Member Voices

Call for Member Stories

AACTE is committed to providing opportunities for its members to connect virtually during the coronavirus pandemic. One of several initiatives the Association launched to support members during the outbreak is the opportunity to share their stories with the educator preparation community on its Ed Prep Matters blog. The following member articles address a number of topics, such as lessons learned; the response planning process; innovations to adapt to the needs of faculty, staff, and students; and how the situation has developed education leaders.

AACTE is currently accepting article submissions, which should be emailed to AACTE’s Content Strategist Katrina Norfleet at knorfleet@aacte.org. 

Q&A with AACTE Member Leaders

AACTE leaders share words of advice, lessons learned and best practices with other university leaders and college deans in navigating through the global pandemic

August 3, 2020 – AACTE Member Leaders Discuss the Importance of Collaborating During COVID – Hear from Board members Kimberly White-Smith, Stephanie Knight and John Blackwell the importance of collaboration during times of crises.

July 10, 2020 – AACTE Member Leaders Discuss Why Leadership and Partnerships Matter in Crises – Board Members John Henning and Mary Murray discuss why leadership and building partnerships matter during times of crises.

June 5, 2020 – AACTE Member Leaders Discuss Leading in Difficult Times – Board members Marvin Lynn and Laurie Mullen discuss the important role education leaders play in crises during video interviews with AACTE.

May 21, 2020 – AACTE Board Members Share Advice on How to Navigate Through COVID-19 – Jacob Easley, II, Jennie Carr, and Jesse Perez Mendez offer insight in recent video interviews with AACTE.

May 15, 2020 – AACTE Board Chair Ann Larson Discusses Leading in Difficult Times – In a video message to members, AACTE’s Board Chair Ann Larson offers important tips for leading during a crisis and discusses the leadership role of all educators during the coronavirus pandemic.

Education Leadership in Times of Crisis

These articles highlight how AACTE members are working decisively within urgent time frames, while maintaining a focus on managing and motivating teams. Members report on developing and executing appropriate responses, preparing their institution to endure rapid changes, and highlight crisis management skills that have become essential.

 March 5, 2021 – Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Convenes Education Stakeholders to Tackle Big Questions – Paul Gediman reports on the more than 270 educators and education experts from throughout the county who addressed the question: What should the next education workforce look like so that schools can provide better educational experiences to learners and better professional experiences to educators?

February 16 – Ensuring Safe and High-Quality Feedback to Candidates with Video Observation – Caroline Forrest and Cori Woytek of Western Colorado University share how educator preparation programs can effectively use video observations and feedback in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

January 29, 2021 – ISTE Report Guides States in Re-envisioning the Future of Learning with Technology – In response to the rapid transition to online and blended instruction, ISTE has released its newest policy report, From Crisis Management to Sustained Change: States Leading the Future of Learning With the ISTE Standards.

November 2, 2020 – From Pivoting to Disrupting the Status Quo – This is Part 2 of an article by Hannah Reeder and Betsy Rosenbalm of Appalachian State University in which they share how they’ve moved from pivoting to disrupting the status quo as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 23, 2020 – COVID-19 Education Coalition Releases IHE Resources – As co-chairs of the ISTE COVID-19 Education Coalition’s Higher Education Working Group AACTE’s Jacqueline Rodriguez and AACTE Innovation and Technology Committee Co-Chair David Slykhuis led the development of a new infographic that amplifies student agency and strategies to advocate for online supports. A second resource prepares EPPs for future calamities that would threaten to interrupt the preparation of teachers.

October 22, 2020 – Uninterrupted Support in an Interrupted Semester – This is Part 1 of an article by Hannah Reeder and Betsy Rosenbalm of Appalachian State University in which they share how they had to pivot student teaching and new teacher preparation during the spring 2020 semester as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic

October 7, 2020 – Teaching and Learning During Crisis: Collaboration for the Collective Good – Project SOLVE (Strategies and Opportunities for Leading Virtual Learning) a small inquiry research group comprised of Massachusetts-based teacher educators and PK-22 practitioners respond to widespread school closures have developed a free resource to support, PK-22 teacher and teacher educators.

Student Voices

Teacher candidates, an important segment of the educator preparation community, share how they are adapting to online learning and coping with social distancing from their educational community. These include strategies to stay connected with university peers, how the coronavirus has impacted future plans and overall outlook about a career in education, and ways leaders can best support their educational journey during this time.

