University of San Francisco wins Department of Education grant to support teacher residency
training
SAN
FRANCISCO — (Oct. 14, 2011) The San Francisco Teacher Residency (SFTR), a unique partnership between
the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), the University of San
Francisco (USF), Stanford University, the United Educators of San Francisco,
the San Francisco Education Fund, and AmeriCorps, has been awarded one of 30
Transition to Teaching grants from the U.S. Department of Education to recruit
and prepare teachers for SFUSD’s hardest to staff schools and most challenging subjects
to teach.
Urban
districts across the country struggle to recruit, prepare, and retain excellent
teachers to serve in high-need schools and to teach the subjects of math,
science, and bilingual education. Recognizing this need, the U.S. Department of
Education’s Transition to Teaching initiative has awarded grants for programs
to recruit mid-career professionals and recent graduates who do not have
degrees in education, and help them become teachers through alternative
certification routes. The University of San Francisco will receive $2,151,961
over the course of five years from the U.S. Department of Education to support
the work of the San Francisco Teacher Residency (SFTR).
Based
on the medical school training model, new and accomplished teachers collaborate
in teaching academies to improve the student teacher’s learning process. SFTR
teacher candidates (known as residents) integrate master’s level coursework at
the University of San Francisco or Stanford, with a full year apprenticeship
alongside expert teachers (known as demonstration teachers) in SFUSD classrooms
before they become the teachers of record the following year.
“SFTR
aims to prepare teachers who can be successful in the urban schools where they
are most needed,” said Dr. Peter Williamson, the University of San Francisco
faculty advisor for the program and the university sponsor of the Transition to
Teaching grant. “As we recruit teachers who are committed to working in San
Francisco’s public schools, we can tailor their professional preparation so
that they are really ready to be highly successful
with San Francisco’s diverse urban youth.”
In
addition to their regular coursework and fieldwork, SFTR residents participate
in monthly instructional rounds where they visit other classrooms in their
school and around SFUSD to broaden their views of good teaching. They also
attend a course where they learn about the structures, policies and practices
within the school district.
“Because
our candidates are in the classroom from the first day of school until the
last, they can link what they are learning in their university coursework to
real-life practice,” says SFTR Director and former SFUSD principal, Dr. Debbie
Faigenbaum. “As a result, they are better prepared to deal with the challenges
of teaching and more likely to stay in the classroom.”
The
SFTR program began last year with a small cohort of 14 residents. Among its
first round of graduates is Lianne Kim, who now teaches at James Lick Middle
School. With her PhD in Chemistry, Lianne wanted to make a career change and
felt pulled toward the teaching profession. She says that she combines the
teaching skills she learned from the residency program with her science
background.
“I
had the opportunity to learn how to think like a scientist and I wanted to
share this with young people,” says Lianne Kim. “The residency program gave me
the opportunity to learn from some incredible middle school teachers and
allowed me to take on the responsibility of being a teacher gradually.”
The
Department of Education grant will help SFTR educate more teachers like Lianne
Kim. This year, SFTR expanded from 14 to 25 residents. Next year’s goal is 30
residents, and possibly an added component of special education training. The
Department of Education grant will strengthen SFTR’s work by providing
resources for mentors, additional training for supervisors and demonstration
teachers, and the funds needed for instructional rounds and program evaluation.
About the San
Francisco Teacher Residency
The
San Francisco Teacher Residency is a partnership between San Francisco Unified
School District (SFUSD), the San Francisco Education Fund, University of San
Francisco, Stanford University, United Educators of San Francisco, and
AmeriCorps. The program is committed to preparing high quality teachers for San
Francisco’s hardest to staff schools and subjects. Building upon the success of
other urban teacher residencies, SFTR serves
as a model for new teacher education pathways in that it re-envisions how
universities prepare teachers and how they partner with local districts and
other education stakeholders. For more information, please visit http://www.sfedfund.org/programs/leadership_overview.php
