AACTE Announces Derek W. Black as 2022 Annual Meeting Opening Keynote Speaker

(February 9, 2022, Washington, D.C.) AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) is excited to announce that one of the nation’s foremost experts in education law and policy, Derek W. Black, J.D., is the opening keynote speaker for its 74^th Annual Meeting, March 4 – 6, 2022, in New Orleans, La. Known as an outspoken champion for the importance of public education, Black will take center stage on Friday, March 4, to discuss his latest book, Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy, as well as how current education trends represent a retreat from our nation’s foundational commitments to democracy and public education.

Black is currently a professor of law at the University of South Carolina School of Law and focuses on school funding and equality for disadvantaged students. He has published more than 30 scholarly articles in the nation’s top legal journals, and his research has been cited several times in the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Black began his career in teaching at Howard University School of Law, where he founded and directed the Education Rights Center. Prior to teaching, he litigated education cases at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

AACTE’s 74^th Annual Meeting, “Rethink, Reshape, Reimagine, Revolutionize: Growing the Profession Post Pandemic,” will bring together education leaders across the nation to engage in meaningful discussions, share research and practices, and become better equipped to drive change in the educator preparation field.

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 AACTE: The Leading Voice on Educator Preparation

AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) is a national alliance of educator preparation programs and partners dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are profession-ready as they enter the classroom. The over 650 member institutions and strategic partners 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 aacte.org.