​​

The 2024 NYSATE-NYACTE Annual Conference will focus on how we can work together to bring outstanding, motivated, and committed individuals into our profession and help them continue to grow in excellence and leadership. The theme incorporates the “life journey” of an educator’s career. The focus is extremely critical at the present time of teacher and school leader shortages, as well as the dearth of support personnel such as school nurses, counselors, and advisors. Recent reports estimate there may be at least 55,000 teacher vacancies in school districts nationwide, and an additional 270,000 teaching positions filled by educators without the required qualifications (Annenberg Institute, 2022). The high rate of teacher turnover (14%) witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2021-2022 has not been fully brought back to earlier levels (NCES, 2023) and additional funding for support personnel through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has ended. The data point to a concerted need for institutions of higher education to partner with school districts, community agencies, and state departments of education to invite individuals into the education profession, support them in their work, and grow leadership for the future.

​

Recruit 

According to a 2022 report from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, enrollment in teacher education programs dropped by about 33% from 2008 to 2019, with the areas of highest need (Bilingual Education, STEM Education fields, and Special Education) showing the steepest declines. The data are supported by earlier studies from the Learning Policy Institute (2019), leading to what has been described as a “cliff” with serious implications for the availability of educators in nation’s schools. There is also a growing gap in the racial, cultural, and experiential match between teachers and students (Aydin, Ozfidan, & Carothers, 2017). Collaborative efforts by colleges, community agencies, and schools are needed to mitigate the long-term detrimental effects on schools and children.

​

Prepare 

Eighty-nine percent of teachers are prepared by institutions of higher education (Preparing And Credentialing The Nation’s Teachers, 2022). Educator preparation programs are the place where innovative research on the needs of students and schools take place, in collaboration with P-12 school district partners, educational policy makers, departments of education, and communities. Future educators need to be adept with not only subject matter expertise, but also advances in technology and artificial intelligence, equity and culturally responsive pedagogies and frameworks, family and community engagement, and a range of instructional and assessment practices. The field is constantly looking for ways to be dynamic, innovative, and responsive to changes in society.

​

Mentor 

Combating teacher shortages includes the need to build self-efficacy of junior teachers so that they feel better prepared to work with the diverse populations and new challenges found in the schools. This can only be achieved through a system where experienced, successful teachers engage in support, mentoring, and professional development of their junior colleagues. Experienced educators are also in need of constant learning and support. The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) presented the field with elements for effective professional development (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017): (a) is content focused, (b) incorporates active learning, (c) supports collaboration, (d) uses models of effective practice, (e) provides coaching and expert support, (f) offers feedback and reflection, and (g) is of sustained duration. These and other models are critical as educators deal with unprecedented advancements in technology (e.g., artificial intelligence), student-centered learning approaches, and the need to build critical thinking and resilience in students.

​

​Retain 

While many individuals join the education profession based on a passion for making a difference in the lives of children and a commitment to creating a better world, many leave because of personal and workplace reasons, including burnout and hostile school environments, a trend that accelerated following the COVID-19 pandemic school closures. The number of teachers in NY is currently 217,398, down from 240,400 in 2012 (NCES, 2019). While insufficient pay is one of the reasons, other factors to be considered when looking for ways to retain excellent educators (NCES, 2024), include collegial supports within schools, support in managing student disciplinary issues, satisfaction with school climate, greater autonomy and creativity, and supports for other family commitments (Lovison & Mo, 2024). 

​

Advance 

Strong leadership has long been recognized as essential for schools to meet their mission to improve educational outcomes for students and create an environment in which educators can thrive (Jean-Marie, Normore, & Brooks, 2009). We can all learn from innovative leadership preparation programs that include curricula around building community relationships, supporting social justice for all students, challenging traditional structural models of schools, and bringing new learning modalities and technologies to their schools. Dynamic and innovative programs also help leaders balance their organizational responsibilities with additional factors such as increased accountability and scrutiny, and politicization of schools (Perna, 2023).

​

CONFERENCE PAGES

• Conference Program

• Plenary Speakers

• Registration and Hotel Information

• Sponsors​