Categories
Teacher Education

Week of May 22 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
New York Times. On the Front Line of an Education Revolution   Quality of education remains a huge problem worldwide. The World Bank estimates that 70 percent of 10-year-olds in poor and middle-income countries can’t read a simple text. In Nigeria, three-quarters of children age 7 to 14 can’t read a simple sentence. Sierra Leone is trying to break out of that trap with investments in more and better teachers who earn more…

onmanorama. DU’s 3 colleges to opt for centre’s 4-year integrated teacher education programme   Three colleges of Delhi University will adopt the centre’s four-year integrated teacher education programme from 2023-24, a senior varsity official informed on Tuesday.

The Conversation
. Working with kids, being passionate about a subject, making a difference: what makes people switch careers to teaching?   Mid-career or “career change” students are increasingly common in teacher education programs. The most recent Australian data shows as of 2017, one-third of new applicants were 25 or older. We also know there are plenty of people interested. A 2022 survey by the federal government’s Behavioural Economics Team found one in three mid-career individuals was open to the idea of teaching.

Washington Post. Pegasus spyware reaches into Mexican president’s inner circle   When López Obrador became president in 2018, he tasked Encinas with investigating one of Mexico’s most notorious scandals: the disappearance of 43 young men studying at a teachers college in Ayotzinapa in 2014. In a report last August, Encinas blamed the police, the armed forces and civilian officials, as well as drug traffickers, for the disappearances and what he called a subsequent coverup.

UNITED STATES
ABC News. Why there’s a special education and STEM teacher shortage and what can be done   Experts interviewed for this story suggested pipeline programs could be the key to preparing teachers to enter the field in the years to come.

Chalkbeat. Detroit charter school to offer $100,000 teacher salaries   A Detroit charter school is offering $100,000 annual salaries to certain teachers with five or more years of experience, in a bold bid to increase the number of certified teachers at the school.

EdWeek. Ron DeSantis Is Running for President. What Will That Mean for K-12 Schools?   Trump, who did not focus much on education in his 2016 or 2020 campaigns, has made education a central part of his 2024 run… The former president went on to propose a platform that would cut funding for schools “pushing critical race theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto our children,” prevent transgender girls from playing girls’ sports, create a credentialing body to certify teachers “who embrace patriotic views,”… 

Ford County Chronicle. Bennett Passes Teacher Shortage Legislation through General Assembly   Both chambers of the Illinois General have now given their approval to a plan filed by Senator Bennett to reform teacher licensing requirements and provide some relief from the statewide teacher shortage… Senate Bill 1488, filed by Bennett, waives the edTPA requirement for prospective teachers through August 31, 2025. The legislation also creates the Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force, which will be tasked with studying various teacher evaluation systems and developing a new system to be implemented for Illinois teachers. 

InsideHigherEd. AFT Report Details Impact of Blocking Student Loan Forgiveness   The report says the student loans of more than 260,000 public servants would be reinstated under the Congressional Review Act resolution. Another two million workers would lose progress toward debt relief under Public Service Loan Forgiveness. House Republicans have said the resolution is not retroactive and wouldn’t reinstate payments or roll back credits toward relief in the PSLF program.

KTHV-TV Little Rock. UA Little Rock receives $3.5 million grant for teacher education   The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $3.5 million grant from the Windgate Foundation to help support the transformation of teacher education.

LPI. Educating Teachers in California: What Matters for Teacher Preparedness?   Summary of Findings *The pool of recently prepared graduates from California TPPs has increased in size and racial/ethnic diversity. *Teacher residencies, which provide a full academic year of subsidized clinical training while candidates complete credential coursework, now prepare about 10% of new teachers. *Completers who participated in residencies were the most likely to rate their programs as highly effective, closely followed by those who participated in student teaching. *Most multiple subject completers and education specialists (i.e., special education teachers) reported having substantial preparation for teaching reading, writing, and math, and this type of learning was associated with increased feelings of preparedness. *Teacher candidates have unequal access to highly rated preparation and clinical experiences, with Black and Native American completers as well as education specialists having less access than their peers…

NEA News. ‘Lose Your School, You Lose Your Town’: Educators in Rural States Mobilize Against School Vouchers   The political terrain has since shifted quite dramatically, says Samuel E. Abrams, director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. “Vouchers so far have had little impact in rural areas of the country,” he explains. “But there’s no question about their new momentum—and the impact on rural schools and their communities could be grim. As the mayor of Woodbine, Iowa, told me several years ago, ‘If you lose your school, you lose your town.’”  

NebraskaTV. Educators applaud end of teacher test, may have kept good teachers out of the classroom   …Gov. Jim Pillen has repealed a requirement that teachers take a professional exam known as the Praxis Core.

New York Times.
1) 10 Ideas for Reflecting at the End of the School Year  Inspired by Times articles and features from across sections, these exercises can help both students and teachers think about their growth.
2) The Surprising Obstacle to Overhauling How Children Learn to Read: New York is the latest large city to join a national push to change how children are taught to read. But principals and teachers may resist uprooting old practices.   Many colleges of education still teach flawed strategies like encouraging children to guess words using picture cues. And teachers often worry over the quality of training in the new approaches that outside organizations offer.

Washington Post.
1) House votes to overturn Biden’s student loan forgiveness program   The conservative nonprofit Mackinac Center for Public Policy also sued, saying the payment moratorium amounts to government overreach and undermines the power of the congressionally approved Public Service Loan Forgiveness as a recruiting tool.
2) On the latest obsession with phonics   As researchers and teacher educators, we, like many of our colleagues, shake our heads in resigned frustration. We believe phonics plays an important role in teaching children to read. But, we see no justifiable support for its overwhelming dominance within the current narrative, nor reason to regard phonics as a panacea for improving reading achievement… Most of all, we are concerned that ill-advised legislation will unnecessarily constrain teachers’ options for effective reading instruction.
3) Students need help catching up after covid. Are interventionists the solution?   Chicago Public Schools has turned to academic interventionists — a cadre of hundreds of mostly classroom teachers already on the district’s payroll, tapped this year to turbocharge the learning of struggling students one-on-one or in small groups… They have expanded after-school programs, started an in-house tutor corps, and poured millions in teacher training…

NEW YORK STATE
University at Albany. Virginia Goatley Named Dean of UAlbany’s School of Education   Goatley is a regular participant in national and statewide efforts for teacher education and preparation of literacy professionals. She is currently a board member of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (treasurer), New York State Professional Standards and Practices for Teaching Board (co-chair), New York Association of College Teacher Educators, and the Literacy Research Association. She was a co-editor of the Journal of Literacy Research, a publication of the Literacy Research Association, from 2016 to 2019.

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. NYC drafts plan to shrink class sizes, but changes won’t start next school year    They estimate it will cost $1.3 billion a year for new teachers when the plan is fully implemented… There might be exemptions for schools where they have insufficient numbers of teachers in subjects that are hard to fill, like bilingual math; the teachers union can negotiate higher class sizes for electives and specialty classes if the majority of a school’s staff approves the increase. 

EdWeek. New York City Does About-Face on ChatGPT in Schools   Teachers at the school also used the tool for lesson planning. The district now plans to offer teachers support in helping their students explore ChatGPT and other AI tools, Banks wrote.

Teachers CollegeTeacher Preparation for Comprehensive Literacy Instruction  Faculty from eight teacher education programs explore how the tools from educational psychology, special education, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, discourse analysis, culturally sustaining pedagogies, and responsive instruction inform our preparation of teachers and school leaders. [Wednesday, June 7 · 10am -3pm · EDT Milbank Chapel 525 W 120th Street Zankel Building 125 New York, NY 10027]

Categories
Teacher Education

Weeks of May 8 & 15 in Teacher Ed News

UNITED STATES
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
1) Journal of Teacher Education Welcomes New Editor-in-Residence   A. Lin Goodwin (葛文林) is the Thomas More Brennan Chair of Education at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Prior to joining Boston College, she was dean of the faculty (i.e., School) of Education at the University of Hong Kong (2017-2022) and vice dean at Teachers College, Columbia University (TCCU) in New York (2011-2017), where she also held the Evenden Foundation Chair in Education.  
2) EDUCATORS for America Act is Re-Introduced in Congress   Last week, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and U.S. Representative Alma Adams (D-NC) re-introduced the EDUCATORS for America Act. This legislation is essential for retaining, growing, and diversifying our educator workforce and pipeline.

American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE). AAEE 2022-2023 Supply and Demand Report  * Urban and rural districts are more likely than suburban districts to hire teachers without traditional preparation * The primary reason for districts to hire teachers without traditional preparation is the lack of traditional candidates who apply…

Chalkbeat. High-dosage tutoring is still hard. Here’s what schools have learned.    Even with training, tutors didn’t always use the tried-and-true strategies for helping students.

CT Mirror. CT to combat teacher shortage with $3M for recruitment, support   The state’s education and labor departments unveiled a plan to create a new teacher Registered Apprentice Program, and expand existing efforts in recruitment, including investing in paraeducator job fairs and expanding high schools’ “grow-your-own” programs which work to mold current students into future teachers.

EdSource. Proposed state budget could make becoming a teacher easier   California’s proposed state budget revision could make a dent in the state’s ongoing teacher shortage by reducing obstacles to earning teaching credentials, such as making it easier for members of the military and their spouses to earn teaching credentials, requiring that teacher residents are paid and preparing more bilingual teachers.

Education Week.
1) Student-Teachers Could Earn $20K in This State   Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday signed into law a measure that would provide $20,000 stipends to student teachers and take other steps to stem Maryland’s educator shortage and diversify its teacher pipeline. And advocates say the measure could be a model to other states struggling with the same challenges.
2) What’s Motivating These Teachers to Become Educators [Video] Education Week asked teachers and student teachers about why they decided to become educators.

Hechinger Report.
1) As science denial grows, science museums fight back by teaching scientific literacy  …programs like the one at AMNH are training teachers to help students navigate complicated scientific topics in their classrooms… Each year, the Manhattan-based museum trains roughly 4,000 teachers on subjects like the human body, evolution and climate change in a variety of professional development programs. The museum also offers a master of arts in Teaching Earth Sciences Residency…
2) Alabama doesn’t want early childhood teachers talking about bias. Researchers say they need to  “Basically, we need to make sure that we’re arming teachers to understand their own implicit and explicit biases that they’re bringing into the classroom,” said Terri Sabol, a professor at Northwestern…
3) Grandparents, neighbors and friends are propping up the child care industry. They need helpNationwide, aid for family and friend caregivers is rare. In 23 states, there are no known statewide supports for relatives and friends who provide child care. Many of these providers don’t view themselves as educators, but rather as caregivers who are simply helping their families. Few attend educational workshops or get help from a home visitor or coach.
4) Opinion: Palestinian American educators deserve support from their peers.  Although emotionally taxing, these instances of discrimination do not surprise the Palestinian American teachers in my network, because many of them know what it is like to grow up marginalized in American schools. It is what inspired them to pursue a career in education.

InsideHigherEd.
1) Federal Student Aid Funding Woes Complicate Resuming Student Loan Payments   The spokesman noted that restarting payments is an “an unprecedented and herculean task” and that the department has several efforts underway to accomplish that task. That includes the one-time debt-relief plan, offering borrowers in default a way out, a new income-driven repayment program and discharging the loans of borrowers who qualify through public service…
2) Injunction Sought to Force Restart of Student Loan Payments   The organization wrote that the pause undermines the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which discharges debt for borrowers who work in public service jobs for 10 years.
3) Public Service Loan Forgiveness Totals $42 Billion   “FSA is making the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program as easy as possible so all public servants can finally get the loan forgiveness they have earned,” Federal Student Aid chief operating officer Richard Cordray said in a news release.

New Jersey Monitor. N.J. lawmakers look for more solutions to teacher shortage   New Jersey lawmakers remain on the hunt for new solutions to the state’s longstanding teacher shortage, with Assembly Democrats introducing a package of 12 bills intended to recruit people to work in education… Some laws relaxing certification requirements have gone into effect, like doing away with the controversial edTPA testing requirement and a pilot program to allow teachers who don’t meet certain criteria to apply for certification.

