American Assciation of Colleges for Teacher Education

AACTE Weekly News Briefs September 9, 2008___________
. . . delivered to your inbox so you can enjoy up-to-date news on Colleges of Education, Teaching and the Classroom, Campaigns, Legislation and NCLB, STEM Teacher Issues, International Teacher Issues, Grants, and Upcoming Events. Please click on linked headlines for full story.

AACTE ANNOUNCEMENTS

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
From the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
AACTE Announces New Technical Assistance Program! Accreditation is sometimes considered to be a lengthy and complex process that involves a significant amount of attention and patience but the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is here to help! AACTE announced today a brand new program that will provide membership with an innovative, comprehensive, and insightful road map through the accreditation course.


WEBCONFERENCE
From the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
On September 29, 1:30-3:00 EST AACTE will offer a free webinar to AACTE members on the new Higher Education Opportunity Act. Be sure to take advantage of this AACTE member benefit and learn about the many new provisions in the HEA that will affect your programs and your work. This webinar would be an excellent learning opportunity for Doctoral and Masters students who are interested in teacher education and education policy. Please pass the details of this event on to interested faculty and students! More details to come so stay tuned!


WEBCONFERENCE
From the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Webconference: What Every Teacher Educator Needs to Know: Addressing the Achievement Gap for Students with Special Needs. It will take place from October 21-23, 2008. Watch out for additional information on AACTE's Website.



NATIONAL NEWS

NEWS PROGRAM
WHERE WE STAND: America’s Schools in the 21st Century
From PBS
On Monday, September 15th, PBS stations nationally will air WHERE WE STAND: America's Schools in the 21st Century, a thoughtful look at the state of our nation's schools hosted by NewsHour Senior Correspondent Judy Woodruff. For more information about the program and to see a short teaser of the show, please check it out at http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=3063. This program premieres at 10 p.m. on PBS (Check local listings).


WEB STORY
Great Bay Community College works on collaborative effort
From Seacoastonline.com
Granite State College and Great Bay Community College have begun working together to deliver a seamless pathway to students wishing to pursue a career in education. The innovative partnership is especially appealing to paraprofessionals wishing to advance further in the field of education and individuals looking to change career paths and pursue teaching.


ARTICLE
A Mathematics Course for Prospective Elementary School Teachers
From Red Orbit
It is possible to get prospective elementary school teachers to learn interesting mathematics well by not only requiring that they learn the material in a mathematics course but also requiring that they teach it as part of an enrichment program at the middle school level. This article discusses the reasons for such a course, and describes a university mathematics course that combines these elements.


COMMENTARY
An Education on Higher Education for the Next President
From the Chronicle of Higher Education
The Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, has cited affordable college tuition as one of his key goals if elected. John McCain, the Republican candidate, has said that he wants to simplify the federal student-aid process and give parents better information about colleges. What else should be on the candidates' agendas when it comes to higher education? The Chronicle asked several higher-education leaders for their views.

WEB STORY
UT Program Trains Teachers for High-Need School Districts
From Red Orbit
The University of Toledo (UT) is trying to help ease the shortage of qualified teachers in what are considered high-need school districts (defined as a district where at least half the students are eligible for reduced lunch subsidies; at least 34%. of the teachers lack significant coursework in their main assignment fields; the attrition rate among classroom teachers was 15% or more in the last three years). UToledo.UTeach.UTouch the Future (UT3) is a grant program that provides financial aid for UT students who are willing to commit to teaching math or science classes in high-need schools after graduation.


WEB STORY
Pilot high school rethinks education models
From The Daily Bruin
The UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies has partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District to create the Bruin Community School, one of six pilot schools that will be implemented by the district. UCLA will partner with the Bruin Community School at a deeply involved level, said Aimee Dorr, dean of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. “We do lots of work with schools in LAUSD: training teachers, sending students for outreach and having students serve as mentors, Dorr said.

ACCREDITATION ANNOUNCEMENT
NCATE and TEAC Announce Joint Design Team Members for Future System of Teacher Education Accreditation
From NCATE and TEAC
We are pleased to report the composition of a joint NCATE/TEAC design team which will develop a specific proposal for a teacher education accreditation system with multiple pathways to accreditation. The work of the joint NCATE/TEAC design team is subject to the continuing support and ultimate approval of both boards.

WEB STORY
PDS Program offers unique student teaching opportunity
From The Daily Vidette
The College of Education's Professional Development School at Illinois State University takes normal semester-long student teaching experience and extends it to a full year immersion process for teaching candidates. The program allows for the student to gain a more complete look at the teaching process, spending a semester as an intern, before getting in front of the class. By working for a year with the same cooperating teacher in the same classroom, the student can gain substantial insight into the clinical, curricular and cultural experience that comes with the life of being a teacher.

WEB STORY
Need a job? Program encourages teaching
From ajc.com

Ashley Rihner left corporate America to join the inaugural class of Teach Gwinnett, which places qualified candidates with college degrees into classrooms. Rihner says moving from finance to education cut her pay by more than half, but it was worth it to pursue her dream job.

PRESS RELEASE
Salisbury U. opens $65M teaching center
From The Associated Press
Salisbury University has formally opened the $65 million Teacher Education and Technology Center. Dean Dennis Pataniczek says the new building is equipped with the latest learning tools.


PRESS RELEASE
Student teachers receive classroom assignments
From Misericordia University
Misericordia University teacher education majors recently received their fall student teaching assignments during an orientation program in the Kennedy Room of the Banks Student Life Center. The Teacher Education Department at Misericordia University requires student teachers to observe student instruction for 14 weeks in two different classrooms as part of their educational and professional experience. Students spend the school day in their assigned classrooms, at first observing, and then gradually teaching classes.


UPCOMING EVENTS

ANNUAL MEETING
From the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
AACTE 61st Annual Meeting and Exhibits
February 6 - 9, 2009Hyatt Regency Chicago - Virtual TourChicago, IL

REGISTRAION IS NOW OPEN!
If you registered online for the September 2008 AACTE-NCATE Accountability, Accreditation, and Quality Conference, please CLICK HERE to register for the 61st Annual Meetings & Exhibits using your e-mail and the password that you created when registering for that conference.
If you did not attend the fall meeting, you will need to create an account before registering. Please CLICK HERE to create an account and register for the Annual Meeting & Exhibits. Setting up this account will also allow you to register quickly for future AACTE meetings and events.



Alyssa J. Mangino
Communications Manager
AACTE
1307 New York Ave., NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 478-4596 -Direct
(202) 457-8095 -Fax
amangino@aacte.org