AURORA, Colo.—
Educators who train and prepare students to become teachers, gathered this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) to call attention to the ongoing challenges that face K-12 learning.
AACTE officials said that this year’s theme, “Ascending New Heights: Propelling the Profession into the Future,” aligns with the association’s vision and mission “to revolutionize education for all learners by elevation education and educator preparation through research, professional practice, advocacy, and collaboration.”
In her opening keynote address, Susana Córdova, Colorado’s Commissioner of Education said that the challenge of recruiting and retaining teachers remains an urgent concern not only in Colorado, but across the nation.
Susana Córdova, Colorado’s Commissioner of Education delivered the opening keynote at AACTE
“We’re all working hard to fill the gaps that exist,” said Córdova, adding that the mounting teacher vacancies—particularly in the wake of COVID-19—has been a top priority for school districts across the country.
She told education professors and deans that the work that they’re doing at the higher education level, is helping by preparing future teachers and ensuring that they’re ready for the demands of a future workforce ready to meet the challenging needs that face education today.
But many educators at the annual meeting expressed worries about the political climate that has made it more difficult to encourage college students to consider entering the teaching profession. They point to the grow number of states who have passed legislation —most notably Texas and Florida—that make it more difficult to teach about Black history for example.
