ED 038 350

TITLE

INSTITUTIONPUB DATENOTE

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

ABSTRACT

DOCUMENT RESUME

SP 003 73,9

The Urban Teacher Corps 1963-68. Description andPhilosophy.District of Columbia Public Schools, Washington, D.C.May 6819p.

EDRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$1.05*Inner City, *Internship Programs, Master 'Teachers,Practicum Supervision, *School CommUnityRelationship, Student Developed Materials, *TeacherEducation Curriculum, Teacher Interns, TeamTeaching, *Urban Teaching

The Urban Teacher Corps was developed to attract andtrain young men and women to teach in inner-city schools andsimultaneously to have them experiment with and develop curriculummaterials appropriate to urban youngsters, particularly in terms ofincreased motivation and involvement. The three essential componentsof the training program which are described.and illustrated in thisdocument are (1) a supervised internship providing for immediateimmersion in classroom teaching on a half-day basis under the closesupervision of a team of experienced' teachers, coordinated by acarefully selected master teacher; (2) a series of after-schoolseminars involving outside experts from various fields and offeringcredit toward the master of arts in teaching degree; and (3) directinvolvement in the community through after-sch.00l, volunteer projectsand interaction with the Community Development Center. Thereality-based seminars investigate the following areas: (1) sociologyof urban life (emphasizing school-community relationships); (2)psychological disciplines (emphasizing various roles of theinner-city teacher and the behavior of urban youngsters) ; (3) methodsof teaching (emphasizing approaches which permit a great deal ofstudent-teacher interaction) ; and (4) curriculum materials(emphasizing continuing creation by the interns of their own unitsand lessons, examples of which are included) . Included also is anorganizational chart depicting roles and relationships of the varietyof people involved in the program. (JES)

1

THE URBAN TEACHER CORPS

1963 - 1968

DESCRIPTION AND PHILOSOPHY

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE

OFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE

PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS

STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION

POSITION OR POLICY.

Staff Development

Public Schools of the District of Columbia

May, 1968

THE URBAN TEACHER CORPS

Background,

Now that the urban poor have been discovered, "experi-mentation" and "innovation" have become the catch words ofurban education. Projects abound and experiments multiply,yet visible change in the operation and quality of inner-city schools remains imperceptible. And that lack ofvisible change will continue, we believe, unless we improvethe training of the classroom teacher--the real agent ofeducational change.

Much has been written about the defects of our urbanschools. Indeed, it has become quite fashionable to blastthem, to call for a complete over-haul and to damn anyresistance to innovation. To hear one diatribe is to hearthem all. The plain fact is that the malaise afflictinginner-city schools will not vanish with words; we cannotdrown it in a sea of rhetoric. But the illness may beginto disappear if concrete efforts are undertaken to improvethe quality of teacher training for urban schools. Wethink the Urban Teacher Corps is an important first stepin that direction.

Initially conceived in 1963, what was then the CardozoProject in Urban Teaching received support from the President'sCommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. The project sought toattract and, train young men and women to teach in inner-city schools and simultaneously to have them experimentwith and develop curriculum materials that would be relevantand meaningful to urban youngsters. Returned Peace CorpsVolunteers' seemed to be ideal candidates for such a venture.The assumption was that the sense of commitment, desire toserve, flexibility, understanding, and energy found in manyvolunteers - and so necessary for effective teaching-wouldbe applicable to the inner-city school. Between 1963 and1967, sixty-one interns have tested that assumption. Twodied in training, and a few have settled down to raise a family.Of the 56 who completed the program, however, 42'are teachingeither in urban schools, the Job Corps, or overseas, orhelping to develop educational materials.

Our experience has indicated that although returnedPeace Corps Volunteers have proved to be excellent recruitsfor teaching, they are not the only source of potentialquality in teaching. Hence we have broadened our recruitment

to include recent college graduates, civil right workers,women with children in school, and VISTA Volunteers,

As before, we seek to train teachers for inner-cityschools. Clearly, the trainees must be helped to know theirstudents--who they are and how they learn; know how toteach--be technically proficient; and know what they areteaching. To equip these young men and women with the skills,knowledge and sensitivity necessary to meet these demands isour task. Traditional means of training teachers, unfortu-nately, have in some cases left a sour taste in the mouthsof teachers, and students. Investing more money in thetraining of interns to teach conventional material in aconventional manner denies the spirit of experimentation thatpervades our efforts.

