Urban teacher residency (UTR) programs have been widely endorsed (National Education Association, 2014; Thorpe, 2014), yet the body of literature on these programs has not definitively identified the benefits of UTRs over and above traditional teacher education programs--if any exist. The current study explored how faculty and staff working in one…

In our study, we chronicle the development of two novice urban teachers who developed in to mentors in the third year of their teaching. The two novice teachers were hired to serve as mentors to new teachers in or near their school. Interviews with the teachers about their experiences identified three areas of discussion as a result of their…

A primary purpose of teacher education is to prepare and induct candidates into the teaching profession. What does it mean to be a professional educator? Is deep content knowledge really enough as the federal government and others suggest? Does professionalism look different in urban contexts? How do teachers learn to navigate the multiple…

The increasing racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity among the populations attending urban schools poses a significant challenge to providing quality public education. Similarly, few would dispute that, in order to meet this challenge effectively, teachers must acquire the cultural competency for creating productive and inclusive learning…

A case study of the practices of a white teacher working in an urban elementary school with a large majority of African American students shows the problems caused by detached and unreflective teaching practice. The study emerges from a joint ethnographic research and classroom-based educational project at the school. The teacher worked with…

A 4-year case study was done of a partnership program between the Houston (Texas) Independent School District and Texas A&M University's College of Education (College Station) designed to prepare student teachers for work in inner-city public schools. The two institutions worked together through four collaborative decision-making councils to…