BACKGROUND

• Currently about 50% of all urban public school teachers nationwide leave the teaching profession in less than five years – not because they do not want to teach, but because they do not feel equipped for the complex challenges of urban schools or do not receive sufficient support as new teachers.

• The LAUTR Program differs from traditional teacher preparation programs by providing resident teachers the opportunity to directly apply theory, research, and pedagogy learned through coursework during an intensive residency year.

• Data from residency programs indicate that 85% of residency graduates stay in the teaching profession, and in urban, high-need schools, this reduces the high teacher turnover rates that cost districts millions of dollars and leave students without high quality teachers. 

• The LAUTR Program targets areas of chronic teacher shortage: mathematics, science, and special education. 

PROGRAM DESIGN
With a social justice framework, the LAUTR Program focuses on equity, excellence and community engagement. The program includes an initial intensive summer institute, followed by a 10-month residency placement in an urban school with a mentor teacher, weekly classes, and a final intensive institute in which residents complete coursework and a master’s degree. The program is designed to provide teachers the knowledge, skills and disposition they need to make an impact in urban schools.

Our working definition of Social Justice
(adopted from Los Angeles Principal Residency Network - LAPRN)

Social justice is equity in opportunity and privilege for all people. This can only be achieved through a process of validating individual experiences, and acknowledging that current systems were borne out of and perpetuate injustice. 
Social justice is sustained through a societal commitment to transforming social, political, economic and cultural systems into systems that provide equity in opportunity and privilege.  These systems ensure that power and decision making are shared, and all people have autonomy to act responsibly in their own, their family’s and their community’s best interests.

RESIDENTS AND MENTORS

• Through a highly selective recruitment process, the LAUTR Program seeks a diverse group of talented college graduates, career changers, and community members with appropriate undergraduate preparation to become math, science, and special education teachers. The program emphasizes rigorous candidate selection and a commitment to recruit from diverse populations. 

• Placement schools and mentor teachers also undergo a rigorous selection process. The LAUTR Program selects school sites that demonstrate strong leadership and commitment to academic excellence for underserved student populations. Mentor teachers are carefully selected to align with program goals.

• Residents are paired one-to-one with Mentors for an entire school year. The expert Mentors offer Residents a model for success in the urban classroom.  Mentors receive ongoing support from the LAUTR staff to ensure that the provision of sufficient time, resources, and coaching skills are in place to implement an effective classroom apprenticeship.

Pre-Residency Summer Institute

Residents visit their assigned mentor teachers’ classrooms and residents and mentors attend several hours of orientation together. Residents then participate in an intensive summer program to learn basic theory, research, and instructional practices. Residents also learn how to engage in the urban community with support from community partners.