An in-depth report by the Center for American Progress on the national need for more teachers of color includes extensive praise of the LMU School of Education, highlighting SOE’s excellence both in attracting diverse teacher candidates to its programs and preparing them for success in diverse classrooms.
The independent, nonpartisan policy institute’s report, “America Needs More Teachers of Color and a More Selective Teaching Profession,” released in September, calls attention to teacher preparation programs that are both selective and diverse. In its section on LMU, the report praises SOE for its rigorous admission requirements and holistic evaluation criteria, including commitment to serving diverse communities. CAP attributes SOE’s success in recruiting diverse, high-achieving applicants in part to the high priority it places on developing relationships with promising candidates, as well as the substantial financial aid SOE provides.
The report notes that beyond recruiting and admitting a diverse pool of candidates, SOE programs feature curricula and assessments that prepare teacher candidates for diverse student populations, including a focus on English Language learners and students with disabilities. CAP also points to SOE’s highly diverse faculty and the multitude of SOE partnerships with a range of organizations and schools in the community as keys to its ability to prepare candidates for success in diverse classrooms.
This is not the first time SOE’s commitment to diversity has been recognized. In 2016, SOE received the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity.
“We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to diversity across our programs and partnerships, and to preparing teacher candidates who will best meet the needs of diverse classrooms,” said School of Education Dean Shane P. Martin. “Most importantly, we are proud of the impact our graduates continue to have as leaders in closing opportunity gaps in public, charter and private and parochial PK-12 schools through their commitment to inclusive education.”
