Lupita Prado Machuca, once an English language learner, teaches students from the same community where she grew up and helps them to see the importance of an education that prepares them for college and the workforce.
Lupita is the product of efforts in Kern County, Calif., to change the face of teacher preparation. California State University Bakersfield (CSUB), with funding support from an OII Teacher Quality Partnerships grant, brings mentor teachers into classrooms of first-year teachers and provides teacher candidates with field experience from day one, increasing their confidence and abilities when taking on their own classrooms.
The five-year, $10.5 million grant, which began in 2009, supports a partnership among CSUB, California State University Monterey Bay, and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, along with two K-12 partners — Kern County and Tulare County school districts — in the central region of California. Known as the Edvention Partners, their combined efforts address the diverse needs of schools, teachers, and students within a large geographical, primarily rural, area.
For Lupita and other new teachers from the region, Edvention Partners provides access to high-quality teacher preparation and incentives to stay in the community. Click here to watch a video about her experience.
Cross-posted from the May 22, 2014 edition of The Teachers Edition, a weekly e-newsletter of ED’s Office of Communications and Outreach
