Broad Fellow Committed to a Career in Urban Schools

As a student in MSU’s teacher preparation program, Carnella Hughey had already had some field experiences in schools, observing classrooms and working with small groups of students. But spending the summer as a Broad Teaching Fellow in an elementary school in Detroit has led Hughey to make a decision about her future: She is going to teach in an urban school.

“This was the most concentrated and most hands-on experience I’ve had in the classroom,” said Hughey, a special education senior from Southfield in suburban Detroit. “I had a great mentor teacher. She has been a teacher in the district for 28 years, and she is a wonderful teacher. She didn’t hold back any information. She told me about the school system, about the teachers, about her experiences as a teacher in urban schools.

“And she let me take risks and get up in front of the class and teach.”

Hughey, who interned in a first-grade classroom, was one of the first 24 Broad Summer Teaching Fellows from MSU’s program to teach in Detroit’s summer school program. The teaching fellows are part of the Broad Partner ship, funded by a $6 million grant from the Broad Foundation, which teams the College of Education and the Detroit Public Schools to recruit and train teachers for urban schools.

For Hughey, the program was not only valuable because of the ability to work with students, but also because of the many professional development opportunities that were available to her and the other students.

The MSU students met all of the district’s curriculum directors, who described the school system’s approach to teaching mathematics, language arts and other subjects. The students also took part in a diversity seminar to gain an understanding of the various cultures and ethnic groups that make up the student body. They also met every Friday with an MSU specialist during the seven-week program to discuss their experiences.

Hughey said she will reapply to be part of the program next summer and, when she finishes her internship the following spring, she is intent on teaching where, she said, she can make the most difference—in Detroit.

“Urban educators have to be a little different,” she said. “They deal with different experiences and different kinds of kids that teachers may not have to deal with in suburban schools. These urban schools need dedicated teachers. If you are going to become an urban teacher, I believe you truly have to want to do it.

“As for me, after this experience, I know I want to teach in Detroit. I defi nitely want to do it, and I’d recommend the program to any MSU student.”