Before describing the program, it might be well to examinesome premises upon which our goals are based. Our assumptionsconcern the student, teacher, training of teachers, methods,and curriculum materials.

1. Student

Many inner-city youngsters lack the essential skillsof writing, reading, computation and reasoningnecessary for effective participation in our society.The school, and not the student, his family, itsincome, or neighborhood bears the major share ofthe responsibility for this inadequacy.

Though the bulk of our students seldom work up totheir capacity--additional commentary on theeducation they have received--many of them have beenseriously underestimated in what they are capableof-learning and achieving. After a lengthy exposureto the curriculum, methods and teaching currentlyused by most urban schools, too many low-incomeyoungsters, deprived of the encouragement and meansto succeed, come to believe what teachers and gradestell them--they are failures.

Teacher

The teacher is the catalyst in the process of learning;

page 3

the student, his family, curriculum are all contri-buting factors but it is the teacher who guides anddirects the learning process.

Teachers possessing intelligence, commitment,flexibility creativity, and concern can have signi-ficant impact upon inner-city youngsters.

The number of excellent teachers in urban schools-and a core of such teachers exists in almost everyschool--are sadly out-numbered by ineffective,unconcerned, and ill-prepared persons occupyingspace in classrooms.

The conventional role of the teacher, to teach fiveclasses, to handle another assignment with ahomeroom, and to do all the clerical trivia thataccompany teaching in a city school in an anachronism.Class load must be reduced and combined in a programof increased contact with students inside and outsideof class.

3. Training of Teachers

Traditional means of training teachers, especiallyfor those entering urban classrooms, have failedconspicuously. We sincerely believe that reasonablyintelligent, mature, concerned men and women, thoughlacking the requisite pedagogical courses, can crossthe gulf between layman and professional teacher inone year.

By totally immersing the trainee in the classroomfrom the first day of school under the close super-vision of experienced teachers, theory is marriedto practice. Interns can discover for themselveswhat teaching is all about. Telling the prospectiveteacher what to do and what to expect in a classroomsix or twelve months hence ill-prepares that neophytefor teaching.

A team composed of a regular faculty member and internscan integrate experience, knowledge, and enthusiasminto an enriched learning environment for the less-experienced members of the team, while simultaneouslyproviding the ingredients of sound teaching fortheir students.

lage 4

4. Method

The teacher-dominated, text-oriented, studentrecitation-type classroom sixply has not met theneeds of inner-city youngsters. Such a classroomenvironment ultimately alienates students andconfirms in their minds that what happens in schoolis divorced from reality. We feel, therefore, thatan approach which maximizes interaction betweenteacher and student, between student and student,draws out ideas from students rather than pours infacts, will engage youngsters and, perhaps, motivatethem to learn.

5. Materials

Much of the curriculum material in use now deadensinterest and hastens dropping out. Materialsemphasizing relevance, people, and controversywill have payoff in student motivation. We believealso that materials that include racial and culturaldiversity may encourage students tc think better ofthemselves.

The School

Consider Cardozo High School. There are over 2200students of whom less than ten are white. The facultyranges from a core of dedicated, well-qualified teachersdown to the usual number of time-servers. Althoughthe school serves a population including middle-incomeprofessionals--white and blue collar workers--it isprimarily a low income area. Characterized as a "slum"school by the press ( a term bitterly resented bystudents and faculty), Cardozo has a difficult time fightingthis and other labels, mainly because the school is situatedin an area that supports such stereotypes. Three ofevery ten families in the Cardozo area earn less than$4,000 per year. Four of every ten youths do not livewith both parents. While 13% of the city's populationlives in the Cardozo area, 22% of the city's juveniledelinquents come from this area. Over 20% of thepeople in the area are on public assistance. Such asampling suggest the multiplicity and complexity ofthe problems confronting the community and its schools.

page 5

It would be foolish to pretend that this programalone can solve these problems. This is not a panacea.There is no promise of instant success. 4.t best, theproject can suggest directions to take and alternativesto grasp. If effective, it may indicate how inner-cityschools can up-grade the quality of instruction.

