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The (Mis) Preparation of Teachers in the Proposition 227 Era: Humanizing Teacher Roles and Their Practice

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Abstract

Basic to the struggle for educational equity and academic achievement is the role of the teacher. Central to how a teacher's role is enacted is the preparation a teacher receives, largely defined by teacher certification standards and impacted by legislation such as Proposition 227. In California, where one of four students enrolling in school is an English language learner, and 90% of the teachers are monolingual English speakers, the preparation prospective teachers receive becomes glaringly critical. This article examines how the anti-immigrant legislation affects teacher (mis)preparation by forcing teachers to regress to passive roles emphasizing standards-driven, technical, one-size-fits-all approaches in addressing the complex educational needs of English language learners. A bilingual teacher educator shares her attempts to humanize the teacher's role by engaging her students in critical examinations of schooling and their role as teachers.

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Balderrama, M.V. The (Mis) Preparation of Teachers in the Proposition 227 Era: Humanizing Teacher Roles and Their Practice. The Urban Review 33, 255–267 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010370105628

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010370105628

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