Pearson Education. edTPA® Community Newsletter May 2023
The 74.
1) New Report: How Districts Can Protect Fair Access to Dual Language Programs   Local, state and federal policymakers should increase public investments in growing these programs. Above all, this means committing resources to train and license more of the bilingual teachers necessary to expand dual language instruction. 
2) Report: Training of Ohio Teachers in the ‘Science of Reading’ Earns Mixed Grades   In an evaluation of 26 public and private Ohio teacher training programs by the National Council on Teacher Quality released today, seven received A grades for instructing new educators in how to use the science of reading with young students, while six received Fs… The report graded each teacher training program in the science of reading instruction by reviewing course descriptions and syllabi to see what classes cover. They did not observe classes.

UNC Charlotte. Transformational Gift for Teacher Literacy Education   …$23 million from the North Carolina-based Mebane Foundation… Over the next five years, the transformative investment will allow the Cato College of Education to greatly expand its early literacy teacher development, community engagement and research. 

Washington Post.
1) For preschoolers after the pandemic, more states say: Learn outdoors   In northeast Baltimore, officials with Backyard Basecamp, which focuses on expanding access to nature among communities of color… is working on training naturalists of color who can become teachers to “reflect the people we are serving,” said Tatiana Mason, program director at Backyard Basecamp.
2) New look at benefits of quality preschool education   High-quality preschool programs provide much more than just the ABCs and counting. They support the development of the whole child — cognitive, social, emotional and physical. The programs we found to be effective had better-prepared, better-paid teachers and smaller classes than is typical. The strongest evidence is for programs in public schools with the best-educated, best-paid teachers. 
3) New York City requires reading instruction to be phonics-based   Under the new system, districts will choose one of three curriculums to use in all of their schools. The choices are Wit & Wisdom (which is not phonics-based and would be paired with a phonics program), Expeditionary Learning and Into Reading. The change will be implemented in about half the city this fall and the second half in 2024. Teacher trainings were beginning this week.
4) To fight teacher shortages, states send people to college for free: Apprenticeships are helping to expand and diversify the ranks of educators   …popularity of the apprenticeship programs suggests there is an untapped talent pool: people who have the desire and the heart — but not the financial means — to become a teacher. What schools have found is that many of the people who fall in to that category are already working for them in roles that do not require bachelor’s degrees…

NEW YORK STATE
AMNY. Here’s what the new proposed history and social studies curriculum on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander could look likeKong said that the coalition is especially proud of its advocacy efforts that ensured the bill language included Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, as well as a curriculum that teaches the history of solidarity between AANHPIs and other communities of color… Tapal said that the current curriculum teaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history is “missing a comprehensive discussion on cross-racial solidarity communities of color — especially between African American and Asian Americans. 

NYS Assembly.
1) Bill A04659 introduced. Requires the commissioner of education to establish and enforce rules and regulations to incorporate at least a three credit course devoted to the instructional techniques necessary for effective literacy instruction which shall include delivering structured, systematic, explicit, evidence-based instruction in reading, including but not limited to those incorporating multisensory instruction for current and prospective teachers.
2) Bill A07101 introduced. Establishes the “New York individuals with dyslexia education act”; implements a plan to identify and support students with characteristics of dyslexia; requires annual screening in grades K-5; directs intervention and notification; direct education department to develop a handbook providing guidance to parents and teachers… h. The dyslexia interventionist shall have successfully completed a certification training course or shall have completed training in the appropriate implementation of the evidence-based, dyslexia-specific intervention being provided, including but not limited to an Orton-Gillingham based approach or another multi-sensory  structured  literacy  approach  accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC).

NYSED Board of Regents. May 14-15 Meetings
Higher Education Committee Proposed Amendments
Proposed Amendment… Relating to Extending a Flexibility for Incidental Teaching   At its December 2020 meeting, the Board of Regents permanently adopted regulatory amendments to increase the amount of incidental teaching permitted in schools from up to five classroom hours a week to up to 10 classroom hours a week during the 2020-2021 school year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.. The Department now proposes to extend the flexibility for incidental teaching again through the 2023-2024 school year.
Proposed Amendment… Relating to the Employment of Substitute Teachers   Thus, substitute teachers who do not hold a valid teaching certificate and are not working towards certification, but who hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, may be employed by a school district or BOCES beyond the 40-day limit during a school year under the conditions outlined above. By no longer having an end date, school districts and BOCES may continue to address persistent teacher shortages and plan for their staffing needs for the upcoming school year with certainty.

Higher Education Consent Agenda
Amendment… of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to the Student Teaching Requirements for Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and Through the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Certification   The unit of measurement for length of the student teaching experience would be 70 school days, or its equivalent, instead of a full semester of at least 14 weeks, full-time… With the limited exemption, candidates complete at least 50 clock hours of student teaching or practica (unless otherwise prescribed in the specific program requirements) that includes a focus on the applicable program-specific pedagogical core requirements for the certificate title. VOTED: That sections 52.21 and 80-3.7 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective May 31, 2023.
Amendment… of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Educator Certification for Candidates from Another State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia   The Department proposes to revise the certificate requirement in the endorsement pathway for teacher, educational leader, and Initial and Professional School Counselor certification such that certificates from another U.S. state or territory or the District of Columbia may be “comparable” instead of “equivalent” to the New York State certificate title and type sought… The proposed amendment also removes the time period during which candidates must complete their three years of experience for the endorsement pathway… VOTED: That sections 80-3.10, 80-5.8, 80-5.20, and 80-5.23 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective May 31, 2023.

NYSED News. State Finalists Selected for 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching 2023. PAEMST New York State Mathematics Finalists (7-12) incl. Dr. Elizabeth Brennan DeGraaf (Teachers College, Phd 2015)

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat.
1) Better pay and more hours: NYC Council leaders push for changes to 3-K, pre-K programsFour years ago, the city agreed to boost salaries for teachers at community organizations with a certified masters degree, to $69,000 a year by October 2021, matching the salary of a first-year teacher at the education department.
2) NYC forces elementary schools to use one of three reading programs in massive literacy push   But a new curriculum alone is unlikely to dramatically improve student learning. Much of the plan will hinge on how effective the city’s training is and whether educators buy in to the changes. Meanwhile, curriculum shifts often take years to execute, and there is little time to train thousands of teachers who will be expected to transition to new materials beginning in September.
3) NYC schools grasp for support as some migrant students miss out on mandated English instruction   …some teachers say their schools don’t have enough funding to hire more staff who are equipped to work with newcomer English learners. Some schools have the money, but have struggled to find teachers due to a long-standing shortage of bilingual teachers. 

CityLimits. At New York’s Other Selective Public Schools: Auditions for 9th Grade  While current figures are not available, a 2014 report by the city comptroller found more than 42 percent of all city public schools without any certified arts teachers were in the South Bronx or Central Brooklyn.

Columbia University Engineering Outreach. Summer Program for NYC STEM Teachers: 2023 NSF COSMOS-NewLAW-CS3 Research Experience and Mentoring for Teachers   …an intense summer program for teachers who learn the basics of wireless technology and how to enhance the teaching material for their students using the predesigned online lessons/labs… For 2023, the program will take place from July 10 to July 28. The teachers will be paid $4,000 for their time during the summer and for implementing their lessons during the school year.

Teachers College.
1) Graduates Gallery 2023.
* Hanyue Sha (M.A. ’23, Bilingual/Bicultural Education)   Sha hopes to help expand resources to support vocabulary growth, reading comprehension and overall literacy for more bilingual children, perhaps in German, another language she speaks.
* 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.
2) Reimagine Resilience Workshop FREE 6 hours CEUs/CTLEs. 2 hours of pre-course work, 3 hours live [Thurs, May 18th 5pm -8pm EST OR Saturday, May 20th 1pm-4pm EST]
3) Teacher Preparation for Comprehensive Literacy Instruction  Faculty from eight teacher education programs explore how the tools from educational psychology, special education, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, discourse analysis, culturally sustaining pedagogies, and responsive instruction inform our preparation of teachers and school leaders. [Wednesday, June 7 · 10am EDT Milbank Chapel 525 W 120th Street Zankel Building 125 New York, NY 10027]

The74. NYC Charter School Raises Teacher Starting Salary to $140,000   Compared to wealthy suburban New York districts where six figure salaries are more common TEP’s salary nearly doubles starting pay for teachers with master’s degrees… New teachers with master’s in Westchester County’s Scarsdale district earn $71,306. On Long Island, Syosset Central Schools pay new teachers with master’s $78,002. 

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of April 24 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
Education Week. Book Bans and Divisive Concepts Laws Will Hold U.S. Students Back, Secretary Cardona Says   Cardona joined education ministers and teachers’ union leaders from 22 countries here at the International Summit on the Teaching Profession... The U.S. delegation, including the Education Department staff and representatives from the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the Council of Chief State School Officers, identified four actions to take over the next year:…strengthening support for educators and improve teacher preparation and leadership to grow and retain the workforce; and modernizing education so all students have access to high-quality career pathways, and teachers…

The Tribune. Amritsar: Talk organised on teacher education   The GNDU organised a special seminar on the subject 75 years of India’s independence and teacher education as part of the series of programmes of Pradhya Ka Amrit Mahautsav… Teachers are the builders of our nation and the education imparted by teachers has to decide the future of the country… 

UNESCO. 2023 SDG 4 scorecard report on progress towards national SDG 4 benchmarks   Three in four countries have submitted benchmarks, or national targets, to be achieved by 2025 and 2030 for at least some of seven SDG 4 indicators: early childhood education attendance; out-of-school rates; completion rates; gender gaps in completion rates; minimum proficiency rates in reading and mathematics; trained teachers; and public education expenditure…

UNITED STATES
AACTE. The Science of Reading: Recommendations on the Preparation of Teachers to Deliver Effective Reading Instruction   … the authors define the science of reading, discuss effective reading instruction and teacher preparation, share voices from the field, and provide recommendations for Educator Preparation Programs as well as resources. [Webinar: Wednesday, May 17  3:00pm]

Chalkbeat. Tennessee school employees could skip implicit-bias training under bill headed to governor’s desk   In Tennessee, it has been up to local school districts, charter schools, and public universities to determine whether to offer or require implicit-bias training for their employees.

CivXNow. The Civics Secures Democracy (CSD) Act [H.R.1814] [S.4384] creates grants for states and districts to support and expand access to U.S. history and civics to meet the needs of today’s students and our constitutional democracy.   The bill: … *Supports the Prince Hall Fellowship Program to strengthen our history and civics teaching corps and diversify the educator pipeline

ed post. Recruiting, Revitalizing, and Retaining Teachers of Color (podcast) …discuss major reasons educators of color don’t feel supported and what drives them to leave the profession. The conversation touches on policy and how we can hold legislators accountable when it comes to increasing the number of teachers of color. 

Education Week.
1) Early Literacy Laws: Some Seem to Work Better Than OthersIn the past two years alone, 18 states passed new laws requiring schools to use evidence-based instructional approaches and materials, provide new training for teachers, or offer interventions for struggling students.
2) ETS Looks to Overhaul Praxis Exam as Teacher Shortages Continue   Assessment giant ETS is considering major changes to its widely-used teacher licensing exam, a shift the organization contends could play a part in addressing nationwide teacher shortages. The Praxis — which has 160 different versions — is the dominant test used in most states for teacher candidates seeking to earn their credentials.
3) How Much Do Teachers Get Paid? See New State-by-State Data … NEA President Becky Pringle in a statement “A career in education must not be a lifetime sentence of financial worry. Who will choose to teach under those circumstances?” [highest avg salaries 1. MA 2. NY 3. CA 4. DC]
4) The Lies America Tells Itself About Black Education: ‘A Nation at Risk’ created a faux crisis to usher in the right’s education agenda [by TC Prof. B. Love]  The same playbook is in use today. Banning critical race theory and certain books and curricula about Black and queer people are responses to a new politically inspired hoax—the hoax that educators are creating hatred and division by acknowledging the wrongs of racism and endorsing the full humanity of queer people.
5) Two-Thirds of Teachers Say Schools Are Falling Short for Struggling Learners   Just 30 percent of teachers agreed that they received effective training to implement their materials.

