Duke’s Program in Education thrives despite state cuts

Duke’s Program in Education continues to grow despite a decrease in state funding for education and declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs at other universities in North Carolina.

Both the undergraduate and graduate teacher preparation programs have taken on more students in recent years. The Master of Arts in Teaching program, which is housed in the Program in Education, received 59 applications this year—representing a 13 percent increase in applications from last year, said Kate Allman, assistant professor of the practice and director of graduate studies in the Program in Education.

“This year’s increase in application number is particularly telling given the elimination of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows funding,” Allman said. “[The increase] speaks to the strength of our program and applicants’ connections to our growing social justice aims.”

The Class of 2015 was the last graduating class to receive funding from NC Teaching Fellows, a program that awarded scholarships to help students pay for college in exchange for four years spent teaching. Allman explained that in the past, NC Teaching Fellows served as a pipeline of students for Duke’s MAT program.

“The elimination of Teaching Fellows funding [has] a negative impact on the teaching force as well as recruiting and retaining teachers,” said Susan Wynn, associate professor of the practice and department chair. “It says something about how the General Assembly values, or devalues teaching.”

According to a report by WNCN, the number of students who enrolled in bachelor’s and master’s education programs in North Carolina has dropped 30 percent since 2010. Factors contributing to the teacher recruitment problem include low salaries, poor training programs and a lack of respect for teachers, the report said.

However, Wynn said that in addition to increased graduate student interest in Duke’s master’s program, the number of undergraduates pursuing a teaching license in elementary education has increased as well.

She explained that because Duke students come from all over the country, they are less influenced by North Carolina state policy on education and may choose to teach in other states after graduating.

Duke’s teacher preparation programs also provide intense support for candidate teachers, which she noted is attractive to applicants amid the current climate for teachers in North Carolina.

At the beginning of the undergraduate program, Wynn said she meets with candidates and learns about their strengths and any challenges they expect, then connects them with experienced teachers who will provide feedback and mentorship. Candidates can also get help from content specialists, who will give advice on the subject candidates teach.

TeachHouse, a living-learning community that helps recent Duke graduates transition into the teaching profession, is another such avenue through which the Program in Education assists new teachers, Wynn added.

“Because we are small, we are able to ensure that each student teacher receives the individualized attention he or she needs,” she said. “There are structured opportunities for them to observe and participate in the school.”

Allman also highlighted the experiential nature of the MAT program, explaining that although most teacher preparation programs only require a 10-week teaching internship, the MAT program places students in a 27-week long teaching internship in two Durham public high schools.

“We believe that students learn how to become the best teachers by spending time in classrooms,” she said. “Our graduates repeatedly say that this is the greatest strength of our program.”

Senior Corey Bray, who was admitted to the MAT program beginning this summer and was awarded the Durham Teaching Fellowship, said that the 27-week teaching internship is what attracted him to the program.

“I want to be confident in my ability to work effectively in the moment as opposed to having a more theoretical understanding of what might happen,” he wrote in an email.

The Durham Teaching Fellowship, catered toward students who are particularly drawn to Durham, will help Bray pay for the MAT program, he explained. As part of the fellowship, Bray will work with Durham Public Schools for two years.

“I love the city, and all of my work in Durham Public Schools has helped me to see the great potential of the students here,” Bray wrote. “While content of material is important to me, the context of whom I’m teaching is often more important.”

Wynn added that the preparation of teachers has been a principal focus of Duke from the very beginning and urged students who are interested in teaching to stick to their beliefs.

“Teaching is one of the most important professions that one can choose, a position of incredible power because you are helping to shape the next generation, to change the world and work toward equity,” Wynn said. “I firmly believe in the power of education for achieving social justice.”