Program

Basically, the program concentrates on class-room teaching. Each intern teaches two classes in thejunior or senior high school or a half-day at theelementary level, under the close supervision ofexperienced teachers who also teach. The classroom,in effect, becomes a virtual laboratory for experimentation.Interns have agreed that this emphasis in the programhas been the main strength of the project.

In a real sense, however, the seeds of success forsuch a program rests on the team leader. He must haveextensive classroom experience, familiarity withcurrent curricular innovations and a firm grounding insubject matter and methodology. Often separated, theoryand practice unite in the team leader. Rather thandefine the role of the team leader in abstract terms,let a former intern describe what happens betweenherself and the master teacher (a term used interchange-ably with team leader):

"What goes on in the dialogue (between internand'master teacher) is extremely difficult todescribe, but the continuity, frankness, humor,and concern which the master teachers bring tothdir jobs constantly engages the intern inmeaningful evaluation, questioning, and under-standing. The fact that the master teacher isalso in the classroom is infinitely important,for not only does the intern benefit from obser-vation of the master teacher, but the masterteacher can evaluate the successes and failures,problems and strengths of the intern not6nly interms of what he knows and observes of the intern,but also in terms of what he knows and understandsof the kids in school. The master teacher isalso there constantly, when the impressions ofthe difficult session, the misfired lesson, the

page 6

glorious success is fresh and full. That is the timefor evaluation and understanding even if the masterteacher has not been in the classroom for that class.

Another advantage of the closeness between the internand master teacher has to do directly with the subjectmatter. Not only does the master teacher suggestdirections and specific materials in terms of books,units and extensions of materials already presented,but the master teacher has unique perspective toevaluate and develop ideas and implications frommaterial which is successful or unsuccessful in theintern's classroom. If I were to indicate what Ithought most important to the peculiar success of thisproject, I would say that it is the subject and roleof the master teacher."

The team leader also has some responsibility along with thespecialist for the methods and curriculum development seminars.The seminars introduce theoretical approaches to discipline)testing, questioning, and general methods of teaching. Heretheory is filtered through the reality of each intern'sclassroom experience. And this is as it should be. Herethe team leader and specialist provide the latest informationin the subject field, act as gad-flies, and drive interns tomake sense out of their classroom experiences. Throughthese seminars, observations, formal and informal conferences,and--most importantly--through the example he sets, themaster teacher becomes crucial to the success of the Corps.

Next in importance to the supervised internship areafter-school seminars. Interns, staff, and interestedfaculty members meet several afternoons a week at the schoolcenters to investigate the sociology of urban life, thepsychological disciplines, and the methods of teachingCredits for these courses can lead to a Master of Arts inTeaching degree within two years.

The seminar on urban sociology concentrates on therelationship between school and community. What is the citylike? How did the urban school become what it is?Inevitably, discussion turns to the dynamics of power in thecity and how it affects the school, the curriculum, and thestudent. The psychological disciplines seminar investigatesthe role of the teacher in inner-city schools and the behavioror urban youngsters. The methods seminar in the fall term,taught by each of the specialists, focuses on the problems

page 7

arising from the intern's cbnfrontation with hisclasses. How do you control a clasp? How 4o you measureyour effectivepess as a teacher? These, and mane otherproblems like them arising from the day-to-day classroomexperience, lAltimately lead to larger, and more important,q473stions ox what content to teach and how it should betaught. May of the meth9ds seminars have concentrated uponapproaches which permit a great deal of interaction betweenstudentp and teacher and encourage them both to think throughproblems. We believe that what passes fpx "learning" to

many educationidts is the same old accumulation of factsthat aro regurgitated periodically for the benefit ofteachers. We reject this approach, since facts so rememberedare soon forgotten. Instead, we stress methods that encouragestudents to figure things out themselves, Thus, knowledgefor its own sake is subordinated to th& efforts in gettingyoungsters to use facts in working out answers for themselves.