Hechinger Report.
1) Florida just expanded school vouchers — again. What does that really mean?   There are no teacher certification or school accreditation requirements for private schools, no publicly available school test scores or school climate surveys. Of roughly 2,300 private schools accepting vouchers, 69 percent are unaccredited, 58 percent are religious and 30 percent are for-profit. Only 3 percent of voucher-accepting private schools are accredited…
2) Inside the latest reading study that’s getting a lot of buzz: Reading debates shift from phonics to what kids need to know   It’s nearly impossible to test different instructional approaches in real classrooms. Teachers can teach only one curriculum at a time – often after years of training and practice to implement it correctly – and so it’s not practical to randomly assign some children to learn a different way in the same school…
3) What happens when teachers run the school  “Some of my friends at other schools, they’re handed a curriculum and are told, teach this,” she said one day last year during a break between classes. But learning how to teach two subjects, along with participating in so many high-level decisions at the school, is very taxing. “I think this work is more fulfilling in the end,” she said. 

National Education Policy Center (NEPC). Nancy Bailey’s Education Website: What Does ChatGPT Say About the Science of Reading? It May Surprise You   …while there is a growing body of evidence-based research on how reading should be taught, the “science of reading” is not settled science in the sense that there is a single, universally accepted approach to teaching reading… Moreover, the needs of individual students can also differ, and effective reading instruction should be tailored to meet the needs of individual learners.

NEA News. Washington Launches Union-led Teacher Residency Program   The Washington Education Association has launched an innovative teacher residency program that allows individuals with bachelor’s degrees to earn a teacher certificate with an endorsement in special education.

Star Tribune. St. Cloud State to phase out 6 majors, cut 23 faculty positions amid looming $18 million deficit   The plan also focuses on honing in on four niche education areas: holistic health and wellness, education, leadership, and engineering and applied science.

Texas Tribune. Texas lawmakers hope an investment in teacher training will help keep new educators in the classroom longer   House Bill 11, authored by Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, would allocate funds to help school districts pay for more teacher residencies, programs that place would-be teachers in classrooms with mentors for about a year, teaching them how to do the job before hiring as full-time educators the following year.

The 74. Surprise! Rising Enrollment Numbers Show Young People Want to Be Teachers   Traditional teacher preparation programs are still the largest training ground for new educators, and they’re now serving 3% more candidates than they were at the depths of their lows. Enrollments at alternative teacher preparation programs not affiliated with a college and university are up 22%, and enrollments at alternative programs at institutions of higher ed are up another 20% over the last three years.

U.S. Dept. of Labor. Tier 1: 2023 Emerging Industries RFP   Expanding the use of RA remains a priority for the Department, including bolstering RA training opportunities within U.S. industries and sub-sectors where RA has not been readily adopted. This RFP will target emerging RA industry sectors/occupations, such as education services that will be broadly defined and include teacher occupations (pre-K, K-12, special education, etc.), clean energy (specifically, climate mitigation), and pathways for Early Childhood Education.

Washington Post. Gaslighting Americans about public schools: The truth about ‘A Nation at Risk’   The aftereffects mean that the major question teachers and administrators must answer these days is: What’s the effect on test scores in English and mathematics?… What surprised me watching the individual members of the commission absorb this argument is that not a single public school educator in the group objected as the report with their names on it trashed their profession and cast educators as among the great economic villains of the United States. 

WishTV. Black Teacher Residency program aims to diversify Indiana educator pool   EducateME is partnering with Marian University to target the growing teacher shortage be diversifying the pipeline by offering full ride scholarships to those selected for the Black Teacher Residency program.

NEW YORK STATE
EdTrust. New York faces early literacy crisis: Ed Trust–NY calls out systemic barriers and calls for immediate solutions, in a new report…nearly 30 states – some with local education control systems similar to New York – are increasingly focusing on the science of reading, a proven, evidence-based approach to reading instruction, through curriculum and teacher preparation programs, as a solution to improve student reading outcomes. New York’s state leaders have yet to urgently address this issue… Teacher preparation programs are a major obstacle to improved reading outcomes with most new teachers not being trained in the science of reading …

NYSED Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE). Teacher, Educational Leader, or Pupil Personnel Services Program Registration and Accreditation   All programs leading to certification for Teacher, Educational Leader, or Pupil Personnel Services in New York State must be reviewed and registered by the Office of College and University Evaluation before they are publicized or recruit or enroll candidates… * Teacher Performance Assessment Submission * New Teacher Certification Program Leading to Initial or Initial and Professional Certification * New Teacher Certification Program Leading to Professional or Transitional Certification * New Teacher Certification Residency Program 

NYSED Office of Higher Education. Educator Preparation Newsletter April 2023
1) Board of Regents April Items * School Counselor * Initial Reissuance, Provisional Renewal, and Time Extension
2) Teacher Residency Program Request for Applications
3) Clinically Rich Intensive Teacher Institute in Bilingual Education and English to Speakers Of Other Languages (CR-ITI-BE/ESOL) Request For Proposals
4) Reminders For Teacher and School Building Leader Preparation Programs
5) Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Webinar Series Recordings and Video Viewing Guides Now Available

NYSED Prekindergarten through Grade 12 Education. 2023-2028 Clinically Rich Intensive Teacher Institute in Bilingual Education and English to Speakers of Other Languages (CR-ITI-BE/ESOL)   The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) is seeking proposals for the creation of a Clinically Rich Intensive Teacher Institute (CR-ITI) in Bilingual Education (BE) and/or English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program, addressing the shortage of certified bilingual and ESOL teachers throughout New York State (NYS).

NEW YORK CITY
American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). New Perspectives on Recruitment from the American Museum of Natural History  Recent results from a survey of potential program applicants to the residency program, including those who ultimately chose not to complete the application or enroll in the program, has provided new insight on the factors that encourage or discourage applicants to persist through the admissions process. [Webinar: Monday, May 8 · 2 – 3pm EDT]

Chalkbeat. NYC’s education budget could drop by $960M next year under mayor’s proposal   The proposed budget also includes funding for various other items, including services that advocates had been pushing for the mayor to include. Those are:…* $2 million for training up to 1,000 teachers in climate education.

Gothamist. Teaching green: NYC rolls out climate-based curriculum   The education department will also create new career training programs for the “green” economy and ramp up professional development for teachers on issues of sustainability… Teachers College at Columbia University announced it would host a cohort this summer of New York City teachers at a new institute dedicated to promoting climate education.

New York Daily News. NYC to start dedicated school for dyslexia, screening program at Rikers Island   Classes are structured and teachers are trained to work with kids who have language-based learning disabilities, including read-alouds and adaptive technology. The school offers small class sizes led by co-teachers, and backed by speech and occupational therapists, a school psychologist and a literacy coach…

Teacher College (TC).
1) Climate Education to Receive Boost with Free Summer Institute   Participants will receive a $1,000 stipend, and may earn up to 28 Continuing Teacher & Leader Education (CTLE) credits. “To prepare young people for the sustainability challenges and opportunities they’ll face in their lifetimes, teachers and school leaders need to be involved,” says Associate Professor Oren Pizmony-Levy, Director of the Center for Sustainable Futures…
2) Teachers College Ties for #1 Best Graduate School of Education in U.S. News & World Report Rankings 
3) Why TC? Current students share their inspiring reasons for joining the Teachers College community   “Through my education at TC, I hope to bring culturally relevant science education and climate change awareness back to my hometown of Harlem. I’ve had very few Black teachers throughout my early years in New York City public schools, and this is something I hope to change after I graduate.” – Tyreik Kelly (Teaching Residents at TC (TR@TC) ‘24

Categories
Teacher Education

Weeks of April 10 & 17 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Looming Jewish teacher shortage prompts new accelerated training in well-known Jerusalem program   Instead of requiring two years in Israel with monthlong student-teaching stints along the way, Pardes is offering an accelerated program that requires just one year of intense study in Jerusalem followed by a second year of teacher training in schools in North America.

New Indian Express. IIT-Bhubaneswar to offer integrated teacher training course   The four-year dual undergraduate degree offering BA BEd/BSc BEd and BCom BEd will be launched next year and IIT-Bhubaneswar is currently working out  modalities for the purpose.

UNESCO. Transforming teacher education for improved foundational learning   The Spotlight report reminded us that there are insufficient teachers with even the basic training on the continent: on average, there are 56 primary school pupils for every trained teacher in sub-Saharan Africa… Having a basic training qualification may not be enough. Teaching at lower grades is as complex as teaching at higher grades, if not more so. Yet, preparation to teach in early grades is largely absent from initial teacher education programmes. 

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) Illinois State Receives $800,000 IBHE Grant to Support Teacher Education   Illinois State University was awarded a grant of more than $800,000 by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to support the ongoing education of early childhood teachers. The funds are part of the $3.37 million awarded in IBHE Early Childhood Faculty Preparation Grants. 
2) IUP Receives $1.19 Million to Address Need for STEM High School Teachers   The goal of the program is to recruit, prepare, and support 20 undergraduate STEM majors who opt to pursue teacher certification as part of their undergraduate degree, rather than just a science or math content degree, Travis said. Qualified students in the program can apply for funding to help them complete programs preparing them for STEM education careers.
3) NCTR’s BEI Releases Education Policy Report to Better Support Black Educators   The National Center for Teacher Residencies’ (NCTR) Black Educators Initiative (BEI) recently released a report… “Doing Better for Black Educators: Six Policy Recommendations for Improving the Recruitment and Preparation of Black Educators,” provides six policy recommendations and action steps that are meant to help teacher preparation programs…

AL.com. Alabama added 32 new teachers after temporary change to Praxis score   In July, the state board voted to accept lower Praxis scores in exchange for higher GPAs and passage of the EdTPA… If a teacher scores within one standard error measure of the cut score, they can get their certificate if they have at least a 2.75 GPA in their subject area and pass the edTPA.

California State University, San Bernardino. Project Impact | Minority Male Teacher Pipeline Program   Project Impact aims to significantly increase diversity in the teacher pool through intentional outreach and recruitment toward the K-12 teaching profession in the Inland Empire and beyond. With a special focus on underrepresented minorities and African American males, the College of Education will recruit scholars into Project Impact and prepare these student teachers… 

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). 2023 NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR, REBECKA PETERSON  Rebecka is a proud immigrant of Swedish-Iranian descent and lived in several countries… Before joining the faculty at Union High School, Rebecka taught for three years at the collegiate level. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of South Dakota.

Education Next. The Stubborn Myth of “Learning Styles”   …research shows that in 29 states, government-distributed test-preparation materials on high-stakes certification exams include the debunked theory of “learning styles,” which holds that matching instruction to students’ preferred mode of learning—seeing, listening, or physically engaging in content-aligned activities, for example—is beneficial. 

Education Week.
1) Parents, Teachers Agree: Math Matters, But Schools Must Make It Relevant   The findings support the organization’s vision for improving math instruction, Hughes said. The Gates Foundation wants to: … *Support preservice teacher education and ongoing professional development to help teachers use those materials.
2) ‘Poor for the Rest of Your Life’: Negative Messages Can Deter Prospective Teachers   …forthcoming research from the University of Maryland, which was presented at the American Educational Research Association conference here this week. The researchers analyzed the role of social messages in undergraduate prospective teachers’ intent to teach, as well as Black undergraduates’ perception of the cost and benefits of a teaching career… The researchers called for policymakers, the media, and teachers themselves to spread encouraging messages about teaching and—in the case of policymakers—combat some of the barriers in order to attract more candidates. 
3) Should Cybersecurity Be a Graduation Requirement? This State Thinks So   Now, North Dakota is requiring all students master either cybersecurity or computer science content to graduate. … the state assembly allowed for a certification in computer science or cybersecurity to be added to teachers’ licenses. That will help North Dakota tackle one of the biggest barriers to expanding computer science and cybersecurity education nationally: a dearth of trained educators in those fields.
4) When It Comes to SEL, Administrators and Teachers See Things Differently   … temporary teaching licenses has also gone up over that time… now about 20 percent of teachers have provisional licenses. That means they haven’t had the same amount of training or completed the same kind of coursework that fully licensed teachers have.

