Featured Activity
St. Paul Public Schools and State Universities: Educating Teachers for Urban Communities
Minnesota and the nation particularly need teachers who are successful with diverse students growing up in urban areas.
State university teacher education students can experience teaching in an urban community through the Urban Teacher Education Partnership (UTEP). UTEP provides early field experience and student teaching opportunities in urban classrooms and meets the increasing need of the St. Paul Public Schools for teachers who are prepared to serve urban learners.
Introducing teacher candidates to an urban teaching environment:
- Provides direct support to improve P-12 student achievement and university student competencies.
- Promotes teaching as a future career choice for urban P-12 students
- Promotes urban teaching as career employment for state university students
- Provides professional development opportunities for participating St. Paul and state university faculty members.
Most students are exposed to UTEP through a university class that provides early clinical experience at one of the partner schools. Some students become aware of UTEP as a location for student teaching when they reach this stage of their education. Student teachers attend seminars on becoming an effective urban educator.
Saint Paul Public Schools gives priority status to UTEP student teachers in hiring decisions.
Partners
The Urban Teacher Education Partnership is a collaboration of St. Paul Public Schools and six state universities.
- St. Paul Public Schools:
Humboldt Senior High School
Humboldt Middle School
Cherokee Heights Elementary School
Riverview Elementary School
Roosevelt Elementary School
Four Seasons A+ year round Elementary School
- State universities:
Bemidji State University
Metropolitan State University
Minnesota State University , Mankato
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Southwest Minnesota State University
Winona State University .
Licenses
The following Minnesota licensure areas are available to student teachers who participate in the Urban Teacher Education Partnership:
- Early Childhood Education, birth-grade 3
- K-6 pre-primary
- K-6 middle school with specialties in math, science, social studies, and communication arts and literature
- K-12 Art, Music, Health and Physical Education, and Foreign Languages
- Grades 5-12 in all subject areas
- Special Education and ELL/ESL
For more information, contact Diane Driscoll, Coordinator, Urban Teacher Education Partnership, 651-293-8600 ext. 1256, Diane.Driscoll@spps.org
- Previous Featured Activities:
Winona State University, Graduate Induction Program
