Teacher Education

AACTE Weekly News Briefs | February 10, 2009____________

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





AACTE ANNOUNCEMENTS



Statement by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) on the Passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Today the U.S. Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by a vote of 61-37. AACTE congratulates the senators for passing a bill which recognizes that a long-term investment in education is needed to make sustainable improvements in our economy.



A New Administration + New Congress = New Opportunities

2009 ushered in a new Administration and a new Congress. This webinar will introduce participants to the key leaders in the legislative and executive branches who influence education policy; will provide an outlook on education for the next two years; and, will outline new opportunities to effect change to better educator preparation.



IRs/CRs: Vote Now on Proposed Changes to AACTE Resolutions

AACTE's Institutional Representatives will have one week, from February 9 through 16, 2009, to vote on changes to the Association's resolutions for 2009 already approved by the Board.



AACTE 61st ANNUAL MEETING & EXHIBITS

To view the 2009 AACTE Annual Meeting award winners, please click here. To view photos from the meeting, please click here.



You Spoke…and AACTE Listened!

In a recent AACTE membership survey, an overwhelming majority of survey respondents indicated they prefer to receive AACTE news updates online. We will continue to bring you the latest news in our popular monthly Briefs newsletter, but beginning with the March 2009 issue, it will be available online only at www.aacte.org. Representatives will be notified by e-mail when each issue is posted. If you currently receive AACTE’s weekly NewsBriefs e-mails, you will receive Briefs information at the same address. To confirm or update your e-mail address, please click here. To view the current or archived issues of Briefs on the web, click here (member login required).



AACTE Announces Member News

Has your institution recently received a grant? Is a former student now recognized as a teacher of the year? Have you recently received a prestigious award? Well here is your chance to showcase your accomplishments! AACTE has developed a “Member News” section on our website where members are encouraged to submit news stories including the recognition of awards, grants, and other notable achievements. All submissions postings are subject to the discretion of AACTE staff. Please email your accomplishments to Alyssa Mangino at amangino@aacte.org.



AACTE IN THE NEWS



Provost receives national award

From the Emporia Gazette

Tes Mehring, Emporia State University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs and student life, is being honored today in Chicago with a national teacher-education award. Mehring just found out about the award this week and admitted to being a little overwhelmed. The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education has chosen her to receive the 2009 Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education.



Technology use in teacher training earns national award

From Arizona State University

The innovative use of technology to help produce more effective teachers in metropolitan Phoenix and across Arizona has earned a prestigious national award for Arizona State University’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership (CTEL). CTEL is the 2009 recipient of the Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).



Pam Grossman wins award for analysis of problems facing teacher educators

From Stanford University

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) has selected an article by Pam Grossman of Stanford University to receive the 2009 Outstanding Journal of Teacher Education Article Award. The award will be presented on Saturday, February 7, during the Wilbur J. Cohen Lecture at the Association’s 61st Annual Meeting and Exhibits in Chicago, Illinois.




NATIONAL NEWS



What Arne Duncan Thinks of No Child Left Behind

From U.S. News

Newly minted Education Secretary Arne Duncan has big plans for improving the nation's schools. His first order of business is drumming up support for a stimulus measure that includes an unprecedented $140 billion for education. The 44-year-old former leader of Chicago Public Schools says the money will modernize schools, help stave off teacher layoffs, and spur meaningful reforms.



Obama: This isn't your 'run-of-the-mill recession'

From CNN

President Obama appeared before a national audience Monday night to make the case for his economic stimulus plan, saying this is not your "run-of-the-mill recession." The president stressed the urgency of passing the roughly $838 billion measure, which his administration and Democratic leaders say will help pull the U.S. economy out of its current skid. The Obama administration says the plan will spur job creation and long-term growth in part by equipping schools with 21st-century classrooms.



Teachers' Staff Training Deemed Fragmented

From Education Week

Although American teachers spend more working hours in classrooms than do instructors in some of the top-performing European and Asian countries, U.S. students have scored in the middle of the pack on a number of prominent international exams in recent years.

