Trying new approaches to teacher training
Joyce Randall, an AUSL graduate, now teaches high-school history in Chicago. (Photo by Justin Snider)
CHICAGO—Joyce Randall, who’s in her third year of teaching history to 10th-graders in her hometown of Chicago, is blunt about the effort needed to succeed at her work. “This is a difficult job for anyone to do for a long period of time, especially for the money we’re paid,” she says. The 26-year-old spent 12 months at the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), a hands-on residency program for future educators, where she gained both practical experience and a master’s degree. “You need more than just a passion for the job,” she notes wryly.
Over the past several decades, a debate has simmered over how to bring fresh talent into the nation’s school