Students into teachers

By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published January 16, 2008

There are many obstacles in attracting more young people to teaching, from the low pay and long hours to the culture in America that glorifies money and celebrity. But a program in the Hillsborough County schools could help change the tide, one impressionable mind at a time. This fall, the county will open a new magnet program for aspiring teachers at three high schools. The idea is to give students a look at life on the other side of the classroom, in the hope the rewards of teaching inspire another generation.

Hillsborough's Urban Teaching Academy will debut at three central Tampa schools: Hillsborough, Blake and Middleton High. As Times staff writer Letitia Stein reported Sunday, students will learn educational theory and practice hands-on with younger students, with participants eventually teaching at elementary and middle schools, supervised by experienced instructors.

Hillsborough has promised a college scholarship to participants who agree to come back and teach for three years in an urban school. That should help the district on two fronts: closing the achievement gap between white and minority students and helping the county recruit the hundreds of new teachers it needs every year. A similar program in Broward County helped some students become the first in their families to attend college.

But these students will benefit in their high school years, too. Having college as an option should make them more serious about academics. Training under teachers should make them appreciate the value of behaving and performing in the classroom. And working with younger students should add to their sense of responsibility. If the program adds to the teaching corps, that would be great. It already promises to build character and help people look beyond themselves - traits found in every good teacher.

[Last modified January 16, 2008, 01:11:01]