Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities: One Urban University Re-Envisions Teacher Preparation for the Next Generation

Abstract

This article outlines how Loyola University Chicago’s School of Education has re-conceptualized the preparation of teachers to meet the sophisticated and changing needs and realities of urban schools and communities by focusing on student achievement. In contrast to often criticized university-based models of teacher preparation, the Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Schools and Communities program represents a shared responsibility between university, school, and community partners to impact and support student learning, achievement, and success. The four tenets around which this comprehensive teacher education program is organized are described: (a) partnerships with schools and communities, (b) teacher preparation for diverse classrooms, (c) a developmental trajectory of field-based experiences, and (d) stakeholders engaged in communities of practice.