Shelby County Schools hosted an event focused on supporting and preparing pre-service teachers today at the Teaching & Learning Academy in Memphis.
Local colleges and universities, including the University of Memphis, Union University, the University of Tennessee – Martin, and Freed-Hardeman University participated in a conversation about supporting aspiring teachers who hope to work in the Shelby County district.
The summit was focused on the following topics:
- Creating a unified vision for pre-service teachers
- Helping higher institutions of learning make better decisions regarding how to prepare new teachers for the classroom experience
- Improving district supports for new teachers, as well as the overall quality of their first-year teaching experience
- Placing pre-service teachers
- Attracting the best teacher candidates to the Shelby County School system
Shelby County Schools hires more than 1,000 new teachers each year, according to superintendent Dorsey Hopson. The University of Memphis, which educates a large number of future-Shelby County Schools teachers, is in the process of revamping its teacher education program.
Here’s how the Tennessee Higher Education Commission ranked teacher training programs in the district last year.