A Call to Action: Diversifying the Teacher Education Workforce: A Look at Pennsylvania State’s Efforts

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Creating Critical and Inclusive Spaces in the Teaching Profession (Table 36)

Abstract

Over the last few years, much attention has been focused on the nationwide teacher shortage. As retiring teachers hit record numbers, and the number of students entering teacher education programs decline, concern around the teacher shortage heightens (US Dept. of Ed., 2016). Even more dire are the number of Teachers of Color entering into the profession (US Dept. of Ed., 2016). To address the TOC shortage, Pennsylvania’s Department of Education called for Institutions of Higher Education to create programs aimed at attracting and retaining students of color in their teacher education programs. This paper describes two teacher education program’s response to that call (a youth and an adult apprenticeship model) : the highlights, the challenges, and implications of future work.

Authors

• Katherine E. L. Norris, Howard University

• Ronald William Whitaker, Duquesne University

• Donna-Marie Cole-Malott, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania