wars get ugly: Accusations of racism and harassment ignite battle between Stanford and Cal profs   The very public feud has its roots in what has become a bitter battle over how to teach math to K-12 students in California, and specifically whether to offer Algebra 1 in middle schools… That debate boiled over Tuesday after a math teacher at San Francisco’s Lowell High School who opposes Boaler’s approach posted on Twitter a contract that seemed to show the professor made $5,000 an hour to train teachers in the Oxnard school district.

Washington Post.
1) Biden extends federal student loan payment pause through Aug. 31  The moratorium was continued for a sixth time in the past two years
2) What the student loan payment pause has meant to Black women   Student loans have shaped much of Elliott-O’Connor’s adult life. They gave her a chance at an education that her family could not afford. They kept her working as an educator with the promise of public service debt forgiveness when she was ready to strike out on her own. 

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED
1) Board of Regents April meeting agenda [Monday 4/11 Tuesday, 4/12]
Higher Education
*Proposed Amendments
Proposed… Relating to Establishing Registration Requirements for Residency Programs and Revising Residency Certificate Requirements
Supplementary Presentation: Proposed Residency Program Registration Requirements and Residency Certificate Changes
*Consent Agenda
Proposed Amendment…Relating to the General Education Core in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirement for Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Teacher Certification
Proposed Amendment Relating to the Requirements for the Reissuance of an Initial Certificate
Proposed Amendment… Relating to the Teacher Performance Assessment Requirement for Certification and Establishing a Teacher Performance Assessment Requirement for Registered Teacher Preparation Programs
2) News and Notes. …the Board of Regents unanimously re-elected Dr. Lester W. Young, Jr. and Josephine Victoria Finn to the posts of Chancellor and Vice Chancellor, respectively… Regents Susan W. Mittler and Ruth B. Turner were re-elected to the Board of Regents. We also welcomed Regent Shino Tanikawa of Manhattan, who was elected to the Board of Regents by the New York State Legislature.
3) NYSED, NYSUT Applaud 51 Teachers Who Achieved ‘Gold Standard’ National Board Certification.  Four of the 51 hold MA degrees from Teachers College: Molly Goodell Secondary Inclusive Education 2014, Yesenia Moreno Bilingual/Bicultural Education 2013, Vincent Pham TESOL (&TR@TC) 2017; Jessica VanScoy Education Policy 2018. TC Doctoral Student Jose Vilson, NBPTS Board of Directors, provided closing remarks.

Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching (PSPB). Meeting Minutes Thursday, February 17, 2022

NEW YORK CITY
Columbia News. The Evolution of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education at Teachers College   According to national and state metrics, there exists a severe shortage of teachers of D/HH students, and our program’s graduates are in high demand. Our student teachers and graduates partner with culturally and linguistically diverse families to help them achieve their goals for their D/HH children, including learning to speak and/or sign the language(s) of the home.

Dance Magazine. Jody Gottfried Arnhold Has Devoted Her Career–And Philanthropy–to Bringing Dance to Everyone   “I came to New York after college to dance, and I needed a job, which led me to being a classroom teacher… I have a goal: dance for every child. And that means dance education in every public school. I started by creating the Dance Education Laboratory and that led to working with the Department of Education to educate teachers, and then there weren’t enough teachers, so Hunter College started the Masters of Dance Education. And then we needed the leadership, so the Teachers College doctoral program. I don’t know what will be next.”

Gothamist. Lawmakers postpone decision on mayoral control of NYC schools   Legislators said they have decided to separate mayoral control of the city’s public school’s from the budgetary process, and will take up the issue before the legislative session ends in June. That leaves some uncertainty around a policy that has been in place for two decades.

K-12 Dive. NYC Board of Ed to pay teachers hundreds of millions in damages for biased licensing exam   The state-mandated exam, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test, was required for all public school teachers in the city from 1993 to 2014… Teachers who failed were still allowed in the classroom, but the BOE paid them reduced salaries and denied them benefits, plaintiffs said. Now, the agreement filed on March 14 requires the BOE to stop appealing judgments awarding approximately $660 million in damages to former Black and Latino teachers…

NYDailyNews. Teacher diversity, compensation top list of education priorities for NYC adults: survey   The most popular policy proposal among adults for improving city schools was to “increase hiring and salaries of diverse teachers and staff.” Similarly, when asked what could be done to address school segregation and “ensure one’s background does not determine their learning outcomes,” people chose “teacher diversity” second most-frequently — right after equitably distributing resources.

Teaching Residents at Teachers College (TR@TC).  Induction and Beyond, April 2022: Educator Resources *Special Announcements *Grant Opportunities *Induction Highlights *Raising Consciousness *Curriculum Planning Tools *More…