The Urban Teacher Academy Program (UTAP) is a unique collaboration between Broward County Public Schools and the Broward County Educational Consortium. UTAP is designed to prepare high school students for careers in education and support them as they matriculate through postsecondary education on their way to being urban school teachers in their own communities.

Initially funded with grants from the Council of Great City Schools and Recruiting New Teachers, Inc. UTAP has six high school sites throughout Broward County, the nation's sixth largest school district. The schools are:

• Charles Flanagan High School
• Deerfield Beach High School
• Hallandale High School
• Nova High School
• Hallandale High School

These sites are diverse with respect to the race, language, and income of their students, just like urban schools throughout the nation.

The difficulty of attracting highly qualified teachers who have knowledge about and long-term commitment to urban schools is a national problem. UTAP addresses this need by preparing students specifically for positions in urban schools.

In addition to a high school curriculum that includes extensive field experience, shadowing, mentoring, Advanced Placement opportunities, UTAP students receive special assistance with admissions and financial aid through the college/university members of the Broward County Educational Consortium.

Through the Consortium's partner institutions, UTAP students are guaranteed a two-year tuition scholarship to Broward Community College and a two-year tuition scholarship to Florida Atlantic University or Nova Southeastern University. This agreement was undertaken with leadership of Dr. Robert Parks, Broward County School Board member and Director of the Teaching and Leadership at Florida Atlantic University. Under the leadership and with ongoing support from Dr. Parks, UTAP has received national recognition as a "grow your own" model program to address the teacher shortage in large urban school districts.

When students finish their college coursework they are guaranteed a job with Broward County Public Schools. Through their high school curricula and postsecondary education, these graduates will be fully prepared for the successful transition to full-time teaching in an urban school.

A projected need for over 13,000 teachers in the next ten years makes UTAP absolutely essential for Broward County's long-term viability. UTAP also addresses the needs of students in the district's hardest-to-staff schools by specifically preparing students from these contexts who will return to them as teachers.

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