Teacher Education Leaders Speak Out: Kevin Kumashiro on Teacher Preparation, edTPA and Reform
Teacher preparation has emerged as a target of those seeking to disrupt and transform the education system in our nation. In the past I have written about the National Council on Teacher Quality's project to rate schools of education. I also carried a guest post focused on Pearson's EdTPA, the controversial test now being required by teaching credential programs. This week, I am sharing interviews with several leaders of schools of education around the country, who have thoughts about these issues and more. First up is Kevin Kumashiro, Dean of the University of San Francisco's School of Education.
1. Can you tell me a bit about how your school approaches teacher education?
I am the dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco. Our School just launched a five-year strategic plan with an ambitious vision: to act collectively and leverage our resources in ways that are driven by our Jesuit mission and responsive to our constituents' needs in order to have measurable impact in schools and communities, particularly for those most affected by injustice. Our largest program is pre-service teacher preparation, and this summer we launch a continuing-education program for teachers, both of which are developed in partnership with local districts, schools, teachers unions, and community organizations to ensure that we are preparing educators to be effective, ethical, and engaged.
2. How does this relate to how you expect the teachers your program graduates to engage in the work of teaching?
We aim to graduate teachers who strike many balances: they are skilled at developing and teaching rich curriculum, even while acknowledging that the gaps in their curriculum and the hidden, unintended lessons can sometimes be the most powerful teachers; they are steeped in the cutting-edge of research and theory on teaching and learning, even as they acknowledge the Teacher Education Leaders Speak Out: Kevin Kumashiro on Teacher Preparation, edTPA and Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:
