KU, KCK schools recruit college graduates for teacher training program

LAWRENCE -- Administrative officials at the University of Kansas School of Education and Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools are working together to recruit about 40 college graduates to prepare to become math and science teachers. The recruits will begin preparing to become teachers in June 2004.

As partners in Transition to Teaching, a new federally funded program, KU's School of Education and the Kansas City, Kan., school district plan to prepare 160 new teachers for KCK middle and high schools during the next five years.

Funded with a $1.9 million five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, this alternative certification program offers college graduates an opportunity to earn 24 hours of graduate credit through KU's School of Education and qualify to apply for a teaching license.

"We are looking for highly qualified college graduates with degrees in math and the sciences or related degrees, such as engineering," said Angela Lumpkin, KU dean of education. "We need applicants who have been successful professionally and who will commit to teaching at least four years in the Kansas City, Kan., school district.

"Our goal is to recruit, prepare, mentor and retain highly qualified teachers who are committed to teaching in high-need urban schools."

Linda Murray, assistant superintendent for personnel services in the KCK public schools, said the program will prepare math and science teachers to fill anticipated vacancies due to teacher turnover and retirements.

"We're starting by meeting the shortage of math and science teachers in the district, but we also plan to address needs for teachers in foreign languages, in bilingual education and teaching English as a second language and special education later," Murray said.

Lumpkin said that the teacher shortage is a national and local concern. National predictions for the next 10 years say there will be as many as 2 million teaching jobs in K-12 and about one-quarter million of those will go unfilled. Lumpkin cites increases in K-12 populations and in teacher retirements and the introduction of school reforms that will reduce class sizes, thus requiring more teachers, as contributing to the shortages locally and nationally.

Tom Petz, director of secondary personnel for the KCK schools, said, "The Transition to Teaching partnership comes at a most opportune time. With the federal No Child Left Behind requirements stipulating that all classrooms be staffed by highly qualified teachers within their content area, the need for math and science trained teachers is critical. More important, as the district has begun to show improvement in student achievement in these areas, it is imperative that we have a pool of qualified applicants to fill anticipated vacancies within the next few years."

Transition to Teaching candidates will spend two years taking 24 graduate credit hours in education while teaching full time on a restricted teaching license. During KU's 2004 summer session, June 8 through July 30, the teacher candidates will undergo intensive training and be eligible for a recommendation from the school district to receive a restricted license to teach in fall 2004.

The coursework is designed to help prepare candidates for the challenges of the urban classroom. KU's unique approach combines reflective and interactive classroom experiences with a field-based pedagogical program. Lumpkin said this combination fosters thoughtful and socially responsible inquiry about K-12 education. In two years, candidates will qualify for state licensure and will be required to commit at least two more years of service to the KCK schools. The program requires a four-year commitment.

Petz says that although the greatest immediate needs are to fill shortages of teachers in math and science, the district also has shortages of teachers in bilingual education, foreign language, business education and special education.

The summer training will take place in the Kansas City, Kan., schools while they also are in summer session. Recruits will continue their graduate training during the school year, attending classes taught by KU faculty in KCK middle or high school classrooms. The courses are offered through the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park.

Transition to Teaching applicants must have a bachelor's degree in math, science or a related field, such as engineering, and have demonstrated success applying their knowledge in a professional capacity. Candidates must exhibit dispositions that lead to success and longevity in urban schools, such as the ability to work with diverse children and adults in respectful and caring ways and to engage youngsters from this community to persist in their studies.

Applications are available and will be accepted through Feb. 23, 2004. For more information, contact Lizette Peter at (785) 864-9668 or lpeter@ku.edu, or visit the Transition to Teaching Web site.