A3 • THE METROPOLITAN • October 8, 2009

NEWS
“So often when talking politics, I just want
to say, ‘Really? Do you really believe that?’
Now I’m forced to be as skeptical of people
who supposedly share my views.”
- SAM BLACKMER on A9
CAITLIN GIBBONS • NEWS EDITOR • cgibbon4@mscd.edu

Racing for the cure THIS WEEK

EVENTS

10.8
Disabilities
Awareness Festival
Come and inform
yourself at the many
booths set up.
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tivoli Commons

10.13
Richard T. Castro
Symposium
Panel of associates
who worked with
Richard T. Castro on
his legacy of social
change.
11:30 a.m.
Tivoli 440

INDEX
INSIGHT ... A9
METROSPECTIVE ... B1
AUDIOFILES ... B6
SPORTS ... A10
TIMEOUT ... A14
Breast cancer survivor Pam Dillon, right, hugs her daughter at the closing ceremonies for the Komen Race for the Cure Oct. 4. Not only is the
race the largest fundraising event for breast cancer, it is also one of the most successful educational events in the world. Each year more than
1 million participants nationwide walk or run the 5k marathons to raise money in hopes of finding a cure for the disease. WEATHER
Photo by Chancey Bush • cbush7@mscd.edu
10.8 • Chance of Rain

Degree comes with guarantee

Teachers given
opportunity to hit
the books cost-free
By Andrew Flohr-Spence
spencand@mscd.edu
Metro teacher education gradu-
ates now come with a limited war-
ranty.
If a school is not completely satis-
fied with the skills of a new teacher
within one year, the teacher can re-
turn to Metro and audit classes at no
cost.
The “statement of assurance” will
begin with this fall’s graduates and
give them an added edge at finding a
job, college administrators said.
“It’s really demonstrating we are a
true leader in the field of teacher edu-
cation,” Metro spokeswoman Cathy
Lucas said. “It is one way of exemplify-
ing that Metro stands behind the qual-
ity of the education we offer.”
Approximately 2,000 students
are enrolled in the teacher education
program, making it one of the largest
departments at Metro.
The teacher education department
is also one of three departments cho-
sen to go ahead with expanding in the
future to offer a Master’s program.
Sandra Haynes, dean of Metro’s
school of professional studies, said the
intent of the program was not only to
give the graduates added marketability
in job-hunting, but also to give first-
year teachers added support in begin-
ning their careers.
Haynes said education department
statistics showed most people who give
up teaching, do so in the first three
years.
“This will give them some added
support,” Haynes said.
Haynes said she wasn’t expecting
many people to take advantage of the
assurance and if a few students per se-
mester did come back the department
had room to accommodate the extra
students.
“Frankly, I don’t think it will be
used,” she said. “We believe in the
quality of our education grads that we
are willing to put that in writing.”
Specialist on trends in education
and Metro professor of elementary ed-
ucation Leslie Swetnam said not many
colleges and universities around the
country offer such a guarantee.
“The practice sort of comes into
fashion and then falls back out again,”
Swetnam said.
Swetnam said that classroom
management and course planning are
areas that can overwhelm first-year
teachers.
“A lot of people are really shocked
their first year by the workload of
teaching. They come back and tell me
‘it’s taking up my life,’ and I tell them
‘yep,’” Swetnam said.
Swetnam said she is confident
Metro prepares its teachers for the real
teaching world.
“We wouldn’t put this into place
if we thought that a lot of people were
going to call us up,” professor of el-
ementary education said. “It’s only
places that have highly regarded prod-
uct … who would want to make that
statement.”
Lucas said Metro president Ste-
phen Jordan suggested the idea after
seeing the success of a similar program
High: 52/Low: 40
10.9 • Partly Cloudy
High: 56/Low: 33
10.10 •Chance of Snow
High: 44/Low: 31
instituted in the teacher education pro- 10.11 • Partly Cloudy
gram at East Washington State, where High: 50/Low: 27
Jordan was president before coming to 10.12 • Mostly Sunny
Metro in 2005. High: 58/Low: 31
“In the eight years he was at the 10.13 • Mostly Sunny
school, only a handful of students ever High: 61/Low: 35
came back,” Lucas said. 10.14 • Partly Cloudy
“I think it just shows that the High: 64/Low: 37
school has a good program,” said sec- By Kendell LaRoche
ondary education student Allison Hill,
“because they’re confident enough in
the program here to feel like they can CORRECTIONS
send us out and we are not going to
have to come back … that’s what that On page A7 in the Oct. 1
says to me.” edition of The Metropolitan,
Hill said she is very happy with the the date of Ralph Nader’s visit
program at Metro and chose the teach- to Auraria should have been
er education program here instead of reported as Oct. 1.
the one at the University of Northern In the same article, Nader’s
Colorado. last visit to Colorado should
“Metro is very progressive in the have been reported as Aug. 27,
teaching methods and just how they 2008, at the Magness Arena at
look at teaching in general,” she said. the University of Denver.
“That’s one reason I decided to come to
Metro … they really are up and coming To notify The Metropolitan of
and they’re one of the best teaching an error in any of our reports,
programs.” please contact Editor-in-Chief
Dominic Graziano at
dgrazia1@mscd.edu