Urban Education and the Caring Teacher

Marilyn Cochran-Smith

Meet Jill: an elementary school teacher working in a humble urban district who is also a faithful journal keeper. In this sacred document, she talks about resenting her new class on the first day. She missed knowing everything about her new students...the way she knew her class from the previous year. Jill's subsequent entries recount some of the ways she learned to know her class: how she learned that Brian's father is a skinhead, that Frank is a self-described flower-smeller, and that Donald and Tyrek's view of their own skin color was very different from her perspective.

Researcher Marilyn Cochran-Smith brought Jill's journal to life last month as this year's presenter of the McKay School of Education Benjamin Cluff Jr. Lecture.

Explaining that Jill's journal is on its way to being published as a book, Dr. Cochran Smith acknowledged that Jill's experience doesn't reflect every teaching experience but that it certainly gives insight into the challenges of urban education. As Jill's former university teacher and mentor, Cochran-Smith expressed, "Urban Education is a topic that is very important to me and the subject of my work for over 30 years." Describing where she does her research, Dr. Cochran-Smith acknowledged that Boston schools are a long way from Utah, adding, "I am convinced we share many of the same kinds of commitment. I regard teaching as a learning and moral project." She stated her belief that teaching is a way to change inequalities, and that the core of public school teaching is deeply local and cultural. Dr. Cochran-Smith also emphasized that teaching is more dependant on relationships over time than on programs or curriculua.

Despite her belief in the value and existence of individual teachers who care deeply about their profession and students, Cochran-Smith stressed that there is a crisis in education, which is most acute in urban areas. One factor of this crisis is poverty. In the U.S. 37 million Americans live in poverty, which is more prevalent in rural areas. That number increased by a million children in one year. Narrowing her focus to her audience, Dr. Cochran-Smith noted Utah's upward trend for poverty: 28% of Utah's children now live in poverty. Declaring that poverty is largely invisible Cochran-Smith stated, "Television, guided tours, and politicians don't like the poor." However, she added that the issues and complexity of poverty became very visible in Katrina's aftermath.

Ethnicity is also a factor in education's crises. "In every one of the nation's largest 25 cities, the majority of students enrolled are minority," said Cochran-Smith. "Meanwhile the teaching force is 84% white and only 15% minority, with the vast majority of teacher candidates being white." She clarified that the resulting difficulties have nothing to do with skin or eye color, but the vastly different experiences of the teacher and student. "These teachers have different cultural references. They may have problems functioning as role models. They may have problems teaching in a culturally responsible manner." Cochran-Smith noted that many Caucasian teachers understand diversity as a deficit to overcome.

These and other factors contribute to low test scores in inner cities. Nationally, an average of 68% of students graduate from high school. In New York-only 39% graduate. Again, applying the information to her Utah audience, Cochran-Smith noted that Ogden, Utah has a graduation rate of 51%.

Referencing the current public concern over teacher standards, Cochran-Smith said, "Teaching is, after all, a public profession, so it makes sense that who teaches...is a contested issue." Noting that teachers comprise 4% of the whole civilian workforce, she added, "It is only right that we pay a lot of attention to teachers." But her emphasized stance was always that the crisis in education is as much an outcome of housing, wage, and health policy issues as it is an education policy issue. She described the crisis as a learning problem and a moral and ethical problem that cannot be addressed or solved through a business proposition or plan.

Dr. Cochran-Smith cited research with colleague Susan Lytle from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. They conclude in their publication titled, "Troubling Images of Teaching in No Child Left Behind" that "Current legislation leaves teachers void of agency and oversimplifies the process of teacher learning and practice, as well as undermines the democratic mission of education." They advise "offering a richer framework for teaching that acknowledges teachers' influence and ability to generate local knowledge."

To conclude, Dr. Cochran-Smith returned to Jill's journal. It was the last day. Jill writes what each teacher knows: "Every ending is a beginning." She marvels that her students are different people than they were at the beginning of the year, and mentions the irony that a school year is the same as the human gestation period. She wonders what will happen and then declares, "I knew these children."

Cochran-Smith laments that "even teachers as good as Jill can't save the schools. They are not the cause of the problems." She advised that to fix the nation's schools, leaders will need to address resources, capacity building, housing, health care, wages, and inservice. "Each of us must play a part now and do what we can."

Following the lecture by Dr. Cochran-Smith, three Benjamin Cluff Jr. Excellence in Education Awards were presented by the BYU-Public School Partnership to the following educators: Annette Evans, a mentor specialist in Nebo School District; Dr. Steven Shumway, associate professor in Technology and Engineering Education; and Barbara Smith, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education. Nominations included the following tributes and information about each awardee.

Annette Evans (right) and Chris Sorensen, superintendant of Nebo School Districts

Annette Evans:
Annette Evans has been educator for 20 years. During that time she taught 7th grade English and Spanish. Annette's expertise was also recognized through various other assignments. When the State of Utah passed Early Years Enhancement legislation and licensing requirement several years ago, Annette was appointed by Nebo District to be it's first mentoring specialist. Annette began working to develop an effective, statewide mentoring program for new teachers. For the last five years, Annette has overseen the implementation of and now supports one of the most successful new teacher mentoring programs in Utah. Nebo's current program has over 400 teachers and 81 mentors. Her program includes a strong professional development component for both the new teacher and mentor teacher. Annette has been very effective and shown innovation and dedication in building a mentoring program from ground zero.

Steven Shumway

Steven Shumway:
Steven Shumway carries a heavy load in the School of Technology and he does it without complaint or need for recognition. While chairing the Technology and Engineering Education program, he also teachers 3-4 classes a semester and still finds time to advise student teachers. His commitment to student teachers alone requires a large time responsibility. Yet, Steven consistently receives some of the highest teacher and course evaluations in his college due to his excitement in teaching and constant implementation of new techniques and methods. As a professional educator and academician Steven has consistently shown interest in student mentoring projects. He is also a constant and able contributor to scholarship in his area of expertise.

Barbara Smith

Barbara Smith:
Barbara Smith qualifies for this award because of her experience in mentoring and supervising teacher candidates, her efforts toward developing effective professional learning communities, and her excellent design and delivery of courses and programs. Barbara has been in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education longer than other current special education faculty. She coordinates all the student teaching placements for the program, which illustrates her excellent working relationships with all five partnership school districts. Additionally she is an exceptional supervisor and instructor who, in 2006, won the Teaching Award from the BYU Faculty Women's Association. Barbara is not only an exceptional clinical professor, but she does everything with a smile. She is always volunteering for tasks that help bring BYU's special education program forward.

MARILYN COCHRAN-SMITH holds the John E. Cawthorne Millennium Chair in Teacher Education for Urban Schools and directs the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction at Boston College's Lynch School of Education. Cochran-Smith earned her Ph.D. in Language and Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982 where she was a tenured member of the faculty of the Graduate School of Education until going to Boston College in 1996. Marilyn Cochran-Smith is a nationally and internationally known scholar and frequent keynoter on issues related to teacher quality, teacher preparation, and research on teaching and teacher education. For more information, please visit http://www.bc.edu/schools/lsoe/facultystaff/faculty/cochran-smith.html