Fox News. Nevada school district implements training program that certifies certain teachers as ‘safe staff’   A school district in Nevada implemented a training program that certifies certain teachers as “safe staff member[s] to discuss matters pertaining to sensitive topics,” who upon completion of a specific training receive a placard to display in their classroom indicating they are an “ally,” according to district documents…

Hechinger Report.
1) Inside a growing federal effort to prepare students for cybersecurity careers   “We need to educate the teachers on how to educate the students … on how to secure their devices, their information.”… “As we build awareness, we can also then fuel the pipeline of talent, fuel the pipeline of teachers who are going to bring that talent to work readiness.”
2) Black male teachers were my father figures. They changed my life, and we need more of them   …we partner with nearby universities to hire qualified Black and Latino college students as substitute teachers and pair them with experienced school staff for mentoring. Once they earn their bachelor’s degrees, these substitutes can earn full teaching certificates through the state’s alternate teacher pathway and return to College Achieve. 
3) PROOF POINTS: No-limits borrowing for graduate school pushed prices up for all   … a team of economists has found evidence that subsidized loans have been a major reason why tuition has soared in one sector of higher education:  graduate school… in 2006, the Republican-controlled Congress effectively eliminated all limits on loans for graduate school with the creation of the Graduate PLUS loan program. Students could borrow as much as their graduate programs cost, including fees, books, supplies and living expenses. The idea was to help more middle- and low-income Americans afford graduate programs, ranging from master’s degrees in education and social work to professional degrees…

Illinois Newsroom. Bill calls for review of teacher licensing standards   Bennett is the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 1488, which passed unanimously out of the Senate March 30 and now awaits action in the House. It would continue the suspension of the edTPA through Aug. 31, 2025. It would also establish a task force to evaluate teacher performance assessment systems and make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly by Aug. 1, 2024.

Muddy River News. Bill calls for review of teacher licensing standards in Illinois; task force would look at use of edTPA exam   Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, a cosponsor of the bill, said she has concerns that edTPA is so rigorous and intensive that it could deter some people from ever trying to become a teacher.

NEA News. Gen Z: The Most Pro-Union Generation On college campuses across the country, Aspiring Educators are increasing union membership to ensure future teachers the network and support they need now.

New York Times.
1) Kids Can’t Read’: The Revolt That Is Taking On the Education Establishment   The movement, under the banner of “the science of reading,” is targeting the education establishment: school districts, literacy gurus, publishers and colleges of education, which critics say have failed to embrace the cognitive science of how children learn to read.
2) There Are Better Ways to Study That Will Last You a Lifetime   You would think that comprehensive knowledge of how children learn would be part of teacher education, and most programs do require a course in educational psychology or child development, but the impact seems limited. Teachers in training don’t know the best study strategies, either. State lawmakers can help by reviewing teacher licensing examinations. Most require knowledge of principles of learning, but the expectations are low and many even refer to scientifically discredited ideas like so-called learning styles.

Racquet Press. “They haven’t done anything”: Student leaders speak on the UWL School of Education   I want to reiterate how much we appreciate our professors and how much we love our professors. When people say that La Crosse has a really good education program, they are referring to the professors… We love our professors; we hate the administration. The administration has been so incredibly disappointing, letting everyone down, and screwing everyone over. They are making everyone’s life so much more difficult…

The74. ‘U.S. Education Is a Challenged Space’: In Exclusive 74 Interview, Bill Gates Talks Learning Recovery, AI and His Big Bet on Math  Powered by $1.1 billion in new investments, the philanthropic giant will work with its partners to devise better curricular materials, improve teacher training and professional development…

Washington Post.
1) AI can’t teach children to learn. What’s missing?   In public school systems like the one where my children are taught and I teach, there are chronic staffing shortages. Many parents don’t have the resources — in time, money or energy — to teach their kids at home. If a bot could fill the gaps … how great, right? Yet the atomized nature of AI “teaching” as it currently exists means that students merely level up without learning. When it comes to cultivating intelligence, nothing can beat what we humans have been doing, face to face, for centuries.
2) Climate deniers ejected from teachers conference for deceptive comic book   When coalition members requested a booth at the convention, they signed a contract certifying that their materials were consistent with the association’s position statement on the teaching of climate science, NSTA executive director Erika Shugart said in an email. But then they violated the contract…
3) Florida bans teaching about gender identity in all public schools   Teachers who violate the ban could see their teaching licenses suspended or revoked, per the rule…  “This is the kind of [thing] that drives teachers from classrooms,” said Heather Hill, a professor of teacher learning and practice at Harvard.
4) Okla. church denied in bid for first publicly funded U.S. religious school   Some have also raised concerns that such a school, which explicitly plans to hire Catholic teachers, would be free to break civil rights law, including possibly discriminating against religious minorities and LGBTQ people. (Other Catholic schools in the nation can admit only Catholic families and only hire Catholic employees because they are privately funded.)

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED Board of Regents April Meetings
Higher Education
Proposed Amendment …Relating to the Initial Reissuance, Provisional Renewal, and Time Extension Requirements The Department is proposing to revise the Initial Reissuance, Provisional Renewal, and Time Extension requirements to ensure that educators have an opportunity to extend the validity period of their certificates during extenuating circumstances that may prevent them from completing the requirements for the Professional or Permanent certificate. Since the Time Extension is only an option for three years after a certificate expires, the proposed amendment removes this limited option for Initial and Provisional certificate holders, and instead, allows these certificate holders to obtain up to two reissuances/renewals with more flexible eligibility requirements. This flexibility should increase the pool of qualified educators during this time of educator shortages… 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 July 2023 meeting
Proposed Amendment… Relating to the Deadline to Apply and Qualify for the Provisional School Counselor Certificate The proposed amendment would provide appropriate flexibility for qualified candidates who completed a registered program leading to Provisional School Counselor certification, as well as candidates who may still be matriculating in this type of program but will complete it by February 2, 2024. This will ensure that these candidates can seamlessly obtain Provisional certification so that there will be a larger pool of candidates to provide school counselor services… the emergency rule will become effective April 18, 2023.

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat. Meet the principal of NYC’s first district school exclusively for students who struggle to read   Bethany Poolman… taught in District 9 in the Bronx for 10 years at a middle school [as a] special education teacher. I had a lot of students who really struggled to read who were really behind grade level. I was Wilson trained [a more structured approach to literacy instruction],.. It’s a new school, so everyone needs to apply. It has yet to be posted, so when it’s officially posted, any licensed teacher can apply.

Gothamist. Council pushes to restore arts programs at NYC public schools   Council members said the proposal aims to reverse reductions to arts programs at “many schools,” and would increase the per-student arts allocation from $80 to $100. The funding would also support arts teacher training and certification, according to the proposal.

Teachers College. Convocation 2023: Meet This Year’s Honored Speakers   Dr. Miguel Cardona, United States Secretary of Education. appointment to the Department of Education under President Biden in March 2021…informed by his background as a public school teacher and principal. Cardona will receive the TC honor and address graduates, families and guests on Wednesday, May 17 during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Mathematics, Science & Technology, and Organization & Leadership.  

 

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of Apr. 3 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
AACTE. Register Today: Educator Prep Recruitment and Support for International Students… join a panel of faculty experts and international scholars as they discuss educator prep program recruitment and support for international students on April 17.

Japan Times. Japan announces outline of ‘unprecedented’ child care policy   Tuition reduction, exemption and scholarships — which have been offered mainly to low-income households to improve their chances of entering college — will be extended to the middle class…A tuition deferment system will be introduced for students studying for their master’s starting in 2024. The government will also reform child care services…

New York Times. Indian Textbooks Purged of Material Modi’s Party Finds Objectionable   The curriculum prescribed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training is used by the government’s Central Board of Secondary Education, which has over 20,000 affiliated schools, both public and private, across India.

Stuff. Plan to abolish streaming from NZ schools by 2030 launched   Kōkirihia says teachers need leadership, professional development support and time to move into alternative ways of teaching like high expectation teaching, reciprocal teaching, and Developing Mathematical Inquiry in Communities.

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) Diversifying Teachers and Teacher Educators: A U.S. Imperative   Across higher education, 75% of professors are White and teacher educators are over 76% White, demonstrating that many teacher candidates will not have a single professor of color … as Galman, Pica-Smith, and Rosenberger note: “It’s important that teacher educators have examined their own  implicit biases before asking preservice teachers to engage with [them].”
2) In the States: Provisionally Licensed Teachers in Virginia Increase by 24% to Meet Shortage   As reported, Virginia issued a total of 8,434 provisional licenses in 2021–22 compared to an average of 6,787 in the years prior to the pandemic… Provisionally licensed teachers generally have little to no teacher training — and in some states may only have a high school diploma.

Chalkbeat.
1) Chicago staffs fewer National Board certified teachers as it pushes to grow their ranks   …a Chalkbeat analysis found the overall number of board-certified teachers has decreased steadily, even as the number of educators Chicago Public Schools employs has grown. About 1,000 of the district’s more than 22,000 educators are board-certified, down almost 30% since 2016.
2) Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to let teachers carry firearms without notifying parents The proposal would let a teacher or staff member carry a concealed handgun at school after completing 40 hours of certified training in school policing at their own expense, as well as passing a mental health evaluation and FBI background check. 

CT Mirror. Help grow a more diverse teaching workforce in CT by removing the EdTPA   Did you know that Connecticut is the only state in New England, including New York, to require college students studying to become public school teachers to take the edTPA? This unnecessary standardized test is not only a waste of money, but is a barrier to helping Connecticut develop a more diverse teaching pool. 

Early Learning Nation. Erikson Institute’s New, Fully Funded Master’s Program for Educators of Color in Chicago   Erikson Institute’s new Master of Science in Early Childhood Education (MSECE) licensure program is designed to prepare teachers to teach in underinvested communities. The program combines early education, special education and bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL)…

EdWeek.
1) How One English Teacher Made Peace With ChatGPT: The new technology should spur us to find a role for teachers that can’t be automatedThe ultimate question is, do the parents living in the district want the teachers to be people who can influence their children’s lives? Or will they prefer teachers that read from a script and teach to a test? AI can replace one of those jobs but certainly not both.
2) The Evolution of Terms Describing English Learners: An ELL Glossary   … these students have faced challenges in accessing quality education, whether due to funding limitations; state policies falling behind on best practices; or a lack of specialized instructors and insufficient training among general classroom teachers.

InsideHigherEd. ‘Matchmaking’ Community Colleges and Head Start: A new partnership aims to bring Head Start programs to community college campuses in hopes of better serving students with children.   These partnerships could also help Head Start staff their centers, which have a shortage of early childhood educators… If Head Start centers are located on campuses, students studying early childhood education can work there and potentially continue after they graduate.

NEA News.
1) Educators Work to Preserve Native Languages   … it’s a struggle for districts to find special ed teachers, never mind teachers fluent in endangered languages… In Hawaii, state officials are offering $8,000 annual salary bumps to certified Hawaiian language teachers. 
2) ‘There were three events that led me to be a teacher’: Amanda O’Sullivan is an Elementary School Teacher in Eagle Point, Oregon   I became a kindergarten assistant in 2014 and was in that position for seven years. I recently earned my teaching degree while working full time and am now teaching kindergarten to second grade at our district virtual school.

Northeastern State Univ. (OK) Grant To Fund Creation Of Teacher Centers At NSU, Help Expand Workforce   A federal grant will allow Northeastern State University to increase the number of comprehensively prepared teachers from diverse backgrounds. NSU was awarded a four-year grant totaling a little more than $1.5 million through the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program.

