By Jillian Daley
Portland State University College of Education (COE) is the only college of education in the Pacific Northwest that US Prep has chosen for a $300,000 grant and membership in its coalition after a rigorous, three-month selection process.
The three-year grant is awarded in partnership with Texas Tech University and funded by the national charitable nonprofit Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. US Prep is a national center that seeks to collaborate with colleges of education to further innovative practices for effective teachers to best support their students. US Prep’s support will also offer the COE the benefit of technical support from US Prep partners and consultants.
COE Dean Marvin Lynn said that US Prep’s model aligns with the COE’s strategic plan, and that US Prep’s support will afford the College the opportunity to compensate “faculty for program review and revision, with input from local school districts.”
“The COE shares US Prep’s vision for ‘attracting, training and retaining high-quality, racially diverse teachers for underserved communities,’” Lynn said. “The support will make it possible for faculty to systematically inquire into their own practices while learning from and with other faculty from across the country who are also engaged in similar processes. Also, we will be working to enhance and expand our clinically based programs and practices with identified partner schools.”
COE School Partnership Director Gabe Hunter-Bernstein is coordinating the grant, and faculty members Gayle Thieman, Ph.D., and Shaheen Munir-McHill, Ph.D., will join Hunter-Bernstein on a visit to Houston this month to confer with previous US Prep participants, Texas Tech and the University of Houston. The trio will participate in data discussions, course observations, and more.
To share stories in the College of Education, email Jillian Daley at jillian@pdx.edu.
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