Defining the Model for Urban Teacher Preparation

Abstract

The School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is addressing the urban teacher retention challenge through its Institute for Urban Education (JUE). JUE focuses on recruiting individuals from underrepresented populations who have a commitment to their urban communities. Its curriculum is distinguished by five features: (1) an emphasis on math, science, and literacy; (2) a focus on social justice, multicultural education, and culturally-responsive pedagogy; ( 3) summer, communitybased experiences; ( 4) classes taught in urban school classrooms; and ( 5) new-teacher mentoring and induction.