"Speaking back [and forth]": Engaging multiple perspectives in a high need licensure program

This chapter explores an in-district teacher education program where the sustaining component was extended critical dialogue within the program and the district. Teachers in this master's program designed for a high-poverty U.S. urban community sought initial licensure in high-need areas (ESL and reading). The program met state licensure requirements and was conducted in-district. It was designed by university faculty with several unique attributes: 1) All courses included an inquiry component where teachers engaged in and shared systematic classroom research; 2) The participants' principals were interviewed to gain administrative expectations about teacher performance and the effects of current policy mandates; 3) Courses included workshops where teachers prepared dialogue meetings to present classroom research to district and university audiences. These structured dialogues with district administrators, peers in and outside the district, and university researchers encouraged teachers to assume positions of authority as leaders and curriculum experts. The analysis argues that teacher education coursework can be designed to directly address the local district context. Such a program offered teachers opportunities to "seek, critique, and create" theory relevant to the academic success of their students. Importantly, the design also encouraged ongoing and reciprocal knowledge generation between district and university teacher educators.