New York Times.
1) Lesson Plan: What Does the Indictment of Donald Trump Mean for the Country?
2) Margot Stern Strom, Anti-Bigotry Educator, Dies at 81: She started an organization whose curriculums challenge teenagers to understand the roots of the Holocaust, racism, apartheid and other human injustices.   As Facing History grew, it provided training to teachers in workshops and seminars and online. The organization says that an estimated 150,000 teachers around the world regularly use its curriculum, as a discrete course or as elements in other courses. 
3) Ways to Read, Write, Teach and Learn Poetry with The New York Times   Here are 30 ideas for helping your students appreciate poetry — and experiment with it themselves.

Oregon Public Broadcasting. More Oregon state lawmakers are finally paying attention to child care issues. Will it matter?   House Bill 3029 would create a “child care incentive fund” that could be used to help child care workers pay off student loans or to pay for their own child care while they are studying to become a provider. And House Bill 2504 would make it easier for people who have been trained internationally to care for children work in the United States.

ScrippsNews. HBCUs leading efforts in bringing more Black teachers to the classroom   In America, reflecting the nation’s diversity often falls short when it comes to teachers, but Historically Black Colleges and Universities are working to change that… HBCUs, like Morgan State, are at the forefront of increasing the number of Black teachers in America’s schools.

Shelby Star. (NC) GWU sees success with online teaching degrees   College of Education launched the Teacher Assistant (TA) to Teacher Program in response to meeting the critical teacher shortage in North Carolina… advantage of Gardner-Webb’s program was instruction on edTPA…“The professors start from day one and give us the knowledge and skills we need to achieve this goal of passing edTPA,”

The 74.
1) California High Schools are Adding Hundreds of Ethnic Studies Classes. Are Teachers Prepared?   In the absence of an ethnic studies credential, California’s universities have developed a range of programs preparing students for teaching the subject. Some offer classes on ethnic studies teaching methods and curriculum development, while others place students in ethnic studies classrooms …
2) The Mis-Education of Black Students: Teaching the Truth in a Time of Oppression   … too many teacher preparation programs and their faculties have proven time and time again to be woefully short of truly culturally responsive to Black and brown communities. The heights of tenured teachers’ college posts are too far removed from the lived experiences of Black and brown students.

WBAY (WI). State-required teaching exam sparks debate amid national teacher shortage   …the ‘FORT’ or the Foundations of Reading Test, has become the center of discussion for many educators and students in the field. The test was designed initially for those seeking reading specialist licenses, but became the industry standard in 2014 for all elementary teachers trying to earn their license.

Word In Black
. Classroom Restrictions Ask Black, LGBTQ+ Teachers to ‘Erase’ Identities: Across the country, 17 states now have restrictions on discussing gender and race in the classroom. It’s jeopardizing the teacher pipeline.   …could impede the diverse teacher pipeline El-Mekki and his collaborators have been working toward, and it could also impede the overall teacher pipeline. People join the teaching profession to help students connect the dots between why we’re here and how we move forward…

NEW YORK STATE
InsideHigherEd. Scaling Up: Syracuse Expands Learning Simulations   Syracuse’s initial simulations were for educator preparation—teacher education, school leader education, school counseling, etc.—but have expanded to creative arts therapy and, most recently, business and marketing students.

NYS Dept. of Labor. Teacher Residency Program (TRP) Request for Applications (RFA)  …to partially or fully fund master’s degrees for teacher residents who are enrolled in a residency program registered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED). 

NYS Education Department. 2023 My Brother’s Keeper Symposium  Teaching in a Burning Schoolhouse and The Archeology of Self: The Urgency of Now with TC Profs. Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz and Dr. Sonya Douglass [May 19 Empire State Plaza, Albany]

NEW YORK CITY
Bank Street College of Education. Amy Stuart Wells Named Dean of the Graduate School of Education   Her current work is focused on supporting teachers, schools, and school systems in integrating anti-racist policies and practices into their approach to education. Over the last eight years, Wells has worked closely with colleagues at Teachers College to grow the Reimagining Education Summer Institute into a leading initiative that includes an advanced certificate program…

Chalkbeat. Student protests, teacher concerns follow proposed restructure at Brooklyn charter school network   “predominantly Black and Brown staff members“… have borne the brunt of disciplining students rather than teachers, who are overwhelmingly white, the network said. Tresha Ward, CEO of the charter network, said that the structural shift will improve hiring practices, creating a stronger pipeline and retention of teachers of color.

Teachers College Office of Teacher Education. SENIOR CERTIFICATION MANAGER. Job Summary: Reporting to the Director of the Office of Teacher Education and working collaboratively with the Associate Director, Certification Compliance, the Senior Certification Manager will be responsible for supporting the Teachers College teacher education program Faculty and Students with New York State Education Department (NYSED) teacher certification… 

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of March 27 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Recruitment & Support for International Students [Open to all AACTE Members via Zoom, 2pm ET, Apr. 27]

Association f0r Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE). Meet the organizing committee of the ATEE Annual Conference 2023 [27-30 August, Budapest]

Teachers College. TC’s Gita Steiner-Khamsi Will Serve as First UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education Policy   “In most countries, graduate schools of education exclusively focus on teacher education and on the preparation of school administrators… I’m eager to move graduate schools in the direction of offering a comprehensive program related to education”.

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) In the States: Florida Slated to Sign into Law Largest School Voucher Program in the Country  Additional provisions in the legislation laxed regulations in school districts and making it even easier for teacher candidates in the state of Florida to secure a 5 year temporary certifications.
2) Urge Your Members of Congress to Support Legislation to Boost Teacher Salaries   To help remedy this, Rep. Federica Wilson (FL-24) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) recently introduced legislation (H.R.882/S.766) to address this challenge and attract more individuals to the profession. Among other things, the legislation would increase federal investments in public schools and in supporting the teaching profession…

Chalkbeat.
1) I teach future teachers. They don’t need the edTPA. I’ve watched the assessment exhaust and exclude student teachersThe edTPA doesn’t assess anything a good teacher education program doesn’t, and there are systems in place to assess the teacher education programs themselves. What the edTPA does do is distract from the work of teaching and increase stress, debt, and inequality, making it harder for lower-income student teachers to be licensed and disincentivizing their work in lower-income schools. 
2) My students and I talk about gun violence. This week, I was out of wordsBack-to-back shootings, one a block from my Illinois house and another at a Tennessee elementary school, have me wondering how to support future teachers.

EdWeek.
1) How to Make the Science of Reading Work for Teachers: One state took a different path with good initial results   Many are wrestling with new literacy legislation that responds to stagnant national reading scores and teachers’ reports that they did not adequately learn to teach children to read in their teacher-preparation programs.
2) It Could Get a Whole Lot Easier to Teach in a Different State: Teachers who move states now face new license hurdles   A new effort, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, is seeking to cut some of the red tape. The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact would create full reciprocity among participating states—meaning that as long as a teacher has a bachelor’s degree, completed a state-approved program for teacher licensure, and has a full teaching license, they can receive an equivalent license from another state.
3) Laws That Limit Teaching About Race and Gender Imperil Music Instruction   The laws, some of which are murky, can have a chilling effect on teachers, said Karen Salvador, an associate professor and chair of music education at Michigan State University and the author of the report.
4) Principals Head to Congress to Make a Case for More Support   * Loan Forgiveness Act for Educators, which would include early-childhood educators and directors among those who qualify for loan forgiveness… * Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals Act, which would expand principal and teacher-residency programs…
5) Why Some Teachers’ Unions Oppose ‘Science of Reading’ Legislation   Many of these bills propose a wholesale restructuring of how reading is taught, mandating new training for teachers, prescribing lists of curriculum materials, and banning teaching methods… Indiana lawmakers are mulling over several pieces of legislation that would change how students are taught to read, and how teachers are trained. For example, House Bill 1590, which has passed the House, focuses on teacher preparation and licensure..

Ford County Chronicle. Illinois State Senator Tom Bennett: Bennett Advances Legislation to Remove Roadblock for Aspiring Teachers    Senate Bill 1488, filed by Bennett, would waive the edTPA requirement through August 31, 2025. The legislation would also create the Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force, which would be tasked with developing a new evaluation system for teaching students. The task force would be required to present its findings no later than August 1, 2024.The legislation passed the Senate Education Committee on March 22nd.

Hechinger Report. The culture wars are driving teachers from the classroom. Two campaigns are trying to help    A new legal defense fund and a One Million Teachers of Color campaign seek to support and recruit teachers, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds

Hiram College
. Hiram College Unveils First Graduate Certificate Program In Trauma Informed Education   “Hiram College is excited to offer a program that supports the challenging work of teachers and education-related professionals as they interact with children and adolescents dealing with trauma,” said Roxanne Sorrick, Ed.D., professor of education… Courses are offered online in an asynchronous and 8-week format…

Illinois General Assembly. Bill Status of SB1488  Synopsis: In provisions concerning educator testing, removes the provision that requires the teacher performance assessment to be approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. Provides instead that each teacher preparation program in this State may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness that aligns to current State teaching standards. Effective July 1, 2023.

InsideHigherEd.
1) Draft FAFSA Released   The draft is the first glimpse of what the new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid will look like when it launches later this year.
2) U.S., Other Countries Issue Statement Supporting Academic Freedom   “Regrettably, attacks on academic freedom are on the rise,” the statement says. “These include: repression, intimidation and harassment of researchers and teachers in connection with their research and public statements; dissolution of research institutions and the establishment of restrictive legal or financial frameworks.”

The Hill. ‘Abbott Elementary’ goes all-in against charter schools  “They don’t even require all their teachers be certified,” one Abbott educator laments of their rival in an episode that aired earlier this month.

Time. Why Abbott Elementary’s Charter Schools Arc Hit Home for Teachers   The episode, he says, is accurate in the way it represents “the lack of certification or expertise that those students will be getting in a lot of these networks, and the ways that charter schools that are these big networks will funnel resources into marketing to create this perception that they’re better, they’re newer, they’re shinier. 

Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison. UW–Madison’s innovative Teacher Pledge, aimed at supporting future educators and offering solutions to teacher shortage, extended   … pays the equivalent of in-state tuition and fees, testing, and licensing costs for students enrolled in one of the School’s teacher preparation programs… $5 million gift from Susan and James Patterson is allowing the School to extend the Teacher Pledge program and make it available through the 2026-27 academic year.

NEW YORK STATE
NYS Education Department. Office of Higher Education March Educator Preparation Newsletter
1) Board Of Regents March Items *School Counselor *School Building Leader.
2) Literacy (All Grades) And Students with Disabilties (All Grades) Program Registration Applications
3) School Counselor Content Specialty Test Requirement
4) Computer Science Certificate Application Available
5) Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) and Registration Requirement Presentations
6) Internship Certificate Requirements

StateJobsNY. NYSED Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy.  The incumbent will play a key role in … charter school management, teacher and school leader preparation requirements and certification, special education, state assessments, the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, BOCES support and operations, in-service professional development, institutional accreditation, Smart School Bond Act, Early Childhood Education…

NEW YORK CITY
Bank Street College. Recruitment Workshop: A conversation with teacher preparation programs implementing creative recruitment strategies in their contexts. [Online May 8 2-3:30pm EDT]

Chalkbeat. NYC to mandate reading curriculum for elementary schools and high school algebra, sources say   New York City education officials plan to take a stronger hand in what curriculums educators can use in their classrooms, a move that could represent a major shift in how the nation’s largest school system approaches teaching and learning…also launching a standardized algebra program in many high schools. The plans have not been announced publicly…

Teachers College.
1) Reimagine Resilience Workshop  Educators play a vital role in preventing hate and violence by youth. How can classroom practices cultivate deeper relationships and make students feel supported while creating a sense of belonging to their school? [FREE: Earn 6 CTLEs or 0.6 CEUs, Apr 11, 15 & 20 4-7pm]
2) TCTakeAction Teacher Salary Increase Legislation: The American Teacher Act   -Fund an awareness campaign: about the importance of teachers and the value of the teaching profession; to encourage secondary school and college students to consider teaching as a professional career; and to diversify the pool of individuals who enter the teaching profession.