In the curriculum materials seminaWheld in the spring,the in rns examine current curricular reforms and begincreati g their own units, Last year, for example, historyinterns developed units on selected topics in American History,e.g., sXavery, Rdconstruction, Intervention in World War Ifwhile English interns produced about a dozen on such themesas loneliness, self-discovery? and point-of-view. To producefi ely-honed units ready for delivery to teachers in similarsclools across the countrtlis not the goal. These units'range from mediocre to excellent. The point is to familiarizetrainees wfth how a unit is put together, to think in termsof units; and most important, to demonstrate that they--asClassroom teachers--could create material and need not leanon any textbook or packaged material. Such a seminar, whensmilicessful, permits a teacher to immerse himself in the verycrucial act of making his own lessons for his class, a uniqueway for teachers to look at curriculum materials nowadays.

w The course includes methods of teaching and measurement interms of the curriculum developed.

All of the seminars have two points in common:

1. Discussions are firmly grounded in the reality of theclassroom. Saccharine platitudes and wishfulidealism, far removed from actuality, are quickly--often mercilessly-torn apart by intern and staff.

2. Seminars are enriched by visiting experts. Educatorspsychologists, sociologists--all exploring thefrontiers of their disciplines share their viewswith us.

A former intern, summed up best the realism that pervadesthe seminar program and its potential value:

"The continual discussion about subject matter,English for me, psychology, sociology, and educationalphilosophy is not confusing or without disciplinebecause we always are 'building around the focal pointof our experience in class. When I am told that allkids can learn or that some kids are stupid, I cantest these assertions against my experience. WhenI think about the meaning of a poem, I think of howit would be meaningful to my class. When I hear aboutthe psychology of adolescent development, I canthink about my students and not an abstract, life-less body of people who fit under the label ofadolescents. When I discuss sociological descriptionsof the urban scene, I think of how these statistics,generalizations, and theories can create over-simplifiedpaper-people. The real teaching situation unitesknowledge and experience from usually separated sources,not only making the class more interesting, but alsogiving a significant bond to the varied material."

If the seminar program attempts to sensitize the internto inner-city youth and provide him with the technical toolsof teaching, it leads to a crucial question: What is heto teach?

In history, the purpose is to teach a relevant andinteresting course that develops thinking, writing, andreading skills in urban youth. From the first day of school,the interns begin the arduous job of creating lessons dayby day. Utliziag materials developed by specialists andinterns from previous years and units from special curriculumcP enters around the country, interns seek to developmaterials that may make, sense to their students whiledeveloping.and strengthening important skills. Emphasisis on developing materials that place students squarely inthe midst of the learning,process. Mistakes, lapses, andfailures result, but the raw material of creative teaching-- -experimentation --fosters an approach to teaching that will

page 9

last, we think, long after these interns leave-the UrbanTeacher Corps. These lessons, called "readings"-duplicatedfor students on a ditto machine--offer a variety of materialsto the students. Primary and secondary sources, poetry,fiction, provide a rich vein of material. Some examples:a lesson on the six-shooter from Walter Webb's Great Plains

to illustrate frontier inventiveness; excerpts TYBE-GelTaigand Babylonian myths to demonstrate cultural diffusion.

Or take a lesson on the Boston Massacre. The standardtextbook version is known and swallowed by most youngsters.One intern had his class see a film on the Massacre andfollowed it up with a "reading" on Crispus Attucks, whopappeared briefly in the movie. Students confronted an obvious

conflict in sources. Was Attucks as important as the"reading" suggested, or did he play a minor part in theaffair? What is the truth? Such questions pose a problemfor the student, a problem that, unfortunately, many teacherschoose to ignore.

The use of Attucks is not accidental. Few studentsrealize that he was a Negro© Fewer still could understandwhy a former slave would even be interested in fighting fora liberty that was denied to his racial brothers. Since

the Negro experience is inseparabley part of the Americanpast, discussions such as this strike close to the questionof what it is to be an American. We believe that the study

of the Negro in American History is one meaningful way forteachers to "connect-up" with their students--meaningful in

that the study of the Negro may generate pride and respectfor one's self, or offer insights into the contemporaryNegro'e position in America. If so, the efforts are worthwhile.

