The academic achievement of Black boys in the U.S. has been declining, and Black male mentorship can positively change these outcomes. Schools have tried many interventions to help Black boys receive the academic, social, and emotional support they need to close the performance gap. Some case studies have proven that Black male mentorship works.…

Teacher educators have not been sitting quietly by the side as others have demanded changes in teacher preparation programs. Across the nation, scores of efforts are underway to recruit, train, induct, and retain a highly skilled class of professionals for American schools. The stories presented in this article cover just a fraction of the…

Hamilton County, Tennessee, engaged in a multi-year effort to improve teaching in a group of eight central city elementary schools. This reform, known as the Benwood Initiative, was funded with $5 million from the Chattanooga-based Benwood Foundation. Student achievement improved dramatically as a result of this initiative. The Benwood successes…

Across America today, school districts face a problem of numbers: too many students, too few educators. In some areas, the shortage of classroom teachers is approaching crisis proportions. Attempts to address the problem of teacher supply have focused on either bringing new people into the field of education or keeping beginning teachers in the…

In this article, the author shares her mother's teaching career without any college education or teacher training and discusses what it conveys about teachers who are not fully certified. While the author favors more traditional paths to teaching, culminating in full certification, she admits that there are other viable options. Just as 60 years…

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale assists underprepared college freshmen by employing the mentoring talents of retired faculty members, supplemented by a noncredit course stressing study skills and adjustment to college. Suggestions are provided for developing and orienting retired college faculty for similar programs. (MLH)

Teachers for Chicago is a graduate-level program addressing the need to select, train, and retain talented, dedicated newcomers for urban schools. It was conceived as a teacher preparation program combining robust academic preparation, an internship, support from experienced mentors, and employment incentives. A second-year evaluation survey…