That paradox appears to stem at least in part from a failing of the United States’ systems for supporting professional learning, concludes a new report released here Feb. 4. American teachers, it finds, are not given as many opportunities for on-the-job training as their international peers, and their effectiveness appears to suffer as a result.



Trimmed Bill Still Offers Vast Sums for Education

From the New York Times

The economic stimulus bill that is expected to win passage in the Senate on Tuesday would provide about $83 billion for child care, public schools and universities. That is a lot less than the $150 billion voted by the House, but would still account for a vast increase in the federal share of the nation’s education spending.



Scores Found Unaffected by Teacher-Training Route

From Education Week

Students who have teachers certified through alternative-training programs do no worse in mathematics or reading achievement than students whose teachers have been certified by traditional teacher education programs, according to a study released today by Mathematica Policy Research Inc.



The Assessment Impasse

From Inside Higher Ed

The new U.S. secretary of education, Arne Duncan, will be a fresh and welcome breeze for those in higher education who have struggled so mightily to be understood in the past eight years. He is known for his collaborative and inclusive style, and he brings at least a little actual experience, if not a degree, in education. It should not be expected, however, that Secretary Duncan’s tenure at the Education Department will automatically diffuse the longstanding pressure that advocates of assessment for the purpose of accountability have placed on advocates of assessment for program and institutional improvement.



Stimulus Scale Seen as Issue

From Education Week

The sheer scale of the new education aid envisioned under the economic-stimulus package now pending in Congress is forcing educators and state officials to consider how they would absorb that funding and how it could transform—or distort—school programs at the local level.





NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY



TEACH grants to help fill fields with fewest teachers

From Nevada News

The University of Nevada, Reno has received approval to participate in the federal grant program TEACH, Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education, which helps deliver teachers to high-need fields such as bilingual education and English language acquisition, foreign languages, mathematics, reading specialization, science and special education.



Certification map unveils the web’s first comprehensive, interactive portal for teacher certification information

From the University of Southern California

Certification Map announced the launch of its new Web site, CertificationMap.com, a comprehensive online portal for current and prospective teachers to locate teaching certification requirements for every state in the country. CertificationMap.com is the first dedicated web site to customize information state-by-state, providing users with actionable information on attaining necessary certifications and offering guidance on the teaching profession.



$1.5M will help UT train tech-savvy teachers

From Bizjournals.com

Philanthropists John H. and Elizabeth “Libba” Shatto Massey have donated $1.5 million to The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education to create an endowed chair focused on making teachers more tech-focused.



Many are called, but few chosen to teach

From the Chicago Tribune

Hal Schmeisser counts himself lucky to have landed a job as a social studies teacher two years ago in Highland Park when he was right out of college. Many of the University of Illinois classmates he has kept in touch with still haven't been as fortunate. One of them finally got a teaching job in Alaska, but others have given up on the classroom and launched other careers, he said.



Educators push to ratchet up state aid

From Journal Sentinel

A statewide coalition of nine education organizations is set to launch a major push to substantially increase state support of education and to fix problems that it says are undermining the quality of schools in Wisconsin.



Other Announcements



AERA Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop

From AERA

Call for Applications

Deadline: February 20, 2009

The American Educational Research Association invites fellowship applications for an Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop to be held at the 2009 Annual Meeting in San Diego. This workshop is designed to build the talent pool of undergraduate students who plan to pursue doctorate degrees in education research or in disciplines and fields that examine education issues. Applicants are sought who have potential and interest in pursuing careers as education researchers, faculty members, or other professionals who contribute to the research field.



Free Live Webinar on Environmental Building in the Educational Sector

From Xtalks.com

Xtalks, a web-based news and information network, has produced a complimentary, live webinar on the topic, "Environmental Building in the Educational Sector," scheduled for March 5, 2009, 2:00pm – 3:00pm EST. Listeners will learn about the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) "green" building rating system for schools. LEED is the U.S. Green Building Council's voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.





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