Teach Tomorrow in Oakland

TTO RESIDENTS PROGRAM


“By participating in the process of equity pedagogy, we come to see that every act of teaching is a multicultural encounter in which the diverse realities of our students’ lives can be both acknowledged and informed” (Howard, 1999).


One of the most important and clearly defined goals of the Oakland Unified School District is improved teaching and learning for all children, more than 94% of which are of color. The 2007 OUSD Teacher Recruitment, Retention, Quality and Distribution report has the following goal: “the racial, ethnic and gender diversity of district teachers will reflect the diversity of the district student population by 2012”. Epstein notes, “Teaching is both an education issue and a jobs issue. The school district is the largest employer in the city and 300 new teachers are hired in Oakland each year. This is a relatively well-paying and stable job, and Oakland families will benefit from such employment” (2008). Recruiting diverse, qualified Oakland residents with a long-term commitment to Oakland’s community will improve student success, teaching and learning, and increase both teacher and student retention.

The OUSD strategy team’s decision in 2007 to begin a project entitled “Invest in Our People” sets the stage for TTO; investing in one of Oakland’s greatest resources, its people, through professional development and increased workplace skills is admirable. Similarly, we must invest in Oakland’s people using new recruiting strategies. OUSD has tried a variety of recruiting strategies including using outside vendors and hiring incentives. However, these efforts have not done enough to diversify the teaching workforce, which is why a deeper and more systemic approach like Teach Tomorrow in Oakland is required.

Teach Tomorrow in Oakland (TTO) is a partnership between the office of Mayor Ronald V. Dellums and the Oakland Unified School District committed to recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers who reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of our city. Long term, TTO will develop middle, high school and college students who have an interest in education as a career goal, providing support for them to eventually teach in Oakland. Short term, TTO will recruit community members, OUSD classified employees and student teachers from local colleges and universities who reflect the cultural and racial diversity of our students, providing support as they complete their credential and become classroom teachers.

The TTO Residents program is part of that short-term solution. Realizing that prospective educators need support as they navigate the application process, TTO will develop a cohort of 25 “Residents”, supporting them as they move from application to teacher-of-record. Residents will receive:

 Tutoring support towards passage of CBEST and/or CSET
 Guaranteed job offer from OUSD w/fast-tracked hiring process
 3 wk intensive training to help satisfy the 120-hour pre-service requirement w/stipend for each intern participant
 Increased classroom management support
 Support towards applying to partner colleges and Universities for the credential program

To be eligible for the Residents program, applicants must meet the following requirements and agree to the following stipulations:

1. Oakland resident
2. BA/BS degree
3. Desire to teach in any OUSD school, but especially those in high-need areas
4. Demonstrated ability to teach, work with, and engage, and manage diverse groups of children and youth
5. Commitment to teach in OUSD for a minimum of five years

In addition, participation will require each Resident to meet the following timeline, including attending all necessary boot camps, mandatory pre-service development and completing required classroom observations.

Timeline/Admission Process
January 23, 2009 Applications due
February 2 – 13, 2009 1st Interviews
March 5 – 8, 2009 CSET Boot Camp
April 6 – 20, 2009 2nd interviews/teaching demonstrations
May 7 – 9, 2009 CSET Boot Camp/Classroom observations
June 2009 Residents selected/job offer
July 2009 Classroom observations/employment screening
August 10 – 21, 2009 Intensive pre-service development
August 24, 2009 1st day of school!








2008- 2009 TTO RESIDENTS APPLICATION
DUE DATE: JANUARY 23, 2009


Name________________________________________¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬________________________________________


Address______________________________________ City OAKLAND State CA Zip______


Home #__________________ Cell____________________ Email____________________________


Interested in teaching (circle):
Elementary Middle High School (subject)___________________ SP ED


Items completed (circle):
BA/BS College/University__________________________Major/Minor___________________

CBEST CSET


Currently enrolled in a credential program? No Yes (where?)_______________


Language fluency (other than English)?_____________________________________________________


On a separate sheet of paper, please answer the following in no more than two typewritten pages:

1. Why do you want to become a teacher?
2. How has your life and educational experiences prepared you to teach in Oakland?

Please attach any supporting documentation (unofficial transcripts, test results, letters of recommendation, etc.) and mail to:

Teach Tomorrow in Oakland/Attn: Dr. Rachelle Rogers-Ard
Oakland Unified School District/Portable 16
1025 2nd Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606