COE Dean Assumes Role as AACTE Board Chair

COE Dean Assumes Role as AACTE Board Chair

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) announced that Stacey Edmonson, dean of the College of Education at Sam Houston State University, has assumed her role as chair of the AACTE Board of Directors for 2026–27, providing strategic leadership for the national association representing educator preparation programs across higher education.

Edmonson has served as dean of the College of Education at SHSU since 2014 and is a professor of educational leadership. Over the course of her career, she has worked across PK–12 and higher education as a teacher, principal, central office administrator and academic leader — experiences that continue to inform her work preparing educators and strengthening partnerships between universities and school systems.

“Dr. Edmonson is a deeply respected leader and education advocate whose career reflects an unwavering commitment to strengthening educator preparation and supporting the success of teachers, leaders and students,” said AACTE President and CEO Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy. “Her work as a dean, scholar and practitioner demonstrates both vision and impact. As she steps into the role of chair, her leadership will help guide AACTE through a pivotal moment — strengthening our collective voice, deepening partnerships and advancing innovation and equity across the educator preparation community.”

As chair, Edmonson will lead the AACTE Board of Directors in advancing the association’s mission to strengthen educator preparation and advocate for policies that support a diverse, effective educator workforce.

“It is truly an honor to serve AACTE at this pivotal time,” Edmonson said. “I believe wholeheartedly in the transformative power of educator preparation. The teachers and leaders we prepare are the foundation that builds stronger communities, fosters innovative opportunities and positively impacts the lives of students. AACTE stands at the very intersection of purpose and possibility, with a shared commitment to ensuring every learner has access to the high-quality education and well-prepared teacher they deserve.”

Under Edmonson’s leadership, SHSU’s College of Education has built on its historic legacy as the first teacher preparation institute in Texas while expanding innovative programs, research initiatives and community engagement that prepare teachers, leaders, counselors and other educators to meet the needs of diverse learners and communities. Edmonson’s scholarship and professional contributions focus on educational leadership, educator well-being and burnout, ethics and legal issues in education and the development of strong and supportive learning environments. She has served as principal investigator on more than $13 million in competitive external grant funding and has published more than 85 articles and six books on education topics such as trust, stress and burnout, legal issues in education and educator ethics.

In addition to her work with AACTE, Edmonson is a past president for both the Teacher Education Council for State Colleges and Universities (TECSCU) and the Texas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (TACTE). She also serves as a board member and former site team chair for the Council of the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as well as a member and chair-elect of the National Policy Board for Educational Administration.

About AACTE
Established in 1948, AACTE is the leading voice in educator preparation. AACTE’s member institutions and programs prepare the greatest number of professional educators in the United States and its territories, including teachers, counselors, administrators and college faculty. These professional educators are prepared for careers in PK-12 classrooms, colleges and universities, state and governmental agencies, policy institutes and non-profit organizations. Learn more at aacte.org.