The interns in English do not have to type as much oftheir materials on ditto masters, for they utlize paperbacks.Paperbacks are selected primarily to get youngsters to likereading,, on the assumption, which our experience seems tosupport, that many so-called poor readers are simply boredreaders. Such students can read and read well if engagedwith what they are reading. In order to involve youngsters,the interns choose books that view the problems of adclescents,such as A Separate Peace, Loneliness of the Lon DistanceRunner,-nrTEEITE7 e, or T e Hear Is A Lone y OrTer;or they choose nooks t at present Negro iterature in the

larger framework of American literature--e.g., Raisin inthe Sun, Nobody Knows My Name, Black Boy, and the poetryof Langston Hughes. TFigy-Try tariTIVIVoi the students in

page 10

probing the basic human problems of tragedy, loyalty, andevil. Through a novel like Lord of the Flies, and a playHamlet, or a film Re uiem for a Heav Wei ht, youngstersmay begin to build a p atform of va ues to sustain them inlater life.

In effect, literatteaching of skills andidentify either with athen progress can beand reasoning skillsliterature. Thus inbelieving that engatoward developing t

The elementarsame beliefs. Inspecialist:

"Our ewhere chila basis fmeetingtheir prinvolvipublicwritinuse.ownwillinchipa

ure becomes the vehicle for theattitudes. If the student canhero, or an antihero for that matter,

made in developing reading, writingwhile opening to him other forms ofterns seek to engage their students,

gement of the student is the first stephe desire to learn within the student.

y teaching-teams at Grimke share thethe words of the third grade curriculum

mphasis...has been to make school a placedren's thoughts and experiences are used asor learning. Thus in reading we are experi-

with new texts depicting urban children andoblems rather than the traditional seriesng white suburban types. Washington, D. C.schools are 90% Negro; at the date of thisg, "white suburban type" readers are in generalBy gearing the reading matter to the children's

nterests we are hoping that the desire to readnot only shorten the length of time usually spent

readiness in first grade, but also motivate theldren in third grade, for example, to tackle a

perback edition of the life of Harriet Tubman.

Although these texts are at the core of thereading program, we are also experimenting withpictures--from Ebony magazine, "Family of Man," etc.- -as levers in exploring the children's own imaginationby encouraging them to write their own hooks in theirvocabulary. Non-readers, especially, find readingtheir own thoughts much easier than beginning from theunknown printed page.

In the area of arithmetic, emphasis is placed onthe use of manipulative materials for each child sothat he can come to a better understanding of thebasic processes. The third grade is branching outinto the Greater Cleveland Math program with plasticsticks as aids for each child. The use of toy money

"W6 30.0...4 1 .

page 11

to role-play experiences and to "buy" items such asmilk at milk time (relates) many concepts and skillsdeveloped in the classroom to the child's immediateworld.

In the other areas of the curriculum we are alsobuilding on the child's own experiences. Third gradershave Washington, D. C. as a unit of study; but ratherthan a presentation of the monuments, we (deal) withthe Washington, D. C. they know too-to develop howcities became as they are and how change can and shouldoccur

Basic to all our thinking and planning is thenotion that children must begin to know themselves andtake pride in what they can accomplish. Therefore,through all subject areas, activities are planned inwhich children depict themselves in different situationsthrough art, written and otal language, and music."

At the first grade level, specialist and interns areusing a structural arithmetic program, more commonly knownas "Stern Blocks." Concrete materials as wooden blocks makethe number system and number relationships more tangiblethan conventional curriculum materials. Each child is equippedwith a unit block set that enables him to touch, see and feelconcepts.; the abstract becomes concrete. In social studies,first graders study units on the "self", family, neighborhoodand city. Astronomy, magnetism, sound and similar unitsinvolve the children in science.

