PEMBROKE — UNC Pembroke is pleased to announce its selection to Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity third National Teacher Preparation Transformation Center cohort, to foster high-quality educators within minority serving institutions across the United States.
“With a long history of preparing the next generation of educators for Southeastern North Carolina, UNC Pembroke is honored to be a part of the National Teacher Preparation Center,” said Dr. Loury Floyd, dean of the School of Education.
“Our faculty, staff and students work daily to create powerful experiential learning opportunities immersed in the classroom experience that will positively impact the diverse and inclusive communities we serve and our participation in this program will advance our effectiveness in that area.”
Through BranchED’s one-of-a-kind Quality Preparation Framework, UNCP joins three other MSIs from across the nation to better prepare highly effective and diverse future educators by strengthening educator preparation programs.
Also selected for the third cohort are Azusa Pacific University, Pacific Oaks College and Texas A&M University–San Antonio.
This research-based framework sets a higher standard for teacher preparation by including approaches to ensure teachers can address students’ racial, cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds effectively.
“BranchED is dedicated to addressing critical issues of educational equity, and that begins at the institutional level,” said BranchED Founder, President, and CEO Dr. Cassandra Herring.
“We know that minority serving institutions train more diverse educators at a disproportionate rate, so we are glad to have UNCP joining our third Transformation Center cohort to build equity-empowered, high-quality programs. Through this partnership, we can equip more future educators with the tools needed to enter, persist, and graduate as teachers who can implement a high-quality education for all students.”
Through the cohort, UNCP and school district partners will have access to enhanced resources and professional development, networking opportunities, and will share data and learn from the other institutions in the cohort to move forward with sustainability and innovation.
BranchED’s National Teacher Preparation Transformation Center is rooted in the organization’s work to redefine what constitutes quality educator preparation. BranchED and its MSI partners are committed to a shared vision that quality and diversity are inextricable. BranchED’s larger goals include both diversifying the teaching profession and intentionally addressing critical issues of educational equity for all students.
