Teachers are my heroes and I bet it’s true for anyone who’s walked down school corridors. Until recently I didn’t seriously think about teacher trainers. There are in fact 22 teacher training programs in Colorado. I have an army of heroes.

To many, the education system is a source of great discontent. Few see easy answers for what ails education. And yet, I’ve found teachers and folks in the education system, to be indefatigably working at problems. Some with a degree of success.

As is true in many endeavors, we get to understand the complexity of work and issues other people confront by spending time with them. I have had the privilege of doing just that with professors at several teacher training centers; what follows is a result of my observations.

First a piece of good news. The University of Northern Colorado’s Center for Urban Education (CUE), located right here in Denver, just received the 2024 Promising Practice Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Training (AACTE). CUE has demonstrated outcomes and advocacy related to increasing educator diversity. Pride and joy washed over me about the award. You see, Dr. Rosanne Fulton, head of CUE and her assistant, Joanne Ross have allowed my colleagues and I to watch CUE accomplish its mission through consistent action from close quarters.

AACTE says, and I quote: Since 2000, the CUE has focused on preparing teachers who are culturally, racially and linguistically responsive to build a workforce that mirrors the demographics of the learners in Denver. With over 70% of its teacher candidates being individuals of color, and 100% being first generation scholars, the center equips educators to make a meaningful impact in diverse urban settings. Through the center’s Grow Your Own (GYO) program, teacher candidates work as paraeducators in local schools during the mornings and complete their teacher prep courses in the afternoons and evenings setting them up for success in the classroom.

The foregoing description of CUE’s work describes an apprenticeship model that’s unique to CUE and follows an ancient and universal mentorship concept: we learn best by watching experts practice their art. We in turn replicate what they do under their supervision, thus setting us up for success. Retired teachers mentor and monitor paraeducators. It adds expense, but it’s a source of great value for trainees.

CUE prepares trainees to teach elementary and early childhood classes, in addition to special needs students. Because the majority of trainees are individuals of color, the issue of qualifying exams that must be passed for teacher certification is one CUE considers seriously because it’s an issue that has had great national impact in the recruitment of teachers of color. CUE addresses this through a variety of mechanisms and remedial courses to ascertain that a large number of trainees qualify as competent and valued teachers.

Most awards are a recognition of work well done. They’re not a guarantee to end struggles, difficulties or deficits. They may encourage grant-makers and other philanthropic entities that recipients are worthy of assistance. May that happen to CUE and its great teaching staff.

CUE’s award doesn’t touch problems low-income teacher trainees have. It doesn’t touch the fact that many have families to support and many have two or more jobs to make ends meet. Valiant trainees are unnamed, never applauded heroes, driven by an innate need to fight and to distinguish themselves, no matter that society’s gaze is always turned up to bright shiny objects; never to those who toil in classrooms, or in hospital wards.

Like many other teacher training centers, CUE functions on a shoestring budget. Unlike the rain, American wealth, sadly, doesn’t permeate down through the arid soil of poverty to places of great need. Contrary to the movie, “To Sir With Love,” teaching isn’t romantic; it’s complex, tedious, frustrating work. Teachers may resemble saints; they’re not. They’re humans who hurt, break down and often throw in the towel. My opinion is, teachers in our overcrowded schools, with immigrant children that speak a plethora of languages, should be receiving a fair share of the nation’s school funding dollars. But they don’t.

Imagine a stock market analogy, I can’t think of a better investment than our children’s minds where teachers are traders on the stock market trading floor. Anyone reading this, should review their own past and their children’s portfolios. They depend on good teachers and good schools.

A mind indeed, is a terrible thing to waste.

Pius Kamau, M.D., a retired general surgeon, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP); co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group, and an activist for minority students’ STEM education. He is a National Public Radio commentator, a Huffington Post blogger, a past columnist for Denver dailies, and is featured on the podcast, “Never Again.”