DT | Exceptional Teachers for Children: Enhancing the World of Teacher Preparation - 11:45 a.m.

In many high need urban schools across the country today students are sitting in classrooms where teachers are ill prepared to be highly effective teachers.  As a result students in high need urban schools are performing at lower rates than their peers, and these schools have higher than average teacher attrition.  During this presentation participants will learn about a new approach to teacher preparation in the urban core that will launch in Kansas City in June of this year.  This new approach to teacher preparation blends the best practices from the medical field, teacher preparation programs, and the researched skills necessary to be successful in high need urban schools so that teacher candidates may be developed into exceptional teachers for our children!

Charles King is the Executive Director of the Kansas City Teacher Residency, a new teacher preparation program launching in June of 2016.  Prior to Charles assuming this new role he served as the principal of KIPP Spirit College Prep in Houston, Texas a charter school affiliated with the KIPP national network of schools.  Charles worked with KIPP for eleven years, and in addition to being a principal he was a middle school science and social studies teacher, member of the academic development team, and assistant principal.  Before joining the KIPP team and family Charles was a 2002 Teach For America corps member working in the Houston Independent School District teaching middle school social studies.  Charles is a graduate of Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in political science and holds a master’s degree in education leadership from Houston Baptist University.  Charles is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and the Morehouse College Alumni Association.  Charles is married to his wife Alexis of nine years, and has four children, Karington, Brynnan, Kayson, and Connor.