General Catalog - John F. Kennedy University

School of Education and Liberal ArtsDepartment of EducationThe Department of Education was established in 1989 for talented,mature adults from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds.Its mission is to train outstanding teachers who will bringhumanistic methods and challenging, relevant content toteaching. Many courses are taught by master teachers—professionals who have significant experience in the classrooms ofSan Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. The departmentis dedicated to:• Interdisciplinary teaching—relating the study of mathematicsand science to the humanities and social sciences andemphasizing communication skills in all subjects.• Multicultural teaching—examining bias, equity issues, andstrategies to bring multicultural perspectives and appreciationfor all cultures into the classroom.• Community-based teaching—creating a community oflearners and teachers that includes graduate students andfaculty, local teachers, parents, community members, youngpeople, district administrators, and school boards.• Visionary teaching—giving youngsters a vision of a morepeaceful world in which their lives have meaning and humankindrespects the natural world.The Department of Education works closely with communityinvolvementprograms in the training of teachers. Credentialcandidates benefit from current research on parent/communityinvolvement in education and receive guidance on how to buildpartnerships with families and the community.In addition to the credential and MAT programs, the departmentoffers courses for other professional development workshops forteachers already working in the field. Details are available throughthe Department of Education.Admission RequirementsApplicants must meet all university requirements for admission inaddition to those requirements listed here.• Official transcripts of all college and university work showinga broad distribution of challenging courses with an overallGPA of 3.0.• One of the following two degrees:• a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accreditedinstitution in a multiple-subject academic programapproved by the California Commission on TeacherCredentialing or• a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accreditedinstitution in a single-subject academic programapproved by the California Commission on TeacherCredentialing.• Statement of purpose: three to four double-spaced, typewrittenpages demonstrating creativity, maturity, dedicationto education and competence in writing.• Two letters of recommendation from academic orprofessional associates attesting to potential as a teacher.• Interview with the department chair. The Department ofEducation will contact applicants to schedule an interviewafter all the above documents are on file.School of Educationand Liberal ArtsApplication deadline for summer is March 1; for winter, October1. Late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis ifspace is available. Additional requirements to be submitted to theDepartment of Education credential analyst:• Application for Certificate of Clearance (to verify absenceof a criminal record) including live scan fingerprinting andthe processing fee.• Copy of a tuberculosis test showing a negative result datedwithin one year of entering the program.• Passing score on the California Basic Education Skillstest (CBEST)• Passing score on the California Subject Examinations forteachers (CSET)• Verification of 40 hours of experience with youth of diversebackgrounds in a group setting (e.g., camp counselor orteacher’s aide). It is recommended that this be completedeither prior to or within the first two quarters of enrollment.Note that both CBEST and CSET exams must be passed prior toadvancing to EDN 5320 Supervised Teaching B.John F. Kennedy UniversitySchool of Education and Liberal Arts 41