Teacher Educators and Students Advocate for Educator Preparation at AACTE’s Washington Week in the Nation’s Capital

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jerrica Thurman 202-478-4502 or jthurman@aacte.org

(June 3, 2019, Washington, D.C.) – The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is convening its annual Washington Week, themed “Your Voice Matters,” June 2-5 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Teacher educators, college students, and representatives from K-12 schools and national education organizations have united at the conference to amplify their voices on federal and state policies affecting educator preparation. During the sessions, attendees hear the latest updates on national education trends and receive advocacy training in preparation for their congressional meetings on Capitol Hill June 5 to advocate for educator preparation. 

“AACTE state chapter leaders, Holmes Scholars students, and colleges of education administrators from across the nation have gathered at AACTE’s event this week to advocate for the future of education,” said Lynn M. Gangone, AACTE president and CEO. “We are here to raise our collective voices and petition our Members of Congress for their support to help solve teacher shortages, increase teacher diversity, and maintain teacher and students’ safety in the classroom among other pressing issues in educator preparation.”

The AACTE Washington Week is held each June and features three key components:

State Leaders Institute: June 2-3
AACTE’s State Leaders Institute (SLI) brings together state chapter leaders from across the country involved with two organizations – AACTE and the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) – to enhance the presence and capacity of educator preparation at the state level.

Holmes Scholars Summer Policy Institute: June 3
AACTE’s annual Holmes Program summer event brings together Holmes Scholars, coordinators and leaders to explore best practices for education advocacy. Attendees learn how to elevate their voice and research to positively impact future policy for students of color and other marginalized groups.

Day on the Hill: June 4-5
This year’s AACTE Day on the Hill offers two different tracks of interactive sessions as part of the full-day orientation to develop or strengthen attendees’ advocacy skills, followed by meetings with Members of Congress and/or their staff.

“Our premiere advocacy event engages AACTE members and non-members alike in promoting the profession with Members of Congress and their staff,” said Deborah Koolbeck, AACTE senior director, government relations. “We provide training to augment attendees ability to advocate effectively on Capitol Hill and with their elected officials back home.”

To learn more about the AACTE 2019 Washington Week, visit aacte.org, tune into AACTE’s Facebook Live Videos, and follow what’s happening on Twitter at #AACTEWW19.

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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. Nearly 800 member institutions include public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam. Through advocacy and capacity building, AACTE promotes innovation and effective practices that strengthen educator preparation. Learn more at www.aacte.org.