The Power of Community Partnership in the Preparation of Teachers

Teacher preparation programs in the United States within institutions of higher education (IHEs) have been beset by criticism from a diverse group of stakeholders. Such critiques have appeared in the scholarly literature as well as in various news media and public programming venues. The purpose of this editorial is not to add another critique to the existing collection or to comment on them. Rather, its purpose is to look at the response of institutions to the challenges associated with how they go about the complicated task of preparing future educators. Some of these institutions have responded to the pressure to justify themselves passively, by not responding or actively by defending their programmatic status quo\ others have taken up the gauntlet and are examining the extent to which they offer a "value-added" experience through their programs to those who will be responsible for the education and well-being of their students. The second of these groups is diverse in perspective and in action; they are, however, institutions where critical self-examination is taking place, particularly around the question of how well candidates are being prepared for the challenges they face in today's classrooms, schools, and communities to which they will hopefully contribute in significant ways. At some of these institutions, particular structural or philosophical elements are held constant, and changes in parts of existing programs are being made, while at others, a complete restructuring is taking shape. In this editorial, I argue that whatever changes are made must take account of three things about which those in the teacher education research community are contributing new and generative perspectives. These include (a) the beliefs which teacher candidates hold about their students' capacity for learning, (b) the kind of deep learning possible for youth in out-of school learning contexts, and (c) the power of partnership with community leader and community organizations in supporting the growth and impact of teachers. 1 provide brief and selective comments on each of these below. Beliefs About Student Capacity Numerous scholars have contributed to our knowledge of the understandings and beliefs that those with a desire to become teachers have about the capacity of children to learn (Carter Andrews & Castillo, 2016; Nelson & Guerra, 2014; Nespor, 1987; Pajares, 1992). These beliefs are shaped in part by candidates' experiences in teacher preparation programs, but they are influenced even more by experiences they have accumulated over their many years as learners and with particular teachers they have had. These factors, in addition to the fact that most of the present teaching core is White and middle class, often result in teachers taking a deficit stance with regard to the perceived skills and needs of youth (e.g., Lee, 2007), particularly youth in high-poverty urban environments (Howard, 1999). Practicing teachers as well as teacher candidates often do not appreciate the funds of knowledge that students bring with them into schools, nor the legitimacy of this knowledge and the language and cultural practices in which students engage (Bang, Warren, Rosebery, & Medin, 2013; Paris, 2012; Paris & Alim, 2014), as contributors to student learning. These beliefs about students also are shaped in potent ways by contextual factors, including the nature of field placements (Anderson & Stillman, 2013). One of the challenges that teacher preparation programs face is how to use the relatively little time they have with potential teachers to provide compelling experiences that will shape their views of learners and provide leverage for effective instruction. Youth Learning in Community-Based Contexts Work in this area has been quite varied with respect to the settings in which youth interact, which has included such spaces as museums, nature, and history centers (see, for example, Davidsson & Jakobsson, 2012); after-school programs (e. …