Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy is dean of the School of Education at American University.
A report by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education revealed that between the 2007-2008 and 2015-2016 academic years, 23 percent fewer candidates completed teacher-preparation programs nationwide. Over the years, several models of teacher preparation outside of “traditional” colleges/schools of education have emerged that target recent college graduates. The New Teacher Project partners with districts to prepare new teachers for high-need schools. It and other groups, such as Teach For America and Urban Teachers, boast of bringing the most talented individuals to teaching. These programs are necessary; however, they recruit students from outside the communities in which they teach and some are dependent on short-term training. Programs of the “grow your own” kind allow professionals or others to get trained and give back to the communities in which they live and work.
In partnership with D.C. Public Schools, American University’s School of Education has launched a dual-enrollment program focused on education. D.C. high-schoolers get exposed to the education field while earning early college credits alongside future educators undergoing training and teacher preparation. And to the extent that teacher-preparation programs are no longer attracting undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, we believe tapping prospective teachers in high school, who then enter college to pursue teaching degrees and get trained in the local schools where they will teach, is a viable approach for teacher success and retention.
As a teacher shortage can be an issue for a school district, so is the lack of diverse teachers. Research indicates that K-12 students benefit from being educated by teachers from a variety of backgrounds, races and ethnic groups, as this experience better prepares them to succeed in an increasingly diverse society. Nonwhite students now account for more than half of all public school students, but about 80 percent of the teacher workforce is white.
Correcting this disproportional relationship will not be easy. Steve Kappler of the standardized testing organization ACT said in 2015, “The earlier you get to them the better. . . . Perceptions get shared early so the more conversation we can have with high school students, the easier it’ll be to keep the teaching pipeline full.”
Other research indicates youths aren’t pursuing teaching because they believe it is an undesirable career. Among ethnically diverse college students, some evidence suggests that students of color choose majors outside education because of a perception of meager pay and what they say is a lack of respect for teachers. (In the District, teachers are able to earn above the national average for teacher salaries.) Clearly, teaching has an image problem, and as educators, we need to correct this distorted view.
We can overcome negative perceptions by introducing the teaching profession early in a student’s career development. This fall, we welcome our first cohort of high-achieving DCPS 12th-graders in the dual-enrollment program. They will accrue early college credit for education degrees (or other degrees if they ultimately choose not to pursue education.) The program will introduce teaching as a career option. The 12th-graders get a chance to observe our teacher candidates teaching in schools in the District. Dual-enrollment programs designed with the intent of preparing future teachers are rare, and AU’s is the only education-focused one in the region. Nationwide, community-based programs are showing success.
AU’s dual-enrollment program has the potential to supply D.C. Public Schools with diverse teachers. Teachers are a part of their communities, and teaching is a fundamental component of a well-functioning, healthy community. Legislators, policymakers and parents are concerned about teacher shortages. Those of us in teacher education, some of whom are former K-12 educators ourselves, share these concerns. Now, more than ever, we must work together to prepare the very best to enter the teaching profession.
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