American Association Of Colleges For Teacher Education

Target demographics: advance the field of education

Geographic areas served: the United States

Programs: 1. Holmes Scholars Program: The Holmes Program currently supports scholars of color from nearly 65 campuses nationwide who are being prepared for leadership roles in education, including roles as faculty, higher education administrators, PK-12 leaders, policymakers, and advocates. More than 700 Scholars have benefitted from the program since its inception, with many alumni holding tenure-track and leadership positions in the field. Holmes Scholars come from a diverse set of institutions across the country, from high intensive research institutions, to liberal arts colleges, and public colleges and universities. They are pursuing scholarship in numerous concentrations across the field, including but not limited to special education, school counseling and school psychology, mathematics and science education, higher education administration, curriculum and instruction, and literacy. Participating Holmes institutions receive a range of benefits that increases their scholars’ productivity and elevates their institution’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. 2. Advocating for High-Quality Educator Preparation: As a national organization based in Washington, DC, AACTE has a long history of successful advocacy at the federal level. AACTE has championed important federal policies such as the Teacher Quality Partnership grants, Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence, the TEACH Grant, and student loan forgiveness programs for educators. That work continues, but today many of the most important policy decisions affecting the education workforce and educator preparation are made at the state level. Each state establishes licensure requirements for educators and crafts its own program approval requirements for educator preparation. States also mandate policies related to courses and curricula that impact the preparation of educators, and set a variety of additional policies that – for better or ill – impact the education workforce. To advocate for state decisions that are in the long-term best interests of current and prospective educators and their students, AACTE works in close collaboration with its network of 41 state affiliate organizations. Through its Advisory Council of State Representatives (ACSR), AACTE collaborates with state educator preparation organizations to strengthen collective advocacy efforts, share experiences and expertise, and expand members’ professional development opportunities. 3. Professional Learning Initiatives: The tools and resources AACTE provides enhance educators’ professional learning and career development, provide solutions to current challenges, and present opportunities to network and engage with other professionals in the field. Our educator preparation and professional learning programs cover the critical challenges facing faculty, educators, students, and policymakers on a daily basis including a lack of diverse teachers and the inequitable distribution of certified teachers in schools serving majority Black and brown students; technology/AI integration challenges; educator shortages, burnout, well-being, and mental health issues; and constant policy, advocacy, and regulation battles. AACTE’s focus on professional learning supports faculty research and practice, helps educators develop their pedagogical skills, diversifies the profession by eliminating barriers to entry, and provides critical volunteer experience to educators seeking promotion and tenure. We are committed to continuing the pursuit of professional learning by providing opportunities and platforms for educators, faculty, and practitioners – at all junctures of their careers – to collaborate and access expertise across the education spectrum.