The purpose of this inquiry was to explore teacher educator identity as a relational ontology. The study is conceptually grounded in new materialism and employed self-study methodology to analyze the ways teacher educator identity was produced and enacted in relation to materiality. Findings suggest the entanglement with the internet and digital…

My focus in this reflection is on the role of mathematics teacher education in the preparation of culturally relevant teachers for urban schools. Drawing from the sociology of urban mathematics education (SUM) framework, I explore the current blind spots in our view of the preparation of culturally relevant mathematics teachers for urban schools.…

In this article, the author describes a lens for engaging in research and practice in urban education rooted in deep cultural understandings of the concept of building bridges and the impact of cultural agnosia.

Schools need to do a better job of recognizing the contributions and gifts students bring with them. Such a community-spirit approach could help everyone, from teachers and parents to district leaders and the Secretary of Education, dissuade the public from individualistic school structures and instead focus on equitable solutions that include the…

Teachers who organize for educational equity and social justice generally do so through teacher-led professional networks. Community organizations (COs) that seek to support such teacher leaders can face challenges in working with their organic and often horizontally organized networks. This article examines three case studies of COs that…

In this response to the call for transformative models of teaching students in urban contexts, the author presents his own experiences in becoming a critical pedagogue, the path that led him there, and three models of classrooms that he sees in such contexts. He emphasizes the need to reject an apolitical stance in urban education, and provides a…

This essay reflects on ways to equip teacher candidates so they are not only prepared to answer tough questions, but are educated for the linguistic and literacy challenges of today's classrooms. We recognize that with an ever-growing majority minority population, it is time to change the teacher preparation system, and to support current teachers…

To be an effective urban educator requires teachers to understand the contextual factors of students, the school, and the community, and their cumulative effects on learning. Urban teacher academies support a better understanding of urban classrooms and challenge stereotypes of the urban context. The focus of this study was to compare…

Preparing special educators for the highest-need schools remains an ongoing challenge in urban districts across the United States. One university's collaborative community-based immersive partnership model, with emphasis on service learning, has demonstrated promising levels of impact on candidates' preparation as preservice teachers learning how…

The study is a mixed-methods investigation of how urban schools are succeeding. The study surveyed 28 former students from urban schools in Oxnard, California. The qualitative responses represent themes that align to a high level of school connectedness and social-emotional learning (SEL) as key indicators of a successful urban school district.…

This article builds a case for nuanced conceptualizations of "urban" and "-suburban" educational contexts and issues. The author analyzes data across two studies--one of upper-middle-class White parents with children in Chicago public schools, and the other of Black low-income and working-class parents who moved from Chicago to…

Criticism of teachers who work among the poor is analyzed. (CK)

Teachers for Chicago is a graduate-level teacher preparation program based on apprenticeship. Prospective teachers learn through onsite experience supported by training and interaction with mentors and other experts. (SK)

Weldon, Menacker, and Hurwitz studied teacher-student relationships and student behavior in four Chicago inner-city elementary schools. Findings indicated that, although students and teachers reported mutual respect, each school had severe discipline problems. The authors present several possible explanations. Commentary on the study by Guinagh…

Article examined the problems of urban education and reviewed a text, Urban Education in America: Problems and Prospects, written by Raymond C. Hummel and John M. Nagle. (RK)