Spring Break
Institute for Urban Education attracts students, and keeps them
Jessie Burche
Issue date: 1/14/08 Section: News
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In the interest of full disclosure, I must say I dropped out of the School of Education a year ago after deciding I didn't want to teach in urban schools.
Part one: The Institute for Urban Education
Teaching in urban schools requires commitment.
Forty-one UMKC students have shown that dedication by promising at least eight years to urban education.
The Institute for Urban Education (IUE) is part of the UMKC School of Education. After four years training at UMKC, these students agree to teach four years in urban schools. According to a handout, "Unique Model Formed with National Expertise," the IUE has one specific purpose.
"The Institute for Urban Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is designed to intentionally prepare excellent educators for urban schools," the handout said.
Planning for the institute began in fall 2005, according to Dr. Jennifer Waddell, IUE associate director.
"The IUE started basically with community representatives and school districts and a lot of university leaders looking at what UMKC could do to help improve urban education," Waddell said.
A partnership formed between the IUE, Chancellor Guy Bailey, area school districts, the School of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration.
The partners developed the purpose of the IUE, which included training elementary and middle school teachers in math, science, literacy and teaching.
The IUE uses a special method.
"We call it a cohort model, where each class is a cohort," Waddell said. "They [IUE students] take most of their classes together. We have a seminar class. That's called Urban Education Seminar. That's every semester. It's taught by a faculty mentor; that way we can kind of help build community within the group."
This collaboration came up with big incentives for incoming university students.
According to the IUE Web site, http://iue.umkc.edu/scholarships.cfm, students receive one year free room and board, as well as four years of full scholarships covering tuition. The students also receive $250 for books every semester.
The IUE admissions process is much more rigorous than the requirements for acceptance at UMKC.
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