June 29, 2023 – AACTE Statement on the SCOTUS Decision on Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard University –Since its founding in 1948, AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) has been committed to advancing the field of educator preparation and ensuring that those preparing to be teachers, principals, and other professional educators represent the diversity of the children they educate. Today’s Supreme Court of the United States decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard University is contrary to our collective efforts to build an educator workforce that is diverse and representative.

March 06, 2023 – U.S. Has a Teacher Shortage. HBCUs are Helping to Change That  – As a student teacher from Bowie State University, a historically Black institution, Scott said she has learned to build deep connections with students. The school, Whitehall Elementary, is filled with teachers and administrators who graduated from Bowie State. Classrooms refer to themselves as families, and posters on the wall ask children to reflect on what makes a good classmate.

February 8, 2021 – Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance: Even in a Pandemic – In Part 2 of this article, the authors share the feedback from their students who participated in a virtual professional development.

November 20, 2020 – Leveraging Teacher Candidates as Assets During the Pandemic: A Win-Win for All – Current teacher candidate Lindsey Decker shares her experiences support her mentor teacher in an online environment as part of webisode hosted by AACTE and its partners, CCSSO and CEEDAR

November 19, 2020 – Amplifying BIPOC Student Voices: Discussions on Racial and Social Justice at FAU – People of Color (BIPOC) are navigating two pandemics: COVID-19 and systemic racism. In this article, Adrian Labarta of Florida Atlanta University addresses an important question: How are university systems working to address racial injustice and support BIPOC students?

June 18, 2020 – Sustaining Productivity During COVID-19: How to Stay Connected During Times of Isolation – Graduate students across the nation have contemplated how to be productive and how to recharge and refocus their energy as they continue to pursue their academic goals. Holmes Council Historian Nakisha Whittington offers tips to help students cope during this crisis.

April 24, 2020 – Teaching in a Time of Crisis Highlights the Need for New Standards – Nuala Benisek explores the challenges and opportunities in meeting the needs of students with IEPs and complying with IEP data collection and benchmark assessments during remote learning.

April 9, 2020 – Topper Teacher Candidates Tackle Non-traditional Instruction– Lauren Weitlauf reports on how three Western Kentucky University student teachers immediately went to work developing an alternative learning plan for their classrooms in light of COVID-19 mitigations

March 31, 2020 – Students Share Perspectives on COVID-19– In an interview with AACTE graduate students share how they are adapting to distance learning, the impact on program completion, and financial implications.

Acts of Kindness During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Extraordinary things are happening as Americans come together to support each other in this crisis. These articles feature community services or pro bono resources institutions are offering to assist others during this time. Articles also highlight how teacher educators are collaborating or partnering with other educators, programs, institutions, and/or organizations to address the education needs of local communities.

September 4, 2020 – Nominations Open for Everyday Champion Award to Recognize Achievements in Remote Learning during Pandemic – To recognize heroic efforts, the National Center for Learning Disabilities  iwill present this  Award to honor and an innovative, educator, administrator and parents/caregiver, for helping children with learning and attention issues during the COVID-19 crisis.

May 5, 2020 – Thank You Teachers—You Too, Are First Responders! – AACTE board member Gaetane Jean-Marie of Rowan University encourages her colleagues to celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Day in gratitude to educators for quickly adapting to teaching all learners via virtual classrooms.

March 24, 2020 – Simulation: Creative Solutions to Observing Student Teaching Competencies – Lisa Dieker of the University of Central Florida (UCF) shares how the institution used its TeachLivE simulations of classrooms to observe student candidate’s teaching competencies. UCF invites educators from other teacher preparation programs to use the platform.

Positive Thinking During Tough Times

Maintaining good mental and emotional health and overall well-being is essential during the coronavirus outbreak. These articles highlight ways to enhance coping skills, reduce stress, maintain a positive outlook, and offer key strategies to eliminate negative mental health effects.

January 10, 2023 – National Program Seeks to Advance Underrepresented Faculty through Pre-Doctoral Fellowship – In fall 2023, William Paterson University will welcome two pre-doctoral fellows into the College of Education, one in teacher education (preferably with a specialization in early childhood education or secondary education), and one in special education. Applications are now being accepted for this unique pre-doctoral fellowship program aimed at supporting career development of faculty from underrepresented backgrounds.

March 30, 2020 – Strategies for Staying Sane While Staying Home – Wendy Murawski of California State University, Northridge offers actionable strategies to manage the stress of sustaining work, parenting, caregiving, and schooling at home.

March 23, 2020 – Change Your Mindset: Alternative Perspectives to Remote Learning – AACTE Board member Jennie Carr reflects on the instant and unexpected transition to remote learning, and offers three considerations to navigate the remote experience.