gaillardsghost

@ABAnerd: You can probably look at funding in terms of three different sources: 1) funding from Teachers College, 2) funding from your specific department/program at Teachers College, and 3) external funding from outside of Teachers College (sorry if I've oversimplified this, people; don't rip my windpipe out here with your corrections). #1 could be things like the Teachers College General Scholarship, or fellowships like the Zankel Fellowship that are available across the college and not limited to one program or another. For the sake of this post, I would also lump work study in to this category, even though that probably doesn't come from Teachers College (though it is administered by the college). #2 is probably the greater mystery. Some programs may have fellowships, assistantships, etc that they dole out to admitted students. Others may have very few of these. In some cases, the funding may not be for the duration of your studies at Teachers College; in other words, you could be awarded funding (via #1 or #2) that is non-renewable, and only good for the year of the award. My impression is that some programs award fellowships/assistantships directly to admitted (usually full time) students, without the student needing to apply or do anything other than apply for their respective program. Other opportunities might be posted at careers.tc.columbia.edu. #3 could include other sources, like honor society scholarships. There are too many to name, and I'm not that familiar with external funding, so I won't go into it. I've heard that TC is stingy compared to other schools as far as funding goes, but I think this really depends on the type of student you are (full-time vs part-time), your background, and most importantly the program to which you apply. Having limited exposure to only a few programs at TC, I wouldn't make a generalization across the college, especially one with so many different programs.

What do you intend to do with a PhD in "Urban Education"?

It seems to me they are trying to Chicagoize their education programs. I don't have ties to the school, but I spent parts of two summers in Ithaca and looked into Cornell for graduate school in 2008. At that time, their programs seemed to be in the process of being stripped down nothing, or whatever label you would attach to their current status.

If you want to teach K-12 (and I assume 7-12, given your undergraduate major) sooner rather than later, I could offer two suggestions. These aren't meant to be silly or offensive or anything of the sort: 1. Teach abroad. Depending on where you go, the bar might be a bit lower. You might have to teach something like conversational English, or some other topic or subject that isn't necessarily your first choice. An experience like this would provide you with two important things: 1) teaching experience in some form, and 2) time to take additional courses to offset your GPA some. 2. Look into residency programs. Since a teaching residency typically entails working with a full professional while learning your craft, the incoming expectations are different. For instance, the New York City Teaching Fellows web site indicates they will "review your application holistically" if you have a sub-2.4 GPA; I realize that's a little north of what you indicated, but that's just one residency program--others might shave that figure some to make you eligible from the outset. 3. The federal government publishes lists of teacher shortage areas. If you are pursuing social studies, that will greatly reduce the number of shortage areas, but it still might be worth looking into. Places with shortage areas in social studies include Alaska, the District of Columbia, Idaho, and perhaps others--I'm too lazy to continue reviewing the list. These jurisdictions may have paths to emergency licenses or alternative certification that could get you into the classroom, and perhaps into a preparation program that would eventually certify you for a more permanent sort of teaching credential (and, if you're lucky, one that can be transferred to another jurisdiction). I'm thinking this particular suggestion, if it's even possible, is like playing chess rather than checkers; you'd be looking at a significantly longer timeline to potentially get to where you want to be. On the other hand, if you're really hungry to teach and willing to go anywhere, it could prove a great opportunity if you can find the right fit. I know a person who teaches in Alaska, having done stints in Wisconsin, China, etc, and she seems to love it. It's not for everyone, though.

For what it's worth, I worked with someone who graduated with a PhD from Teachers College. She always used to say, "A degree from Columbia takes you places.." I've never heard anyone say, "Oh, it's just Teachers College." Whether it is formally or completely linked with Columbia University or not, Teachers College has had a 100+ year presence in the education world, and certainly has a reputation that far exceeds most other graduate schools of education--I think that's the thing to keep in mind more than the 'Columbia connection' or relationship.

Straight from Wikipedia, and relevant to several things you wrote: Relationship with Columbia University[edit] Teachers College holds its own corporate status separate from Columbia University, including an independent board of trustees, budget, endowment, and multiple admissions standards; however, as noted in Columbia University's Faculty Handbook, the College is an official faculty of the University, serving as the University's Department of Education.[9] Teachers College faculty hold Columbia University appointments; its President is a dean of the University; and all students receive their degrees from Columbia University. As with the other Faculties of the University, Teachers College Ph.D. degrees are specifically conferred by Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.[10][11]

About five years ago I unsuccessfully pursued gifted and talented positions. I guess I am still technically certified in G&T, though I haven't done anything with it recently. Take what I write here with that in mind--I don't know if things have changed, as I've been into other things. Between five and seven years ago, the opportunities seemed few, and most of them where I was located were elementary based. There were secondary opportunities here and there, mostly in a large urban district that I taught outside of (this was out west, in the US). When I relocated to the east, I was able to get interviews for three different positions in two different states, neither of which I was licensed in at the time (and one of which I was a finalist for in a *great* place). I also had an interview in a district I was working in at the time. The lack of success here probably had to do with lack of experience, gifted specific coursework, and to a lesser extent the credential issue--at least, that's what I think. As far as advice in pursuing this area: 1. Pursue certification in multiple areas (e.g., math/science, language arts/social studies, although other combinations may prove useful). A teacher of the gifted sometimes has to provide support across content areas, or at the very least advise content teachers in those areas about how to modify content and instruction. 2. At the secondary level, it seemed like many gifted and talented positions required English/language arts certification. I don't know if this was just the area I lived in, or if this is part of a larger trend. I saw a few that were math-focused out west as well. 3. Gifted endorsements or other teaching credentials may get you into interviews, although you'll need more obviously to win yourself a job. Such licenses often require graduate coursework in gifted and talented education. Some states, like New Mexico, require a content test as well or instead; they used to take the PRAXIS II in gifted, but states may have their own G&T test instead/as well. 4. Teach, teach, and teach! My impression from the districts I worked in was that they often staffed these positions internally, from people who had a fair amount of experience (i.e., 5 years or more). Not saying you won't find a position like this with less than 5 years of experience, but these districts I'm referring to seemed to think it was easier to find a new content teacher than to hire a gifted specialist from the outside. 5. Special education credentials are a double-edged sword when it comes to gifted. The skill sets of "special educators" and "gifted educators" have some overlap between them. States that use IEPs and gifted IEPs (are there states that don't?) require gifted educators to be familiar with legal protections and reporting that special educators regularly must use. However, in some districts, a license in special education means a possible reassignment to a special educator role, even if one is hired initially to teach gifted and talented. In terms of being hired, it should go without saying that special education credentials and experiences will land you a job much quicker than gifted credentials will. Feel free to message if you have other questions. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to help, given the experiences I've had, but I can at least entertain questions and see if I can help.