A Failure To Work Together
There is little coordination between federal K-12 and higher education programs charged with teacher training, even though such efforts could improve education for poor and minority students in low-quality public schools, a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee was told Thursday.
http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7355.shtml
May 21st, 2007 at 6:02 pm
BRAVO!!
It’s refreshing to finally seeing someone put into words, a problem we have had for sometime. It is imperative that teacher education programs begin to collaborate and partner with local school districts to solve the teacher training and shortage dilema that concern all of us.
May 21st, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Although it makes sense for higher education institution to work more closely with K-12 institutions to improve teacher preparation for candidates who will teach in low income, urban schools and in increasing the diversity among the teaching force this assumes that 2 things: 1) the university faculty including those Michigan State University know what is required to teach low income urban students and 2) that university faculty are convinced of the value of having a diverse teaching staff. Neither are true. Although many university faculty talk about teaching low income urban students well, it is simply all talk. Most of them don’t couldn’t teach urban students well let alone teach others to do so. And very few universities even those that tout their expertise in “urban” issues are themselves still far from being diverse institutions.
May 21st, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Although it makes sense for higher education institution to work more closely with K-12 institutions to improve teacher preparation for candidates who will teach in low income, urban schools and in increasing the diversity among the teaching force this assumes that 2 things: 1) the university faculty including those Michigan State University know what is required to teach low income urban students and 2) that university faculty are convinced of the value of having a diverse teaching staff. Neither are true. Although many university faculty talk about teaching low income urban students well, it is simply all talk. Most of them don’t couldn’t teach urban students well let alone teach others to do so. And very few universities even those that tout their expertise in “urban” issues are themselves still far from being diverse institutions.