Features

As schools and childcare programs across the country close their doors as part of efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus, young children in disenfranchised communities are losing access to critical supports for learning and development.

A host of justice-centered efforts to transform education and expand learning opportunities for all students were showcased during the University of Washington College of Education’s most recent EduTalks event, “Tipping Points: Leveraging Change in Education.”

The event, which took place Feb. 27 at the Burke Museum, featured talks by UW researchers and local education leaders highlighting work with significant potential to improve young people’s educational experiences. 

While Washington has recognized October as Disability History Month for more than a decade — and schools are asked to honor the month in some fashion — teachers have had limited resources available to help them actually enact disability studies curriculum in the classroom.

While mentoring novice teachers is a complex task, particularly as it happens inside the action of teaching, mentor teachers typically have little preparation for their role. 

Addressing that gap was the focus of a recent effort by University of Washington teacher educators in the UW Accelerated Certification for Teachers (U-ACT) program that will be presented during the 2020 meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.