Reach the People was created as a Big Idea between Michelle Gabay and Sylvia Beltran in 2017. Their goal was to create and develop a radical reimagination of teacher preparation programs to combat the systematically oppressive education system which as a byproduct negatively reproduces current social power structures.
We believe RTP’s purpose as a post-secondary educators’ program is not only to certify globally informed teachers and develop content competencies, but also support preservice teachers in their process to become transformative, passionate, and culturally relevant teachers. Our students will develop throughout the program to see learning as a transcendental experience that uses teaching and learning as a tool to nurture a sense of advocacy and activism in their students for their own well-being and success.
- Reach the People rejects the model set by the US Standards Movement of the 1980s and will create alternative structures to prepare future educators by eliminating the “teach to the test” mentality and allowing for collaborative, critical, and culturally informed pedagogical standards.
- RTP wants to push the boundaries of accepted educational standards and advocates for all teacher preparation institutions to do the same in terms of quality of courses, expertise of faculty, opportunities to learn about educational policy, selectivity in student candidates, and cooperation with communities to elevate our collective standards of living.
- RTP aligns itself with The Holmes Partnership in terms of creating a collective effort to uplift all equitably to advance our society through development of socio-economic, and political literacies to encourage a democratic society.