 

 

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of March 20 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education (NCSPE). Panel Discussion of Chinese Edition of “Education & the Commercial Mindset”   While policymakers in the United States and Sweden turned to the market, their counterparts in Finland persisted with government action in the form of investment in better teacher preparation and pay as well as curricular enrichment.

The Conversation [AUS]. A new review into how teachers are educated should acknowledge they learn throughout their careers (not just at the start)   Given there is a worldwide shortage of teachers, now is not the time to suggest a punitive response to matters of quality in initial teacher education, or to provide a multi-tier funding structure. Rather, we need more understanding of the funding and resources required to support preservice teachers to be the best they can be before they enter the classroom.

The Guardian. Student teachers should spend more time on practical skills, less time on philosophy of education, panel recommends   An expert panel has outlined plans to radically reform degrees to improve teaching courses and address workforce shortages in Australia

Washington Post. In Afghanistan, women and girls are being erased   …the secret schools are opening again, with girls coming to learn from women who may never have been teachers before, but who now quite literally risk their lives to beat the darkness back… This is what we left home to protect. A girl with the right to read, and to learn, and to have the freedom to grow into an educated woman who will teach other girls.

UNITED STATES
AACTE. Can We Have It All: Speed and Scale of Alternative Programs with the Quality of University-based Teacher Preparation?  The Understanding the Landscape of Alternative Preparation session at ACTE 2023 brought together several leaders in the space of university-based alternative programs… The panelists spoke of dismantling antiquated systems in their teacher preparation programs and creating systems that more closely align to the values and beliefs of their institutions. 

AAQEP. March Update.

Chalkbeat. Tutoring isn’t reaching most students. Here’s how to vastly expand itOne natural talent pool is the country’s estimated 600,000 aspiring teachers. Before they begin student teaching, educators-in-training often spend extensive time observing K-12 classrooms. But some teacher training programs have started using that time for tutoring, which lets aspiring teachers gain experience while assisting students.

CNN. More Black men are needed in the classroom, diversity advocates say   Sharif El-Mekki, founder and chief executive officer of the Center for Black Educator Development, says in order to create a pipeline of Black male teachers, recruitment and clinical experience must start at an earlier age… also says many Black male students are not being encouraged by their school leaders to pursue teaching. So when education groups try to recruit them after college, many aren’t interested in the field.

EdSurge. One Idea to Keep Teachers From Quitting — End the Teacher Time Crunch   After somewhat predictable sections about low teacher pay and the need for better teacher-training pathways, the report includes a section on a topic so mundane it’s almost startling: “Demonstrate Respect and Value for Teacher Time.”… Even if schools have high-quality curricula that can take some lesson-planning off teachers’ shoulders, they can’t use it if they don’t have time or aren’t trained on how to use it.

EdWeek.
1) How to Make the Science of Reading Work for Teachers   States are making important moves to improve the way reading is taught in their schools, but the choices leaders face aren’t easy. Many are wrestling with new literacy legislation that responds to stagnant national reading scores and teachers’ reports that they did not adequately learn to teach children to read in their teacher-preparation programs.
2) Stop Trying to Recruit Black Teachers Until You Can Retain the Ones You Have: The urgent need to improve Black teacher retention [by TC Prof B. L. Love]   For school and district leaders ready to get serious about retaining Black teachers, one good place to start is with the recommendations by the Center for Black Educator Development and Teach Plus for supporting Black teachers. These recommendations include assigning mentors, convening affinity groups to facilitate their personal growth and identity development, and implementing culturally responsive curricula.
3) Teacher Apprenticeships Are Booming in Wake of Shortages. Here’s What You Need to Know   An apprenticeship, or residency, program allows prospective teachers to undergo training through a teacher preparation program while they work in schools and earn a paycheck. Registering such a program with the U.S. Department of Labor opens up federal funding to pay for tuition assistance, wages, and other supportive services…
4) The English Learner Population Is Growing. Is Teacher Training Keeping Pace?   States—which have greater control over enacting English learner policies—could require training in best practices for English learners as part of teacher recertification… Preservice training for all teachers should also incorporate best practices for English learners…
5) The Origins of Racial Inequality in Education: Columbia University report examines the origins of racial inequality in the United States   … researchers such as Eric Duncan, director for P-12 policy at The Education Trust, praise this report for offering teachers context they lack from their own experience as students. “You can’t expect that our teaching population who have gone through schooling in America would understand this context, because it’s not taught in traditional settings,” Duncan said.

Hechinger Report.
1) Inside a growing federal effort to prepare students for cybersecurity careers CTE CyberNet, launched by the Department of Education, trains teachers how to start cybersecurity programs at their schools    “We need to educate the teachers on how to educate the students … on how to secure their devices, their information”…  ““As we build awareness, we can also then fuel the pipeline of talent, fuel the pipeline of teachers who are going to bring that talent to work readiness,”…
2) Toddlers need social emotional learning, teachers say: Though controversial in older grades, cultivating emotional intelligence has become more urgent with the youngest kids   …research shows that providing strong social-emotional training to teachers in early learning programs can help lessen chronic and frequent preschool suspensions — if those supports are done right.

NEA News. ‘It’s Going to Start in the Classroom’: Aspiring Educators on Protecting Democracy   During this uncivil period in U.S. history, NEA Aspiring Educators are partnering with their unions to deliver change and explore how to teach students about these tumultuous times.

Oklahoma News4. Department of Education seeks to revoke teaching license of former Norman teacher no longer working in Oklahoma  Summer Boismier voluntarily resigned her position as a Norman High School English teacher on August 24, 2022, after a parent filed a complaint with the district for violating the law by sharing a QR code to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned program that gives nationwide access to books that have been banned in school districts… Boismier has since moved to New York to work with the Brooklyn Public Library.

Texas A&M University. Dean’s Distinguished Lecture “The ‘Problem’ of Teacher Education: Tensions and Trends” Speaker: Dr. Marilyn Cochran-Smith  [Wednesday, March 29, 10:45 am – 12:00 pm. in-person at the Texas A&M Zone Club, and virtually via livestream]

NEW YORK STATE
NYSED. Statement From Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. and Commissioner Betty A. Rosa on Board of Regents Appointments   Congratulations to Regents Judith Chin and Aramina Vega Ferrer on their reelection to the Board of Regents, and we are pleased to welcome Adrian Hale of Rochester, who will represent the 7th Judicial District. Each of these individuals’ unique set of knowledge, skills, and experience is vital to the Board’s deliberations and policymaking.

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat.
1) 64% of NYC’s bilingual special education students didn’t get all of their services last year   At the end of last school year, just 36% of children who were assigned bilingual special education services received the correct amount of instruction from a certified bilingual teacher and in a classroom with the proper ratio of students and staff… For years, state officials have criticized the city for failing to provide bilingual special education services, placing the education department on a corrective action plan in part due to ongoing shortages of certified bilingual educators and service providers. 
2) David Banks wants to bolster career education in NYC schools. Here’s how.   State-approved CTE schools are widely considered the gold standard. Those programs involve strict requirements, including industry-specific teacher certifications, periodic state reviews of school curriculums, paid work experiences, and offer the chance for a special diploma designation. 

Teachers College. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Take Center Stage at Annual STEAMnasium: Innovative learning opportunities convened students from local K-12 schools, TC students & more   Elementary STEAM Exploration– Developed by elementary preservice teachers, Station 6 focused on the historical use of natural materials in indigenous communities. Students enjoyed experimental crafts and exercises that included  making sundials to tell time, building bird nests from raw materials, and even competing in an engineering design challenge!

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of March 13 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
Education International. Are new technologies feminist?   A feminist approach to teaching… is the repeated questioning of what produces inequalities in the classroom. It refers to the micro context-specific strategies developed to deconstruct inequalities, in order to build real emancipation for all.

Hindustan Times. Over 41,000 UPTET certificates gathering dust at DIET in U.P.’s Prayagraj   Based on the new guidelines of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), all the TET certificates in U.P. were made valid for life in June 2021 instead of five years as earlier. Meanwhile, certificates of 6,60,592 candidates of UPTET-2021 held on January 23, 2022 are presently stuck due to a court case. 

Manila Bulletin. Greater Good Legacy: Attainable education for Filipinos.  In 1998, Ayala Foundation established the Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education (CENTEX)… holds teacher training initiatives that promote student development and community engagement. Present in 19 locations, CENTEX, through its Training Institute, has trained and mentored 10,644 public school teachers since 2011.

UNITED STATES
Chalkbeat. I was once a struggling math student. Now I teach the subject that terrified me: Who better to demystify this often-feared subject than someone who knows what math anxiety feels like?   So you might be surprised to hear that I am now an elementary school math specialist who, with the help of encouraging college professors, learned to love math and went on to earn a graduate degree in math education. 

Chronicle of Higher Education. Campus Child Care Has Become Less Available. A New Partnership Aims to Change That.   Child-care centers have struggled to hire enough staff since the pandemic. Carrie Warick-Smith, the association’s vice president of public policy, said moving Head Start programs onto college campuses could help alleviate that problem — because students pursuing a degree in the early-childhood field at the colleges would be able to work at these campus centers.

Deans for Impact. Mobilizing Aspiring Teachers as Tutors: Policy Solutions to Accelerate Student Learning and Strengthen Teacher Pipelines   We can mobilize our nation’s 600,000 aspiring teachers as high-impact tutors, especially in our highest-need schools. To explore this solution, we launched the Aspiring Teachers as Tutors Network (ATTN) – a national collaborative of tutoring initiatives that aims to increase the number of aspiring teachers serving as high-impact tutors… 

Education Week.
1) Braille and Language Development: What Teachers Should Know   The overwhelming majority of vision-impaired children attend regular public schools, rather than specialty schools for the blind, and few have teachers who are trained to understand differences between tactile and visual language… only 26 teacher-education programs in North America include training in braille and its connection to print and oral literacy.
2) Clearing the Hurdles to Effective School Tutoring Programs   Pre-pandemic research found that tutoring programs are most effective when students are paired one-on-one with a trained tutor for frequent, well coordinated sessions that align with academic needs…  matching highly qualified teachers with trained paraprofessionals who help reduce the number of students per adult. 
3) It Will Take More Than $60K Salaries to Solve the Teacher Shortage: The American Teacher Act is a good place to start, but it’s only a start   While over the last few years this teacher shortage has caught the eyes of the public, those of us in teacher education have been ringing the alarm bell for more than a decade. Like many in the teaching profession, we are excited to see this crisis addressed at the national level. This attention to the profession is long overdue, and we feel this is a great first step.
4) Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff Meet 85+ Employers in a Single Day [March 30, 2:00 to 6:00 PM EDT]

Farmington Daily Times. District officials say early returns from Innovation Zones program in Aztec are positive   The Innovation Zones program also includes the establishment of 11 “career tech pathways” that students are funneled into, including animal science, natural resources, agriculture mechanics and machinery, teacher education, health care, welding, construction trades, information technology, computer science…

Fox News. North Carolina education pushes pilot program to boost teacher retention: NC pilot program would pay teachers based on performance rather than years of experience   The North Carolina State Board of Education wants legislators to allow for a multiyear pilot teacher licensure program that would pay instructors based on performance rather than years of experience… Under the proposed licensure plan, teachers could move to more advanced licenses — and commensurate pay increases — by proving their effectiveness through performance reviews that could be based on student test scores. 

Hechinger Reports.
1) How one university is creatively tackling the rural teacher shortage: Rather than add novices, Wyoming works to find new ways to keep experienced teachers on the job   Thomas’s college of education offers the state’s only teacher preparation program… The university partnered with 2Revolutions, an education consulting company that has worked with other states to redesign teacher education…
2) Trial finds cheaper, quicker way to tutor young kids in reading   “high dosage” tutoring… programs are difficult for schools to launch and operate. They involve hiring and training tutors and coming up with tailored lesson plans for each child… computer guidance takes the usual guesswork and judgment calls out of reading instruction and that has enabled well-trained laypeople to serve as tutors as well as experienced, certified teachers.  

