The Hechinger Report – Sarah Fitzpatrick
“WASHINGTON — I’m a second-year special education teacher in District of Columbia Public Schools’ Eastern Senior High School, but unlike many teachers who struggle in their first few years, I’ve felt prepared running my classroom since my first day. I was able to engage my students and positively impact their learning while facing minimal behavior issues. I attribute that to my training with Urban Teachers, a rigorous alternative certification program, where I spent an entire year working in urban classrooms and practicing effective teaching techniques before I become responsible for my own class of students. This was accompanied with hours of individualized, targeted coaching and mentorship to ensure my craft was improving and my kids were getting the education they needed. Only 19 percent of D.C.’s eighth graders are performing at or above proficieny in math and reading. Many of our students come to us from low-income neighborhoods and need teachers that are prepared to improve their learning every single day in the classroom. It’s an excellent education that can propel them to succeed beyond high school.”(more)