Teacher education programs must move from a tuition-driven model aimed for quantity to one built for selectivity and quality. Diversity must be included as a key performance indicator of quality. In addition, district leaders want universities to respond to specific needs in regards to subject area and diversity.
The days of recruiters waiting for aspiring teachers to willingly hand over their tuition in exchange for a certificate are over. If we want teachers of color, colleges are going to have to recruit outside their social networks. Meaning, we really have to recruit. (Another aside – what if teacher prep programs recruited like football coaches.) Universities need less traditional recruiters and more street teams, “a group of people who ‘hit the streets’ promoting an event or a product.”
This is where cultural competency enters the equation. Recruiters have to know where potential teachers congregate, party, socialize and learn. In addition, marketers have to know what materials are attractive to specific groups and where to promote. In other words, admissions offices need to learn more from the social networking theories touted in their classroom.