InsideHigherEd. A New Era of Union Activism in Higher Ed   The survey conducted by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association revealed instead that higher education leaders view economic and workforce development, K-12 teacher preparation, equity issues, state funding and affordability, enrollment declines, and the public perception and value proposition of higher education as being among their top priorities.

KETV. Nebraska Legislature hears testimony on relaxing testing requirements for teachers   Proponents of a legislative bill believe hands-on, student-teacher experiences are a better indicator of success than a basic skills test.

Learning Policy Institute
. State Preschool in a Mixed Delivery System: Lessons From Five States  Across LEA and non-LEA settings, all five case study states require equivalent qualifications for assistant teachers and require a bachelor’s degree with early childhood education (ECE) specialization for all lead teachers.

Los Alamos Daily Post. Op Ed: Revamp New Mexico’s Colleges of Education   Approximately 80% of teachers who complete residency programs remain in the profession after five years…New Mexico’s Legislative Education Study Committee identified residencies as one of the best returns on investment in the education system.

Pearson Education. Candidate Support Webinars: Online Learning for Candidate Support   The series includes an edTPA Overview and additional task webinars that provide a close examination of what candidates are asked to think about, do, and write when preparing for and completing their edTPA.

Tampa Bay Times. As US education secretary, I want us to enrich public schools, not ban books and topics [by U.S. Sec. of Education M. Cardona]   We know that our students benefit from being taught by teachers of all backgrounds. That is why the department recently made a historic announcement of the first-ever funding for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program, which will devote millions to strengthening the pipeline for diverse educators — so that our teachers can better reflect the students they serve.

The Conversation. Every teacher grades differently, which isn’t fair  Grading consistency and effectiveness could be improved if universities’ teacher-training programs included specific training on grading practices in their educator preparation programs…

WUNC. ‘Ms. Art’ wants to keep teaching, but one exam stands in her way   In North Carolina, about 27% of first-time attempts on a teacher licensing exam result in a failure, combining all subjects and types of tests. By comparison, law students are more likely to pass the North Carolina bar exam on the first try.

NEW YORK STATE
City and State New York. The 2023 Higher Education Power 100 New York’s most influential college and university leaders. #26. William Murphy Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education, State Education Department… Murphy presides over an office within the state Education Department that does everything from approving all new curriculum programs at colleges and universities to teacher certification, discipline and professional development for K-12 school teachers. 

NYSED Board of Regents. March 13 meeting
Adult Career and Continuing Education Services (ACCES). Apprenticeships: Teacher, Teaching Assistant
Higher Education Committee
* Proposed Amendment Relating to School Counselor Education Program General Registration Requirements 
* Consent Item Relating to the Experience Requirement for Professional School Building Leader Certification
* Reappointment to the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching

NEW YORK CITY
SILive. CSI School Of Education Receives 2 Grants   The College of Staten Island (CSI) in Willowbrook recently received two grants from the City University of New York (CUNY) in support of computational literacies in teacher education… The team was awarded a $25,000 grant by the CUNY Research Foundation for its research, “Interdisciplinary Journeys of Teaching and Learning in Computational Literacies: Collaborative Autoethnography of Seven Teacher Educators.”

Teachers College.
1) TC NEXT & Office of Teacher Education: Education Colloquium  TC NEXT and the Office of Teacher Education are proud to present an evening of panels and workshops for aspiring teachers and school-based professionals. Topics will include a panel of TC alumni, information on applying to jobs in the New York City Department of Education… [Open to TC Community Thurs. March 30 5:00 – 7:50 PM]
2) TC NEXT & Office of Teacher Education: Virtual Education Career Fair    Join this virtual career fair to meet hiring managers from a variety of schools and districts/networks in a series of brief 1:1 video chats. [Open to TC Community Fri. March 31, 4-7PM]

Categories
Teacher Education

Week of Feb. 27 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
Guernsey Press. On-island teacher training to be available to more people   The one-year on-island teacher training course will now be open to anyone who is an undergraduate or has a degree, where previous schemes were restricted to graduates already working in education… Education president Andrea Dudley-Owen said the new course, which will be offered from September, would train a new generation of local teachers.

India Today. Importance of action research in teacher education programs   Evidence seems to indicate that if aspiring teachers are not introduced to research projects during their initial teacher training, it gets difficult for them to acquire research skills during their role as classroom teachers.

Irish Examiner. Girls being pushed into taking ‘softer’ subjects in schools   Girls are still being pushed into ‘softer’ subjects as some post-primary schools still find it challenging to provide them with a wide choice of STEM subjects. Schools are also experiencing “real issues” when it comes to recruiting qualified teachers to teach critical STEM subjects, including Junior Cert science, and Leaving Cert physics, chemistry, and computer science.

Irish Times. Narrowing number of teacher training providers will add to staff crisis – Labour    Shadow education minister Stephen Morgan questioned why the Government had removed a quarter of teacher training providers from its accredited list as the country faces a “teacher recruitment and retention crisis”.

UNITED STATES
AACTE. Monika Williams Shealey of Rowan University Becomes AACTE Board Chair   During her one-year term, Shealey will support AACTE and President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., in implementing the Association’s strategic goals, elevating education and education preparation; prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and advancing the educator profession—during a year in which AACTE will celebrate its 75th anniversary. 

Chalkbeat.
1) Bill to clarify Tennessee school library law would exempt classroom book collections from scrutiny   Teachers who are trained to teach children to read should be trusted to provide high-quality, age-appropriate books in their classrooms, Yarbro said. That’s the way that Alice Irvin sees it, too… “As a highly trained teacher, I find this law insulting,” said Irvin, who has 1,300 titles in her classroom collection.
2) Newark schools would get nearly $1.2 billion in state aid under Murphy’s 2024 budget plan  The administration also aims to help districts address the staffing shortage crisis seen statewide by committing $10 million in stipends for student teachers, $5 million to waive teacher certification fees, $1 million to develop local partnerships for paraprofessional training, and other initiatives. 

Dallas Morning News. Texas must pay teachers more, train them like doctors, task force finds Teacher residency programs – similar to those for doctors – could bolster training for educators and stem turnover.

Education Week.
1) A Conservative Teacher’s Take on ‘What Is Wrong With Our Schools’   The reading lists in university preparation programs need an overhaul. Progressives like John Dewey and critical pedagogues like Paulo Freire or Henry Giroux dominate education school curricula. They’re the equivalent of homeopathy or chakra enthusiasts on medical school websites. If any educational conservatives like E.D. Hirsch gets mentioned in these programs, it’s usually with derision. Getting more cognitive science or even a single conservative into the hands of prospective teachers would be a major win.
2) Supreme Court Will Decide Fate of Student Loan Relief: What Teachers Need to Know   “Student debt relief will help remediate the crushing impact of COVID-19 on teachers, who must amass substantial debt to enter their profession and who often work at low wages,” the AFT brief said. “The prerequisites to become a teacher, which include both higher education and licensing requirements, leave the average teacher with an outstanding student loan debt balance of $58,500, with 1 in 8 owing more than $105,000.”
3) Teacher Pay Raise Proposals Are Gaining Bipartisan Support. What’s in Them?   Districts need to be strategic in how they allocate pay increases, Goldhaber said. He favors policies that raise starting teacher salaries rather than salary increases across the board. That’s because that kind of policy is more likely to prevent young teachers from leaving in their first three to five years and motivate more college students to enter teaching.
4) The ‘Science of Reading’ Will Be a Big Topic at SXSWedu. Get Prepped With 3 Things to Know: It’s a timely topic after several years of state legislation that’s reshaped how reading is taught across the country. Since 2019, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia have mandated that schools follow evidence-based practices for teaching young children how to read…
5) Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff Meet 85+ Employers in a Single Day [March 30, 2:00 – 6:00 PM EDT]

Hechinger Report. Taking stock of tutoring: What we know about tutoring research, how many schools are providing tutoring and how it’s going so far   …tutoring produces outsized gains in reading and math when it takes place daily, using paid, well-trained tutors who are following a proven curriculum or lesson plans that are linked to what the student is learning in class… It’s expensive to hire and train tutors and this type of tutoring can cost schools $4,000 or more per student annually.

LPI. Strengthening Pathways Into the Teaching Profession in Texas: Challenges and Opportunities   Research has found that teachers who are not fully prepared when they enter the profession—now a majority of newly hired Texas teachers—are, on average, both less effective and more likely to leave…the districts that have the most difficulty hiring fully prepared teachers are those that serve the most students of color and students from low-income families.

NYTimes. Teaching About a Year of War in Ukraine   A collection of ideas grounded in Times resources to help students reflect on a year of war, consider its causes and effects, and ponder what’s next.

United Press International.  Education Department announces $18M in grants to boost teacher diversity   the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers For Excellence Program…supports comprehensive, high-quality teacher preparation programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutions, according to the Department of Education.

USA Today. What happens to diversity when many teachers of color are new hires and layoffs come   Thanks to recent efforts to diversify the teaching force, a relatively high percentage of rookie educators are people of color – meaning these “last in, first out” (LIFO) practices could derail some of that work

NEW YORK STATE
NYDailyNews
1) Another way for charter schools to expand   Legislation: Albany should pass the Public Education Racial Equity And Diversity Act — or “READ Act” — … would also expand the number of minority teachers by exempting them from paying state and local income taxes, providing them college loan forgiveness, and permitting charters to offer alternative teacher licensing.
2) Improving teacher diversity in New York State   We can start by eliminating barriers to recruitment and retention for teachers of color. Inadequate preparation when pursuing alternative routes to the profession, lack of ongoing support, racially biased or exclusionary content in teacher licensure exams, and unnecessary hurdles all contribute to an inequitable landscape, according to LPI. It’s imperative that schools and educator preparation programs in colleges and universities work together to reimagine professional preparation possibilities in an inclusive, accessible way that removes unnecessary barriers of time and location.

NYSED.
1) Announcement of Funding Opportunity 2023-28: New York State My Brother’s Keeper Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) II   The purpose of TOC II is to increase the participation rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers… The allocation for 2023-2028 is expected to be $3,000,000 annually. [deadline: March 13, 2023]
2) The Office of Higher Education (OHE) February newsletter
A. BOARD OF REGENTS FEBRUARY ITEMS  *Indigenous Culture and Language Studies Certificate  *Student Teaching
B. NYSTCE MULTI-SUBJECT: TEACHERS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD (BIRTH-GRADE 2) – PART TWO: MATHEMATICS TEST *Revised Framework *Redeveloped Test
3) Written Testimony of Commissioner Dr. Betty A. Rosa New York State Education Department Joint Legislative Higher Education Budget Hearing February 27, 2023    A critical initiative aimed at modernizing the systems and supports for more effective and responsive teacher certification has begun. The 2022-23 enacted budget provided $1.35 million in appropriation authority for the first year of TEACH2 system modernization… Several programs that are also designed to address teacher shortages and help diversify the pipeline include: Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II)… Teacher Diversity Pipeline Pilots… Teachers of Tomorrow…

New York State Register Vol. XLV/Issue 9 March 1, 2023. Student Teaching Requirements for Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and Through the Individual Evaluation Pathway (p. 30ff.)   The new student teaching requirements include a “limited exemption” for experienced teachers who are enrolled in a graduate program leading to certification for one or more certificates. Teachers who qualify for the limited exemption are exempt from the clinical experience clock-hour requirement and the full-semester student teaching requirement. To qualify, teachers must have either: (1) completed a New York State registered teacher preparation program prior to enrollment in the graduate program and hold an Initial and/or Professional teacher certificate, (2) hold National Board certification, or (3) have at least one year of effective teaching experience under a valid New York State or out-of-state teaching certificate. With the limited exemption, candidates complete at least 50 clock hours of student teaching or practica (unless otherwise prescribed in the specific program requirements) that includes a focus on the applicable program specific pedagogical core requirements for the certificate title. The student teaching or practica must occur with actual students in educational settings appropriate to the certificate title sought. [Data, views or arguments may be submitted 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 will be received until: 45 days after publication of this notice]

NEW YORK CITY
Bank Street College
.
1) Webinar: Cultivating Powerful Mentorship in Educator Credential Programs [Mar 7, 4:00 PM]
2) Online Pre-Service Co-Teaching Workshop [Wed, Mar 29 1:00 PM EDT]

City and State. New York City schools to create working group on phasing in smaller class sizes: Parents, school leaders and advocates are being asked about their interest in joining the effort in a new survey released today.   New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Banks meanwhile attest that the measure will cost the city hundreds of millions of additional dollars to hire more teachers and add more classrooms to meet requirements…  according to Banks…the education department believes the city will need to hire 7,000 new teachers to follow the law. 

