The U.S. Department of Education and NASA recently signed a memorandum of understanding that involves increasing student and school access to STEM and space education.
“From the groundbreaking Apollo mission to today’s Artemis program, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the moon, NASA’s work has long galvanized the world to raise the bar and reach for new heights,” U.S.…
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Register for AFT TEACH by June 1 to guarantee housing and save $200.
The three-day conference, which begins July 21 and takes place in Washington, D.C., offers professional development workshops that are custom developed by AFT members and other experts.
To view the schedule and to register, click here.
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All Garden State educators are welcome to apply for the New Jersey Department of Education Amistad Commission’s inaugural Summer Curriculum Institute for Teachers, which will take place July 17-20 at William Paterson University.
The event’s theme is “Moments in African American History,” and participants will experience lectures by esteemed scholars, breakout sessions with colleagues and networking opportunities while earning 33 hours of PD credit.…
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Gov. Phil Murphy noted the need for teacher recruitment and retention in New Jersey. Sen. Andrew Zwicker, who sits on the Senate Higher Education Committee, said the state has an obligation to fund higher education. And Sen. Vin Gopal, the chair of the Senate Education Committee, expressed his appreciation for educators and pledged his support.
They were among the many elected officials who spoke May 20 at the AFTNJ 2023 Legislative Conference in East Brunswick.…
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The New Jersey Work Environment Council is set to present the webinar “Building Ventilation and Minimizing Exposure to COVID-19 and Airborne Diseases” on May 31.
Dave Newman, who for 18 years served as the staff industrial hygienist for the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, will be the guest speaker. Topics of discussion will include the fundamentals of building ventilation and the steps that can be taken in your workplace to cut down on transmission of airborne viruses.…
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There’s power in co-creating courses with students, according to international educator Aimée Skidmore.
“Inviting students to co-create the curriculum shifts ownership and accountability to learners and fosters democratic teaching practices, without sacrificing the objectives and goals that align learning experiences,” she writes for Edutopia.
Read Skidmore’s full post here.
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Join Chronicle of Higher Education editor Ian Wilhelm on May 16 for the panel discussion “Academic Integrity and AI.”
As described by the Chronicle, the discussion will cover what ChatGPT means for academic integrity, and panelists will provide insight into stopping cheating before it becomes problematic.
To register for the hourlong discussion, which begins at 2 p.m.,…
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An initiative designed to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities is set to launch virtually May 10 at 1 p.m. ET.
“Expect, Engage, and Empower: Successful Transitions for All!” supports Education Secretary Dr. Miguel A. Cardona’s mission to improve school equity nationwide. As described by The Office of Special Education Programs, this effort “will challenge the field to join OSEP to raise expectations, engage families earlier, and empower all who support transition services to measurably and significantly improve postsecondary outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and their families.”…
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On May 4, the Education Law Center marked its 50th anniversary with the panel “Promise and Perils in Public Education: Past, Present, and Future” at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark.
Among the panelists was AFTNJ President Donna M. Chiera. When asked by panel moderator and ELC Executive Director Robert Kim how the teaching profession has changed, she said that in the years since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools transitioned from “teaching all subjects [and] looking at the whole child” to “if it’s not tested, it’s not important.” …
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For many months, whenever she’s talked about higher education in New Jersey, AFTNJ President Donna M. Chiera has emphasized what’s lacking on the fiscal side: transparency, accountability and oversight (TAO).
On May 1, Chiera spent several minutes on TAO and other topics during the N.J. State Legislature’s Special Meeting on Higher Education at the State House Annex in Trenton.…
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Join Chronicle of Education senior writer Karin Fischer on May 2 for the virtual forum “The Changing Field of International Education.”
Along with a panel of experts, Fischer will discuss strategies for addressing updated goals in international education’s shifting landscape.
The forum begins at 2 p.m. ET. To register, click here.
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President Joe Biden on April 21 revealed his intent to appoint AFT Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick C. Ingram to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans.
The commission’s objectives include promoting career pathways for Black students via internships and other work-based learning initiatives, along with increasing public awareness of the educational disparities Black Americans face and providing solutions to these problems.…
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Melody Gonzales, the executive director of the White House Hispanic Initiative, will be among the featured speakers April 27 during the virtual discussion “Ensuring Latino Students Succeed: The Latino Action Agenda.”
To register for this free Latinos for Education event, click here.
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Gov. Phil Murphy on April 24 signed A4772/S3215, which addresses some loopholes that have affected striking workers and others in labor disputes from receiving access to unemployment insurance benefits.
Taking effect immediately and applying to all UI benefit claims filed on or after Jan. 1, 2022, A4772/S3215 will:
• Permit UI benefits to be distributed to workers during an employer lockout even if a strike did not immediately precede the lockout
• Decrease the timeframe from 30 days to 14 days following a strike that UI benefits are disqualified, while allowing for benefits to be paid immediately regardless of the timeframe if replacement workers are hired on either a permanent or temporary basis
• Clarify that there is no disqualification if an issue in the labor dispute is the failure of the employer to comply with an agreement between the parties
“Workers and their families often struggle financially when they go on strike to protest injustice in the workplace,” said Charlie Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO.…
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