Summer Institute to Address Joys,
Challenges of Urban Teaching

Many people who want to teach wouldn't dream of working in an urban school.

But W. Fred Ellis, an organizer of the Summer Institute in Urban Education at the University of California at Berkeley (June 26 to August 4) said an urban school "is probably the best place to learn how to teach in the world."

"Things are so real, so dynamic, and they happen daily," said Ellis, a teacher educator and former public school teacher. "Teachers with commitment get the chance to develop linguistic and pedagogical skills, to understand cultures and to grapple with prime time social issues, like violence in our society. It's a great research opportunity."

The institute, presented by Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, will introduce participants to the joys and challenges of urban teaching through courses, field trips to Bay Area schools, and meetings with urban parents, religious leaders, school board members, and administrators.

Course topics will include the economics and politics of urban education, effective bilingual approaches to the teaching of reading and writing, the impact of linguistic and cultural differences, and the obstacles that keep people of color from entering the teaching profession.

Pedro Noguera, professor of education and one of the institute's organizers, will be the keynote speaker at a mini-conference on July 25, to which other educators are invited.

"I don't know of any other summer institute on urban education in the area, and this workshop will provide an arena where those who already are involved in urban education can debate current issues and best approaches," said institute organizer Kitty Kelly Epstein, a visiting professor at UC Berkeley. Epstein was named "Outstanding Oakland Educator" for her work at the Emiliano Zapata Street Academy.

"UC Berkeley is a great place to explore ideas about urban education," she added, "since there are so many exciting things happening in Bay Area schools."

Ellis emphasized that teaching in an urban school is not for everyone. But he added that the reason many teachers in urban areas are leaving is because they were not trained to handle the challenges they face and because finding higher paying work is important to them.

"But it's wrong to buy into the myth that these schools are the worst places to work, he said. "I, for one, love the challenge. If I can help one, two, three, or four kids, it makes my year. These kids have such great needs."

Epstein said urban schools need two kinds of teachers, "those who come from `the hood,' and those who are willing to drop arrogance and prejudices at the city limit and learn from the communities in which they need to work."

The institute is expected to draw students and teachers from across the country. As part of the program, participants may obtain academic credit and a Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) supplementary authorization approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. --Gretchen Kell