Learn more about the Urban Teacher Academy!
About the Urban Teacher Academy
Once students are admitted to the Urban Teacher Academy (UTA), they are placed in a cohort, given a two-year placement in an urban school and assigned to a highly qualified veteran teacher who works at the assigned school. All the students attend university-recognized transcripted courses in their junior and senior years and two urban professional seminars each semester to build their knowledge about urban environments.
Successful students are also given priority on job placements within the Dayton Public Schools. This priority also extends to participants of the University of Dayton's urban Catholic Lalanne Program. A contract between the University of Dayton and the Dayton Public Schools assures graduates an opportunity to secure a teaching position within the district after graduation.
UTA graduates who accept a teaching position with Dayton Public Schools receive ongoing program support from UTA faculty and staff during their first three years of teaching. Other UTA graduates go on to teach in urban districts across the country, including in Ohio, New York, Florida, and the cities of Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Graduates also have an opportunity to continue their urban training through the Lalanne Program, in which they can earn a master’s degree while teaching in urban Catholic schools. More about the Lalanne Program >>
Starting with their principal’s recommendation, mentor teachers present documented evidence of student academic success in their classrooms and are selected through an interview and observation process. The mentor teachers assist in training and with professional development of UTA participants. For their services, mentor teachers receive stipends and may obtain graduate credit. In collaboration with Dayton Public Schools, mentors may use their participation in the program as a component of the professional development plan.
Currenty, 25 students participate in the Urban Teacher Academy. A total of 82 students have completed the program. Eighty-five percent of the graduates continue to teach in urban districts after three years of professional experience. All program costs are covered either by the university and/or our corporate partners.
