The document discusses the challenges of urban education, highlighting issues like poverty, diversity, and inadequate resources that affect student achievement in urban schools. It emphasizes the need for quality teachers, better support, and addresses the myths surrounding the capabilities of African American students. Additionally, it critiques the high turnover rates among teachers and suggests reflective practices for improving urban teaching and learning conditions.

1. URBAN TEACHING
Dispelling the Myths of Urban teaching
By Regina Powers
ISU 2012

2. Urban Schools Defined:
•Urban education refers to educating students in public schools in metropolitan
areas.
•These schools often operate in a context of poverty, diversity, and crime.
•Urban schools typically exist within large, possibly bureaucratic school
systems that may lack the resources to handle the challenges faced in
educating every student given the diversity they represent.
http://www.sitemaker.umich.edu/rosman.356/funding_

3. HOW DOES GOING TO AN URBAN SCHOOL AFFECT STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT?
Urban schools are at an extreme disadvantage, especially to the children that are
attending these schools. Inequalities in education exist from the textbooks
provided to the teacher qualifications which in turn affects the quality of
education that inner-city children are receiving. Neighborhoods are being segregated
by social class and the impoverished population is not getting the same
educational opportunities as the suburban population.
To read the entire article please visit: http://www.sitemaker.umich.edu/rosman.356/urban_education _

4. What have NCLB put in place to ensure that ALL students get an adequate education?
Increases Accountability for Student • Puts quality teachers in the classroom
Performance • Develops a district improvement plan
Reduces Bureaucracy and Increases • Consolidates programs and expands
Flexibility eligible activities.
Focuses on What Works • Employs scientifically based
interventions
Empowers Parents • Informs the public on teacher quality
Please visit for more information
http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/nclbreference/page_pg17.html#ii-a

5. How can an urban teacher be prepared?
• Sensitivity and deep appreciation for children, their circumstances, and their
uniqueness are essential.
• Teachers require administrative and economic support as well.
• Don’t get lost in rules, anonymity, lock-step programs, and standardized
examinations that drive curricula.
• Resist the forces that strip them and their students of both individuality and
community
while denying them the opportunity to deal with each other in human terms (1999, p.16)
Rentel and Dittmer (1999)

6. .Resources for research
The following reading resources related to
the field of teaching in respect to urban
teacher recruitment and retention.

7. Atkinson, P. (1993). An African American View-Brown vs
Topeka: Desegregation and Miseducation. Milwaukee, WI
Hal Leonard Publishing.
"Although the older generations have not been unaffected, for the past
several decades, African American youth have been the primary
victims of deracination and dehumanization imposed by White
America.
Young African Americans are required increasingly to function within
the context of the value system of the dominate society".

8. How I will apply this information:
The more I come to understand the professional terminology of what is
happening in our school systems and society, and the “powers the be”,
the more I am able to apply it respectfully and reflectively to my
research.

9. Hale, J. E. (2001). Learning While Black: Creating
Educational Excellence for African American Children.
Maryland: John Hopkins University.
“Given the racialized treatment of African American in the United
States, learning while black can be as dangerous to one’s mental and
physical well-being as driving while black”(Hale, 2001). The author
demonstrates that the racialized treatment of African Americans helps
account for the low levels of academic achievement among black
children from middle-and upper-income families, as well”.

10. Myth
We must not continue to accept what the media feeds to us. Negative
information about our students can be damaging to our minds and
thoughts about our students and their abilities to learn. For so many
years there has been this idea that African American students do not
have the capacity to learn as well as the Caucasian student, but this is
a myth.

11. Rethinking Schools (2011), “Keeping Quality Teachers Teaching: A
Special collection on teacher recruitment, retention, and quality.”
Retrieved from: www.rethinkingschools.org . 2/14/2012.
“New teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate and there
is no single reason or easy solution”. This text is an amazing eye
opener to the condition of United States ability to retain quality
teachers.

12. An African American teachers interview of state of
urban schools:
 Lack of support for the teachers and the students, and financial
support and emotional support.
 20 year old books with chapters missing out of them.
 The teachers fighting among themselves.
 Every fall districts hire 270,000 to replace the ones who are leaving
the profession.
 Half of new teachers leave within 5 years of teaching because of the
lack of support and training on their districts part.
(Rethinking Schools 2011)

13. Video links related to urban
teaching.
The following videos are resources related to field of teaching
in respect to urban teaching. These are success stories and
information for success in this area of expertise.

14. Urban Teacher Education
Program

15. Educate yourselves:

17. Urban Teaching Videos and
Research
Check out  Regina's Facebook page. Urban
these videos
. Teaching Videos .
Powers
Family

18. My testimony 
The more I am learning about the problems that are happening in
urban schools, the more I want to plan my studies around teaching in
this setting.
I understand the urgency of the need for quality teachers in this setting.
Being raised in an urban school setting, I understand first hand the
obstacles that most be overcame.
With determination, motivation, and understanding teachers, I was able
to find passion and joy in learning and now in teaching.
Thank you for viewing.