The model has been so successful that it is being expanded beyond the Monterey Bay Area into Silicon Valley, and it is being replicated in school districts across the state. Currently in the proposal stage, the Ph.D. program is targeted to begin in fall 2003. Because English-language skills vary tremendously by region and even within a single classroom, teachers can't count on using language to reach their students. Being fluent in Spanish will help Henne, particularly if she lands a job in nearby Watsonville as she hopes, but it won't help her reach students who speak Vietnamese, Laotian, and Chinese. We're learning how to use everything at our disposal to reach students, including other children in the classroom.
Diversity creates so many opportunities for a teacher to bring world studies into the classroom.
Most of our group see challenge as exciting. There is also comfort in knowing that former governor Pete Wilson's class-size reduction efforts have improved the classroom environment for everyone. Education has emerged at the top of everyone's agenda, and we have got to take advantage of that and move quickly. I think universities like ours have a special responsibility to work with our public-education partners to improve the quality of public schools. And like Peace Corps volunteers, many aspiring teachers are drawn to the work by a desire to build a better world.