Improving inner-city education is the goal of new center

Fort Worth, TX

10/16/2006

By Rachel Stowe Master '91

In April, Jennifer Giddings Brooks ’71 took the reins as the first director of the School of Education’s Center for Urban Education, which works with teachers and administrators in urban schools to bolster academic achievement.

A TCU adjunct professor, Brooks’ career has focused on giving children in urban schools the same opportunities for education as their more affluent counterparts. She brings a wealth of experience — from inner-city Los Angeles to the Fort Worth ISD’s Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School, where she was principal — as well as an infectious enthusiasm for the center’s future.

What is the role of TCU’s Center for Urban Education?
The Center will help to connect the pedagogy received by undergraduate and graduate students to what they will need to be successful in an urban environment.

What are some of the challenges unique to urban educators?
The following challenges are not necessarily unique to urban educators, but they are certainly more prevalent: one-parent households, language other than English spoken in the home, high dropout rate/low attendance rate, discipline problems, low or no parental involvement, limited community resources, high turn over of administrators and teachers (because of frustration or burnout), students who live in low socio-economic neighborhoods, substance abuse concerns, gang concerns, low expectations for academic success.

Why were you attracted to TCU and the Center?
Urban Education and the implementation of research-based urban education best practices have been of interest to me for many years. For 10 years, I was the principal of a high performing inner city school where each year at least 95 percent of the student population was on free or reduced lunch. I am eager to learn, network, and share some part of the practices that helped those I supervised to become successful. I would hope that through the Center a larger number of students can benefit from having well-trained, competent teachers in their classrooms. Students in urban environments can be successful. They need to believe that they can succeed and they need to be surrounded by people that believe they can. Failure cannot and should not be an option.

What are your immediate goals for the center?
We plan to conduct an assessment with area school districts and other urban education centers to see what concerns they have for preparing professionals to work in an urban environment. We want to develop a series of workshops, in-services and training opportunities for students and for professionals currently working in the field. And we will coordinate recruitment opportunities for prospective students.

What do you hope to accomplish long term?
We plan to position the Center to be the expert and the critical resource on urban education issues in North Central Texas, and develop a set of protocols that will inform area policy makers and guide urban educational professionals in best practices.