Interns at the secondary or elementary level concentrateon engaging their students. The youngster's experiencesbecomes a point of departure in discussion or preparationof material. If we accept the proposition, and we do, thatany subject matter can be taught to children at any level,then the initial task is to develop materials that replacethe incomprehensible, deadening texts and primers which dullstudents into apathy, and undermine fundamental concepts byrote memorization. Next on the agenda is to develop lessonsand units that translate these concepts into materials whichexploit the experience and learning style of inner-cityyoungsters. A difficult task, indeed, but one that our staffand interns are attempting.

To enable each intern to find out more about his studentsand the community, and thereby equip him to teach better,trainees are briefed in mid-October at one of the Neighborhood

page 12

Development Centers in the city. These centers contain staff

specializing in housing, legal services, social services,community organization, employment, and consumer information.Neighborhood workers, members of the community who are paidby the United Planning Organization, the agency that operatesthese centers and coordinates Washington's anti-povertyefforts, organize block clubs and--in general--act as liaisonagents between each center and the people of the community.

During September and October, interns spend timefamiliarizing themselves with the Cardozo area. They alsospend some time visiting families of their students.

Upon completion of this orientation period, interns areencouraged to work with students in after-school projectsand to do volunteer work in community organizations through-out the city.

During 1967 68, for example, interns have been workingwith the Circle T, Red Cross, and Bowling Clubs at McKinleyand the Aviation Club, the Film Club, Girls' Basketball Team,

and the Job Orientation Program at Cardozo.

Believing that the best way to know a community, as well

as earn its respect, is by giving service, most of the interns

are doing volunteer work with such organizations as Barney

House, St. Stephen's Church, Fides Neighborhood House,"Future for Jimmy" and Hillcrest Children's Community Center.

Evaluating each intern's impact upon students and families

is difficult indeed. A few examples, however, may indicate

the nature of contacts taking place.

An intern at Grimke Elementary School wrote:

"In (one) family I visited, I expected the mother

to be less cooperative than she turned out to be.

The boy was delighted to see me at his home. I

brought his papers and reading book to look over withhis mother. He read for her the pages in his bookthat we had learned and I could see much pride onboth their faces. In this particular case, the

boy was quite a problem when he first arrived atschool, but he has been improving beautifully. The

mother and I discussed why this could be so and howwe could be sure and continue the improvement. She

isomost anxious for him to do well, since he is already

page 13

behind a year and, his brother is a would-be 7thgrader in the fifth grade. I got much more fromthis parent than I had expected and I think shemay try and follow up on some suggestions I gavefor helping the boy with his work."

At Garnet-Patterson, one intern said:

"I try to meet at least once a week with oneparticularly talented, mature English student,whose abilities and interest are far above thelevel of the class. He is given out-of-classreading assignments which we discuss informallyHe is clearly a student who needs this apart-from-class...stimulation. He is enthusiasticand thus far not truant as was his case last,year."

Another intern who has been working with a special projectfor unwed mothers at Children's Hospital has this to sayabout her experience:

"The best part of my tutoring experience with Mary,sixteen year old Negro unwed mother of a darlinglittle baby girl named Michele, was our one toone relationship. What a joy to become involvedin a,"Socratic" dialogue after the constantfrustrations of working with thirty-five noisyteen-agers in a classroom.

I was exceptionally fortunate in being given Maryto work with as she is a bright, motivated, pretty,eager young girl. She lives alone with fosterparents and her baby, who was about a month oldwhen I began to tutor Mary.

We started with poetry, then moved on to shortstories, creative writing, and a novel. When Iasked her to get a library card she did so andbrought home two or three books to read. WhatI enjoyed most was letting her "discover" answersfor herself. We had all the time in the world.I could spend the entire afternoon pursuing onepoint, and focus completely on her learning andgrowing. (I might add incidentally that I couldfeel myself visibly relaxing as the afternoonwore on. That was great!) When she answeredquestions herself, she knew she was intelligentand perceptive. I didn't have to prove it!

page 14

After only three months of working with her, Ican't report any dramatic changes. What I didnotice, however, was the growth in her self-confidence and self-esteem. When I first spoketo her on the phone, her voice sounded rather dulland apathetic. As the months wore on, I noted amore sprightly tone in her subsequent talks.Perhaps the greatest gain for Mary was the develop-ment of her confidence, part of which stemmed frommy belief in her.

