AACTE Statement on President Trump’s Proposed Education Budget for 2018

(May 25, 2017, Washington, D.C.) – Sharon P. Robinson, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), today issued the following statement regarding President Donald J. Trump’s proposed education budget for Fiscal Year 2018:

“We are deeply disappointed by the proposed elimination of the Teacher Quality Partnership grants and the Title II-A state grant program of the Every Student Succeeds Act in the president’s budget request. Together these funding streams support innovative and evidence-based solutions to state and local needs related to teacher quality, preparation, recruitment and retention, equitable distribution and more. These investments encourage educator preparation providers to collaborate with PK-12 schools, communities and states to strengthen and transform their programs, deepen school-university partnerships and develop targeted approaches to meet state and local education priorities.

Although our field is making great strides in these efforts, it also is facing significant challenges, from staffing shortages to declining enrollment in preparation programs to the persistent diversity gap between educators and their students. At this time especially, federal funds should be directed to addressing these issues. Eliminating programs that support the preparation of effective educators will impede the progress we are making on behalf of the nation’s learners.

AACTE and its members are eager to work with Congress as it begins the appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2018. We will advocate for the continued funding of these and other programs that support educator preparation, and in two weeks we will convene members, colleagues and partners in Washington, D.C., for our ‘Day on the Hill’ to engage with Congress and voice our support for these critical programs.”

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About 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. The 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.