America’s Teacher Educators Convene to Address Challenges

(February 24, 2021, Washington, D.C.) – The 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) begins today. The conference, themed “Resisting Hate, Restoring Hope: Engaging in Courageous Action,” is being held virtually February 24 – 26. Attendees include deans, faculty, students, and administrators from undergraduate and graduate education programs, community colleges, and PK-12 schools, as well as representatives from state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and foundations.

The past year has presented the educational system with many challenges. The onset of the pandemic, incidents of racial injustice, and the digital divide magnified the systemic challenges occurring in PK-16 environments that serve the nation’s most vulnerable populations—students of color, students with disabilities, students from immigrant families, students from low-income families, and LGBTQ students. Under its 2021 theme, the AACTE conference offers attendees hundreds of concurrent sessions that explore how to revolutionize U.S. educational systems and practices to better serve all learners, dismantle inequities, and assure that no child’s future is determined by their race or socioeconomic background.

The conference sessions are organized into four strands:

• Equity and Inclusivity in Preparation and Practice
• Activism for Renewing Democracy
• Establishing a Sustainable and Diverse Profession
• Clinical Practice and Community Engagement

Today’s welcome and opening keynote session will feature distinguished speakers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jack Reed; Congresswoman Alma S. Adams; Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation, Head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Karen Marrongelle; and nationally recognized education policy and leadership studies scholar Leslie T. Fenwick. Tomorrow’s spotlight speaker will feature Bettina L. Love, an award-winning author and the Athletic Association Endowed Professor at the University of Georgia. Award-winning presidential historian and scholar of leadership, Michael Beschloss, will be the closing keynote speaker on Friday.

Learn more about the AACTE 73rd Annual Meeting at aacte.org.

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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 and partners dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are profession-ready as they enter the classroom. The 700 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.