Warner gathering to focus on city teaching

The free conference, which will be held at Monroe Community College, is part of a continuing project coordinated by David Hursh, associate professor and chair of the Teaching and Curriculum Program at the Warner School. Hursh is using a $52,000 grant from Philip Morris Companies to establish a partnership with MCC and SUNY College at Geneseo that brings people together to discuss urban schools and teaching.

Hursh has channeled much of his professional work into educational reform. "We need to develop places where teachers get to know students and care about them, and develop curriculum in which students are answering real questions," he said.

To accomplish these goals, Hursh believes it is vital to reach college students who may one day be leading classes of their own. If smaller classes become a reality in urban schools, there will be more demand for teachers.

"We need to change the way we think and talk about urban schools. Instead of thinking about urban schools as inferior to suburban schools, we need to think about them as places in which students bring different experiences that can be built on for learning."

Topics at the conference will include images of urban education, how students from city schools view teaching and education, and what city teachers and administrators know about teaching well in the urban environment. Materials will be available on local teacher preparation programs and resources on teaching in urban schools.

Sessions will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, February 28, at MCC's Brighton Campus, Building 8, Room 100. Admission is free, but registration is required. To register, e-mail Hursh at dhrh@troi.cc.rochester.edu, or call x5-3947.