The University of Minnesota isn't extending the alternative pathway to teaching program with Teach for America, citing program funding that's not sustainable, according to a release from the school Monday.
The program began in summer 2014 as the first alternative teacher licensing program for TFA corps members under the Minnesota Alternative Teacher Licensure law, and gives students coursework and preparation for recommendation for licensure at the end of two years. TFA is a national teacher recruitment program that quickly trains college graduates before putting them in classrooms with many minority or poor students.
While it was valuable to learn "how teachers grow and develop their expertise as they simultaneously serve as the teacher of record," the program has a funding model that's "unsustainable," dean of the College of Education and Human Development Jean Quam said in a release.
She added that the number of participants is dropping.
"The best use of our limited resources is to focus on innovative curriculum development and ways to prepare teachers in partnership with our K-12 colleagues," she said in the release.
The program won't be accepting a 2017 class, but will continue its remaining classes to recommend students for licensure in 2017 and 2018.