I also enjoyed my relationship with her fosterparents. Her mother and I quickly developed awarm, easy rapport, and I felt that she behavednaturally with me. Her father, on the other hand,although sweet, polite, and warm, never seemed tolose a certain shyness.

Mary is now enrolled in night school, and Iintend to call her frequently to find out how sheis doing. She seems determined to graduate fromhigh school next year. I am glad that I had thechance to give her some personal encouragement,and I'm looking forward to my next tutoring experiencefrom DR. Gutelius" Mobile Unit Project."

We feel that this proliferation of the interns into thelife of the community will serve to give them a widerknowledge of the lives of their students, greater confidencein themselves, and a firmer footing when they assume theirfull-time duties next year. What has become increasinglyclear to us moreover is that the teacher who knows hisstudents, especially outside of the formal classroom situation,has a greater chanoE to "hook" those students in theclassroom. Certain7..v, this is not a profound observation.It is, however, an attempt to inject some flesh and bloodinto a platitude that superintendents, administrators andteachers continually mouth. After all, if we get down tofundamentals, we're speaking of ultimately revising theconventional role of the teacher and school. Teachers shouldteach half time and spend the other half working with students)and developing materials for their classes. To have teacherscarrying five classes and a homeroom with an extra assignment;to have subjects in the curriculum that bear little relation-ship to the reality of the second half of the twentiethcentury; to employ the same methods and materials that"worked" with youngsters elsewhere--is simply courting

page 15

disaster. The "social dynamite" building up in our citiesthat a prominent educator warned America about a few yearsago hasn't abated. If anything, the recent gush of rhetoricand enthusiasm for compensatory programs has obscurred theprogram. Indeed such programs are peripheral to education.They assume that what occurs during the school day hasfailed; therefore, one must remediate, enrich, and encouragethese deficient youngsters after school and on weekends toimprove their performance,. Far more effort, ideas and money,we feel, should be poured into reconstructing what happensbetween 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Little progress will be made untilthe role of the teacher, his methods and materials, and theplace that the school must play in the life of the communityare dealt with. In effect, the structure of education mustbe rethought and, ultimately, revised to meet the needs ofinner- -city youngsters.

The Urban Teacher Corps, with interns teaching, learning,and creating--a blend of laboratory and Academe, a mixtureof what is with what ought to be--may well be that very smallstep down the road to real educational change.

IL I I I 1 i

M.S

.!.1

1111

.:N

M!

Curriculum

Specialist

English

Team Leader

Intern

Intern

Intern

Intern

Intern

Team

.1Team

----1

Curriculum

Specialist

Math

Urban Teacher Corps -

1968 -69

a a

Sj

MAT Director/

Coordinator

Curriculum

Specialist

Social Studies

low

sism

ompl

riPT

IMIN

IIIIII

ME

NIM

MIM

IIMM

ON

OM

I

inum

ar! m

be.

glim

mw

meo

mm

r.em

p.m

e

Page

36

Curriculum

Specialist

Elementary

Participating

Universities

URBAN TEACHER CORPS

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

DIRECTOR

EDWARD G. WINNER********

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

MAXINE E. DALY********

CURRICULUM SPECIALISTS

Isaac H. Jamison, Social Studies

Bessie C. Howard, Mathematics

Rupertha C. Hunt, Elementary

Dorothy J. Sharpe, English

********

Administrative Assistants

Margaret R. Hatton

Toni J. Emelio

Page

17

Cuvriculum

SSpecialist

E C 0 N D A R I

IPrincipal

Team Leader I

Intern

I

Intern

11 1

ILJI

1 L

i I

E L E E N T A R Y

-1 MAT Coordinator

tIntern 1

'Intern 1

II01

IFIL

ILI

Team Leader

URBAN TEACHER CORPS

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

DIRECTOR

EDWARD G. WINNER********

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

MAXINE E. DALY********

CURRICULUM SPECIALISTS

Isaac H. Jamison, Social Studies

Bessie C. Howard, Mathematics

Rupertha C. Hunt, Elementary

Dorothy J. Sharpe, English

********

Administrative Assistants

Margaret R. Hatton

Toni J. Emelio