Categories
Teacher Education

Weeks of Feb. 13 & 20 in Teacher Ed News

GLOBAL
FinancialExpress. Delhi govt partners with University of Birmingham to provide global exposure to teachers   “…Teaching is the cornerstone of quality education, and working with the Delhi Government on one of their flagship programmes for teacher education will help us both to expand our knowledge network,” Lord Karan Bilimoria, chancellor, University of Birmingham, said.

LOOP PNG (Papua New Guinea). UOG Reform to improve teacher training. Since its establishment in 1961, the University of Goroka has grown in academic programs, infrastructure, staff and students…

Manila Times. Educating teacher education   There is no logic in attributing the “poor” outcomes of basic education to “poor” teacher education. Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte bluntly admitted in the recent Basic Education Report that “the Filipino learners are not academically proficient.”

NYTimes. How Finland Is Teaching a Generation to Spot Misinformation: The Nordic country is testing new ways to teach students about propaganda. Here’s what other countries can learn from its success.   Officials say Finland’s success is not just the result of its strong education system, which is one of the best in the world, but also because of a concerted effort to teach students about fake news. Media literacy is part of the national core curriculum starting in preschool.

UNITED STATES
AACTE.
1) 75th Annual Meeting. Innovation through Inspiration: Remembering the Past to Revolutionize the Future [Feb. 24-26 Indianapolis, IN]
2) Aspiring Elementary Teachers Are Unlikely to Get Essential Social Studies and Science Content They Need to Teach Students   New data and analysis released from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds significant opportunities for teacher preparation programs to improve their coursework requirements to ensure that aspiring elementary school teachers receive the essential social studies and science content knowledge they need for the classroom.

Chalkbeat.
1) Dear teachers: As a future educator, I have one request   As a college student working toward my teacher certification, I’ve closely followed your struggles, especially during the pandemic. But I have to admit that the constant news about teacher burnout is weighing heavily on me… I wonder if you could also share the differences you are making in students’ lives… I’m asking you to open up about the truly happy moments that make your time in the field worthwhile.
2) Five Illinois early-career teachers speak about entering education during the COVID-19 pandemic   These educators not only had to learn the basics of lesson plans, classroom management, and the needs of students and families, they also had to navigate a constantly changing education landscape.
3) Future teachers need to hear the good stuff, too   This piece was written in response to ”Dear teachers: As a future educator, I have one request,”
4) Gov. J.B. Pritzker renews pre-K expansion push with 2024 budget proposing $250 million increase   Pritzker promised in 2019 to bring universal preschool to all Illinois children after being elected… a $130 million effort called the Childcare Workforce Compensation Contracts — is aimed at increasing the salaries of child care workers and bringing more educators into the field…  

Chronicle. Alyssa Hadley Dunn, a former associate professor at Michigan State University, has been named an associate professor and director of teacher education in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.

CISION. Cadence Education Expands Montessori Portfolio with The Suzuki School and Montessori Teacher Education Institute of Atlanta   Cadence Education, LLC (“Cadence Education”), one of the largest providers of early childhood education in North America, is thrilled to announce its acquisition of both The Suzuki School and the Montessori Teacher Education Institute (MTEI) in Atlanta, Georgia…The Montessori Teacher Education Institute (MTEI) will complement Cadence Education’s offering, providing essential training to support the growth and development of Montessori early childhood educators.

EdWeek.
1) How to Become a Better Teacher. Here’s What Teachers Have to Say
2) Recruiters Are Going Grassroots to Fill Vacancies. They Say It’s Working   in Topeka, Kan…some of the parents-turned-substitute teachers have been persuaded to work on getting their teacher certificates…  paraprofessionals enrolled in the Arkansas Teacher Residency Model, which offers practical work experience and the potential for an immediate path into the teaching force….
3) Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff: Meet 85+ Employers in a Single Day [March 30, 2:00 – 6:00 PM EDT]

Forbes. Teaching Is In Crisis. Graduate Schools Of Education Can Help [by TC President T. Bailey]   Strong teacher residency programs, which enable prospective educators to teach in classrooms before they graduate, offer firsthand experiences to interact with students, develop engaging lesson plans and get a feel for the opportunities and challenges presented throughout a school year. In turn, graduate schools of education provide community school districts with a dedicated pipeline of well-prepared, committed educators equipped to meet the challenges of the job. 

Learning Policy Institute (LPI). Creating Rich, Experiential Learning Environments, Part 1 [Wed. March 1, 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET]

NEA News.
1) Aspiring Educators on Why They Choose to Teach   Ready to pick up the torch for safe, just, and equitable schools, the next crop of teachers shares their motivation for stepping into the classroom.
2) Union-Led Apprenticeships Aim to Ease Teacher Shortage: New federal support will help grow apprenticeship programs for teachers, providing an affordable path into the field for a more diverse group of candidates1. Registered apprenticeships–long valued in the trades–offer aspiring teachers a lengthy residency that prepares them well for classroom challenges. 2. Apprenticeship programs also show promise as a step to solving the teacher shortage and a way to diversify the profession. 3. The Biden administration has expanded support for states looking to start and grow teacher apprenticeship programs.

#PANeedsTeachers. Addressing Pennsylvania’s Teacher Shortage Crisis Through Systemic Solutions    …we offer five policy strategies: *Incentivize high-quality teacher preparation, characterized by rigorous coursework and intentionally designed clinical experiences developed in partnership with local education agencies. *Expand pathways into teaching for youth and paraprofessionals. *Improve the financial value proposition for becoming a teacher. *Improve data collection to allow for targeted investments in the teacher pipeline…

The74. Equity Builder or Racial Barrier: Debate Rages Over Role of 8th-Grade Algebra   “The relationship between math and science is very strong,” said Talia Milgrom-Elcott, executive director and founder of Beyond100K, a group which aspires to prepare and retain 150,000 new STEM teachers, especially for schools serving majority Black, Hispanic and Native American students, by 2032.

Vox. The racist idea that changed American education: A Supreme Court decision 50 years ago may have been shaped by the claim that poor children of color can’t learn. The case’s impact has reverberated for generations  Teachers in Edgewood were paid much less than those in Alamo Heights. Probably because of that, half of them had only substandard credentials, compared to 11 percent in Alamo Heights…

Washington Post.
1) HBCUs have big role to train diverse teachers amid shortages   HBCUs play an outsize role in producing teachers of color in the U.S., where only 7% of teachers are Black, compared with 15% of students. Of all Black teachers nationwide, nearly half are graduates of an HBCU.
2) No English or history majors? Marymount U. weighs cuts in humanities.   In all, the plan calls for phasing out nine bachelor’s degree programs. Among other majors that would be eliminated: art, mathematics, secondary education and sociology. 
3) Teacher fired after DeSantis says bookshelf video was ‘fake narrative’   Florida has been at the forefront of the schoolbook wars. District officials there have launched reviews of the appropriateness of teachers’ books as part of House Bill 1467… It is unclear what the consequences for violating H.B. 1467 are, though a Florida Education Department spokesperson previously suggested breaking the law could lead to penalties against teachers’ licenses.

NEW YORK STATE
DemocracyReady NY. Webinar: New York Civic Learning Week Join DemocracyReady NY for a series of free virtual events to celebrate Civic Learning Week! [March 6-10]

NYS Senate. S2140A. An Act to amend the education law, in relation to developing grow your own initiatives at school districts, boards of cooperative educational services and higher education institutions to attract underrepresented candidates into the teaching profession [Feb. 13, 2023: Passed Senate, Delivered to Assembly]

NYSED Board of Regents Feb Meetings
Higher Education Committee Proposed Amendment …Relating to the Student Teaching Requirements for Registered Teacher Preparation Programs and Through the Individual Evaluation Pathway to Certification Proposed Revisions Following the First Public Comment Period
Based on feedback on the proposed rule from the field, the Department now proposes to revise the proposed rule regarding the “limited exemption” for experienced teachers. The new student teaching requirements include a “limited exemption” for experienced teachers who are enrolled in a graduate program leading to certification for one or more certificates. Teachers who qualify for the limited exemption are exempt from the clinical experience clock-hour requirement and the full-semester student teaching requirement. To qualify, teachers must have either: (1) completed a New York State registered teacher preparation program prior to enrollment in the graduate program and hold an Initial and/or Professional teacher certificate, (2) hold National Board certification, or (3) have at least one year of effective teaching experience under a valid New York State or out-of-state teaching certificate.
With the limited exemption, candidates complete at least 50 clock hours of student teaching or practica (unless otherwise prescribed in the specific program requirements) that includes a focus on the applicable program-specific pedagogical core requirements for the certificate title. The student teaching or practica must occur with actual students in educational settings appropriate to the certificate title sought.
Consistent with the extension of the new student teaching requirements, the original proposed rule also extended the timeline for the limited exemption by one year, making it available for candidates who enroll in a program in the Fall 2024 semester and later. Teacher preparation program faculty have expressed an interest in making the limited exemption available to teachers immediately, rather than when the new student teaching requirements go into effect. The Department is therefore proposing to have the limited exemption be an option for qualified teachers and graduate teacher preparation programs upon adoption of the proposed amendment.
If adopted at the May meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on May 31, 2023. Public comment begins 3/1/23

Higher Education/P-12 Education Joint Committees   Proposed Amendment… Relating to Establishing the Indigenous Culture and Language Studies (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 2023 meeting. If adopted at the June meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on June 28, 2023.

Professional Practice Committee. Proposed Addition… Relating to the Licensure of Applied Behavior Analysts and Certification of Applied Behavior Analyst Assistants   Combined, these provisions will reduce barriers for applicants authorized to practice in other states and assist New York candidates seeking to sit for the national certification exam… The proposed amendment implements the provisions of Chapters 818 and 641, and makes additional amendments to LBA and ABA provisions to align such provisions more closely with national standards… Public comment begins 3/1/23

WRGB Albany. “TEACH” Act passes in NYS Senate, aims to fight teacher shortage Limarys Caraballo is an associate professor of English education at Teachers College, and says it’s a good place to start:
“…It’s a good first step toward working across important challenges in navigating different types of institutions – school districts, community organizations and institutions of higher education – all of which are connected to an overall goal of increasing access of underrepresented candidates to the teaching profession in the communities where they live” …

NEW YORK CITY
Chalkbeat.
1) Adams creates new City Hall office for child care, early childhood education   The new office, which will be housed within City Hall, was months in the making. It’s charged with overseeing strategy and planning with city agencies that touch early childhood education, including the education department and the Administration for Children’s Services, officials said. 
2) NYC’s DC 37 union reaches tentative contract with bonus and annual raises   Along with its education department members, the union represents thousands of early childhood education workers, many of whom staff the city-funded prekindergarten and 3-K programs. 

SILive. Teaching about Sandy Ground: NYC schools will integrate historic site into Black studies curriculum   But Sandy Ground could have a bigger part in new curricular resources in development. The DOE said resources would be included in the Education Equity Action Plan (EEAP) Coalition Black Studies curriculum.