Our Mission and Vision
Our Conceptual Framework
The Master in Teaching program at The Evergreen State College prepares aspiring K–12 teachers to center students, families, and communities in the design and implementation of meaningful, equitable learning experiences. Faculty recognize that the journey to becoming a teacher begins long before formal training and continues well beyond graduation. Our program is grounded in the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) Cultural Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CCDEI) Standards and the InTASC Standards for Teacher Education, which serve as the foundation for developing teachers who:
- Understand themselves as diverse cultural beings in order to serve others across a range of human differences
- Include students, families, and communities as valued contributors to the educational community
- Create conditions that support partnerships and shared responsibility for learning
- Identify and remove barriers to ensure every student benefits fully from public education
Our interdisciplinary program brings together aspiring elementary and secondary teachers in a collaborative learning environment. The curriculum is designed to explore the intersections of theory and practice across three central conceptual domains:
1. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Culturally sustaining pedagogy is an asset-based instructional approach that honors and sustains the cultural and linguistic identities, experiences, and ways of knowing of diverse students, families, and communities. We reject one-size-fits-all models of instruction, recognizing that learning is shaped by complex, culturally situated cognitive processes.
Students bring rich “funds of knowledge” into the classroom. Effective teaching draws on these assets—interests, values, languages, and lived experiences—to plan inclusive, developmentally responsive instruction that encourages active engagement. Our curriculum views diversity as a strength and positions teaching as an act of building on student potential. It acknowledges the cultural, social, emotional, physiological, and cognitive development of learners as central to effective teaching and learning.
2. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Teaching is fundamentally an act of service and ethical leadership grounded in care, respect, and a commitment to justice. Equity means acknowledging and addressing differences in student needs and dismantling barriers that prevent full participation in educational opportunities. Our program supports candidates in examining their own identities, biases, and assumptions, while critically analyzing how educational systems have historically contributed to inequity and marginalization. Our goal is to prepare teachers who advocate for their students and communities, lead efforts for equity in their schools, and work toward more just futures for all learners.
3. Democratic Classrooms
Democratic classrooms are rooted in shared power, student agency, and a belief in the transformative potential of education. When students feel their voices are heard and their learning is relevant, they become more invested and engaged. Our curriculum encourages future teachers to foster classroom environments that are collaborative, inclusive, and humanizing. Teacher candidates explore the social foundations of education, critically examine the role of schooling in maintaining or challenging systems of power and privilege, and develop a deep understanding of what it means to educate within a democratic society shaped by a state-supported capitalist economy. We support candidates in creating democratic learning spaces that empower students, incorporate family and community voices, and promote inclusive decision-making. These classrooms prepare students not only for academic success but for active participation in a diverse and complex society.
The MiT program equips teacher candidates with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become leaders in education—committed to equity, grounded in community, and prepared to teach for joy and justice in every classroom.