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Make a difference in the lives of urban youngsters
Beginning in fall 2009 Miami students considering teaching in urban classrooms will participate in special programs designed to prepare them to change children's lives.
"Forget 'No Child Left Behind.' We want every child to absolutely thrive," says Dr. Tammy Schwartz, director of Miami's Urban Teaching Cohort and a faculty member in the teacher education department. Her goal is to convince smart, talented Miami students to not only teach in urban classrooms, but to bring their high expectations for academic performance with them.
For those who believe such an approach is unrealistic, she points to her own life. "I am passionate about this because it's who I am," says Schwartz, whose single-parent mom raised three children on food stamps and welfare in Cincinnati's tough Price Hill neighborhood.
Many prospective teachers have not had to personally deal with poverty, so before field placements and student teaching assignments even begin, they'll have had extensive first-hand experience in inner cities via internships and/or service learning assignments. Some students also will have opportunities to participate in Miami's Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine residential progam.
Prospective students interested in learning more about the Urban Teaching Cohort should email Schwartz at schwarta@muohio.edu.