Recently, Mashea Ashton, CEO of Newark Charter School Fund (NCSF) wrote a blog for the Huffington Post advocating for the reform of teacher tenure laws.

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With an increasing number of schools hiring professionals with previous careers in a variety of industries, requirements for teacher licensure are constantly evolving. In an effort to welcome degreed-professionals into the classroom, many states are considering new alternative certification policies to serve better serve students, particularly in hard-to-staff positions.

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Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee held a congressional hearing examining how to strengthen the teaching profession. In light of recent survey data explaining that teachers don’t feel heard, an investment in what works in teaching is critically needed.

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Today, AAE released its 2014 Membership Survey about high-profile education and labor policies. Survey results show progressive stances toward education and labor reform, particularly with regard to education spending, school choice, technology, safety in schools, Common Core State Standards, and collective bargaining.   Continue Reading...

Last month, while most of us were knee-deep in Christmas cookies and holiday celebrations, the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) was thinking about the future of the teaching profession.  Specifically, they teamed up with Pearson to release a report about creating new career pathways for teachers.

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Last June, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its first ever Teacher Prep Review Report. It’s considered an unprecedented evaluation of more than 1,100 colleges and universities that prepare teachers and gives stakeholders a snapshot of their programs. AAE endorsed the report as an innovative consumer tool, allowing aspiring teachers, parents and school districts to compare programs.

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This week, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will re-launch a campaign of public service announcements designed to galvanize the nation’s most elite college students to consider a career in teaching. The program will include television, radio, internet, and newspaper components to capitalize on recruiting America's best and brightest.

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With the teaching profession growing and evolving, one theme that remains constant is the fact that effective teachers are the key to student success. However, teachers can only be as good as the instruction they receive. Therefore, in order to bring our colleges of education into a new era of success, AAE is pleased to be signing on in support of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ) new 2013 Teacher Prep Review Report.   Continue Reading...

You've had these students in your class for a year or more and the time has finally come – graduation day! You might be secretly thinking, "another year, another graduation;" However, to your students your final words of encouragement will mean more to them than you may know.   Continue Reading...

This week, May 5-11, 2013, is both National Teacher Appreciation Week and National Charter Schools Week. AAE is pleased to recognize inspiring educators and to celebrate the growing national public charter school movement, this week and every week.   Continue Reading...

The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL) recently released their 2013 membership survey. Similar to the AAE National Membership Survey, this survey polled member teachers on pressing education issues and "highlights the depth of concern teachers have for the status of education in Louisiana," stated Kelli Bottger, director of communication for A+PEL.   Continue Reading...

According to state statistics compiled by the New York Times, new teacher evaluation systems are yielding mixed results. Educators in states including Michigan, Florida, and Tennessee have seen effectiveness rates at 97% or higher. While the numbers are exciting, the figures also warrant further investigation into whether these evaluation systems are providing teachers with meaningful feedback.   Continue Reading...

When you talk to educators about professional development, there tends to be a mindset that favors events like conferences, workshops, and webinars. Even though studies have shown that these forms of professional development are limited in their success, teachers still cling to them as ways to connect with other educators and get new ideas. That's not to say that these forms of professional development are entirely without merit, just that by relying on these staples we close ourselves to other opportunities.   Continue Reading...

There is no doubt that the shift to Common Core will bring about a change in not only how instruction is delivered, but also in the way schools operate. In order to meet some of the goals of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), schools will have to shift some of their practices. Individual schools will approach the challenges differently, but there are some universal changes that good schools should implement.   Continue Reading...

According to a new study by the Center on Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness at the University of Virginia, researchers can pinpoint teacher effectiveness based on data from the early stages of their careers. The data raises serious questions about a teacher's ability to improve after a few years in the classroom.   Continue Reading...

Today the 2013 annual membership survey was released by the Association of American Educators. The survey was conducted this fall, polling AAE members from all 50 states on issues relating to education and labor reform.   Continue Reading...

In honor of the 2013 Presidential Inauguration, AAE staff attended the U.S. Department of Education Open House last week. The event was hosted by Department of Education staff and was conducted in an effort to engage the education community and showcase various goals for President Obama's second term.   Continue Reading...

Awareness of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) seems to finally be penetrating the public at large. Unfortunately, the new standards are also being met with a large amount of misinformation. Recent controversial articles have asserted that the new language arts reading standards will be detrimental to traditional English classes nationwide.   Continue Reading...

Teach For America, one of the leading teacher training programs in the country, recently launched an initiative to recruit top military veterans to underserved classrooms.   Continue Reading...

ASCD recently released their October issue of Educational Leadership, with the title Students Who Challenge Us. Intrigued, I headed over to their site, excited to learn about better ways to deal with challenging students.   Continue Reading...