AACTE, NCTR, 100+ Organizations Urge Congress to Reverse Federal Grant Cancellations

(March 3, 2025, Washington, D.C.) — AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) and the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) sent a letter Friday on behalf of 104 organizations to the 119^th Congress requesting the immediate reversal of the cancellations of SEED (Supporting Effective Educator Development), TQP (Teacher Quality Partnership) and Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL) grants.

The TQP, SEED, and TSL programs are vital to help provide high-quality, affordable, work-based pathways that expand the pool of qualified teachers in the United States, especially in teaching specialties where shortages are most acute including the following:

• Science
• Mathematics
• Career and technical education
• Early childhood education
• Special education
• English language learners

Research shows that the quality of preparation matters for teacher retention and student outcomes, which in turn impacts our economic competitiveness and national security. Teachers who are prepared through high-quality programs, that include pre-service student teaching as well as integrated coursework, are less than half as likely to leave the profession as those who enter the profession through pathways that lack student teaching and other key elements of teacher preparation.

“Every child in our nation deserves access to highly prepared educators, and it is essential that every educator be prepared in a matter that equips them for modern classrooms,” said Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., AACTE president and CEO. “The cancellation of these grants hinders active solutions to addressing the educator workforce and improving student outcomes in PK-12 schools.”

“There’s a ripple effect that must be addressed now,” said Kathlene Campbell, Ph.D., NCTR CEO. “While the cancellation of the grants impacts students and teacher residents currently in a teacher preparation program who are uncertain on how they can continue in the program without financial support, it also impacts prospective students and teacher residents who now may have second thoughts about entering a teacher prep program. This is a compounded issue that will gravely impact our nation as we lose out on well-prepared educators to teach our next generation of leaders.”

All 104 organizations strongly advocate for Congress to expand—rather than abruptly cancel—grant funding, reinforcing investments that guarantee students access to a highly qualified educator workforce.

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About AACTE

Established in 1948, AACTE is the leading voice in educator preparation. AACTE’s member institutions and programs prepare the greatest number of professional educators in the United States and its territories, including teachers, counselors, administrators, and college faculty. These professional educators are prepared for careers in PK-12 classrooms, colleges and universities, state and governmental agencies, policy institutes, and non-profit organizations. Learn more at aacte.org.

About NCTR

The National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing, launching, supporting, and accelerating the impact of teacher residency programs. Headquartered in Chicago, NCTR’s mission is to transform educator preparation by advancing the teacher residency movement to prepare, support, and retain more effective educators who represent and value the communities they serve. For more information about NCTR, visit https://nctresidencies.org/.