AACTE Statement on the Rescindment of the Federal Regulations for Teacher Preparation Programs

(March 8, 2017, Washington, D.C.) – With the U.S. Senate today voting to rescind the U.S. Department of Education’s regulations for teacher preparation programs and the U.S. House of Representatives having done so last month, this joint resolution now heads to the president for his signature.

AACTE has advocated for the rescindment of the regulations based on several concerns. The education profession currently faces daunting challenges – including growing teacher shortages, declining enrollment in educator preparation programs, persistent lack of diversity and a low retention rate – none of which will be solved by forcing states and the profession to focus on compliance with the costly, burdensome and unfunded mandate required by the regulations. Furthermore, by linking students’ access to federal student financial aid to the rating of their teacher preparation program, this rule makes an unprecedented move of altering federal student financial aid policy through the regulatory process.

With the elimination of these onerous regulations, states and the profession will be able to continue directing time, energy and resources to supporting innovation, as well as strengthening programs to ensure that teacher candidates are profession ready and able to meet the needs of our nation’s students.

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AACTE: The Leading Voice on Educator Preparation
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are profession-ready as they enter the classroom. Its over 800 member institutions include public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Through advocacy and capacity building, AACTE promotes innovation and effective practices that strengthen educator preparation. Learn more at www.aacte.org.