PSU receives funds to start American Indian Urban Teachers program

PORTLAND - Portland State University's Graduate School of Education is recruiting student candidates for its new project, the American Indian Urban Teachers Program, funded by the Office of Indian Education in the U.S. Department of Education.

Portland State applied for the four-year professional development grant in conjunction with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

The first group of students will begin classes in July to earn a teaching license.

Native American students enrolled in the program will be awarded tuition, fees and books and a living allowance, including dependent care. The program will train 18 Native American teachers during the next four years to teach in schools with significant numbers of Native students enrolled.

Portland State is one of eight colleges and universities nationwide awarded the funding. To apply or receive a program application, students should contact Marilyn Quintero at quintem@pdx.edu or 503-725-9943.

The link to the Graduate School of Education Web site is www.pdx.edu/education and the link for the program is www.pdx.edu/aiutp.

Students interested in enrolling for the 2012 teacher education program should contact the program office to receive an application as early as possible. The deadline of Dec. 1, 2011, requires an online application be submitted to both Portland State and the Graduate Teacher Education Program, as well as the submission of three letters of recommendation and copies of transcripts.

While graduate students are not required to take the Graduate Record Exam, teachers applying for a state license are required by the Teachers Standards and Practices Commission to take either the CBEST or the Praxis. Each academic department also may have other testing requirements prior to admission.