Strong Teachers Day One grew out of a growing crisis in teacher preparation in the state of Texas. For profit certification companies began to “certify” teachers that were unprepared to make a positive difference in the lives of their students. And sadly, these underqualified teachers are often put into the highest needs schools.

The College of Education at Texas Tech wanted to change this trend and based on lessons learned from its nationally recognized TechTeach program, engaged with three outstanding school districts to pilot Strong Teachers Day One.

At the helm of Texas Tech’s Teacher Education programming is department chair Doug Hamman, Ph.D. You will often find Doug traversing the state meeting with educational leaders, school administrators and potential students as he seeks to increase the impact our programs have on future educators and the students they serve.