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September 30, 2020

Featured News

Again last week, we watched as yet another Black person was denied justice in this country. Breonna Taylor was an essential worker, a daughter, a friend. Five months ago she was asleep in her bed, and now, she is a name we will never forget, another Black woman whose life has been cut short because of police violence. The news about the ruling in Kentucky is incredibly disheartening and yet thoroughly predictable.

It’s a painful reminder of how our laws and systems need to change. At NCTR, it motivates us to remain steadfast in our commitment to disrupting the historical inequities that exist in the education system by advancing the teacher residency movement and focusing on our efforts to prepare diverse, culturally responsive educators. 


We stand in solidarity with like-minded organizations that are committed to dismantling systems of oppression. We ask that you consider how you might support organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Color of Change, or another racial justice-focused organization that is working locally to address the issues that matter most to you.


Resources and Connections
NCTR Request for Proposals

In partnership with EdReports and Student Achievement Partners (SAP), NCTR will use a collaborative approach to support a community of five residency teams from NCTR’s Network to build more coherent experiences for teacher candidates. We will work to make identifying, using, and modifying curriculum materials central to the design of what has historically been called “methods” courses. This opportunity is open to residencies in NCTR’s Network and residencies will be selected through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. 

Through three workshops, participants will develop a shared understanding of curriculum literacy, design course experiences in which curriculum literacy plays a prominent role and use artifacts of enactment to create the design or redesign of existing “methods” course work. Each program will draft a learning experience that centers on high-quality instructional materials and utilizes each phase of the Learning Cycle. 

NCTR will provide technical assistance to each of the five program teams to support their implementation of workshop ideas, and participating programs will receive $1,500 for creating and sharing the learning experience. The RFP will be released on Monday, October 5, 2020, and NCTR will host an informational webinar on Friday, October 9, at 2:00 pm Central Time. Register for the informational webinar here. 

In the News

Chalk Beat
Principal Creates Jobs for Recent Grads While Helping Strained Schools

When COVID-19 hit, the jobs dried up. College graduates faced hiring freezes and an all out shortage of jobs, but one New York principal came up with an idea to help his school and his former students who were out of work - he created a graduate corps. Read More...
 


EdWeek

Another Crisis Revealed as Schools Pivot Toward Virtual Learning

Schools nationwide have grappled with several tough decisions this year. The biggest by far was whether to return to the classroom or keep students at home learning through online access. 

Those that opted to go "virtual" were challenged with finding computers and other electronic devices for students, as well as training staff on new online programs to accompany their virtual classrooms. It appears, though, that is not the worst of it.

The pandemic has magnified a major Civil Rights issue: the lack of internet access for all. For many low income, no income and rural households - maintaining electricity is difficult, let alone trying to purchase broadband access. The issue seems to be hitting the minority communities the hardest. Read More...


Brookings

The Digital Divide Widens
As mentioned in the EdWeek article above, virtual education is already revealing some glaring failures. Recently compiled data highlights the disparity for students who do not have access to wifi, computers or structured learning environments like so-called "pandemic pods". The growing gap is startling, but here are four possible solutions to help close the digital divide. Read More...
 

Fordham Institute

Can Revamping American History Education Mend the Country?

Were our Country's forefathers heroes or racists? It depends on who you ask. So, what is the best way to educate children about the birth of our Nation? A Washington Post columnist suggests creating a commission that will help rewrite American History textbooks and offer a shared, 50/50 perspective. Read More...
           
Please note that the articles and events in the NCTR E-Blast do not reflect the opinions of our organization, but rather represent information that we believe will be relevant to you and your programs.

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