The relationship between Brighton High School (BHS) and Boston College (BC) spans several decades. Professors from multiple departments at the university--not only teacher educators but professors of psychology, measurement, and arts and sciences--have walked, as regular parts of the school community, the halls of the gothic-style high school…

Urban schools reflect their surroundings. Urban areas are becoming characterized by great diversity in race and class as the racial and ethnic makeup of the United States changes. In most urban schools, where the majority of students are minorities and large numbers live in poverty, the teacher attrition rate ranges from 30% to 50% within the…

This article reports findings from a qualitative study of the complexities of introducing preservice teachers to critical pedagogies for urban teaching. The study documents students' reactions to a set of seminar and reflective writing experiences around depictions of urban teachers in popular culture--in particular, Pink Floyd's song "Another…

This research examines factors that influenced teachers' decisions to participate in professional development activities and, subsequently, to implement ideas gained through their participation. Twenty-four teachers who were employed by an urban school district shared their perceptions regarding the content, context, and process of a districtwide…

The percentage of urban teachers who leave the profession within the first 5 years is more than 50%; inadequate preparation is often cited as a cause of urban teacher attrition. This article explores a qualitative study regarding teachers' perceptions of their experience of and preparation for teaching in urban schools. Data from teachers in urban…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 set forth to hold all schools accountable to high standards and address the long-standing objective of closing the achievement gap between students from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds. The guidelines and criteria that describe highly qualified teachers emphasize pedigrees and standardized test scores as…

The authors of this article present a synopsis of one simultaneous reform effort of a teacher preparation program and a partner urban elementary school. We have attempted to blend the realities of urban teaching and teacher preparation without compromising our beliefs in constructivist theories of learning, cooperative learning, and inclusion. We…

The current discourse in teacher preparation emphasizes the critical need for teachers to work in multicultural settings. The unique challenges inherent in preparing teachers at a predominantly White institution to teach in diverse classrooms include the critical examination of teacher candidates' White privilege, instructor readiness, and access…