As the demand for educators across the country grows, Sonoma State's Teacher Residency Program is leveraging state funding with community networks to cultivate teachers committed to fostering educational equity in the classroom.
"A good deal of research shows how effective new teachers who come out of teacher residency programs are. They are both qualitatively and quantitatively stronger teachers, and their students have stronger outcomes," said Rhianna Henry Casesa, Ph.D., Director and Coordinator of SSU's Teacher Residency Programs, Associate Professor of Literacy Studies and Elementary Education, and Coordinator of Bilingual Authorization Programs.
Studies show that Teacher Residency Program (TRP) graduates have retention rates of 80 to 90 percent after three years, and the National Center for Teacher Residencies revealed that 93 percent of principals who participated in their program reported improved student learning at their schools.
Casesa said that because of the success of these programs, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) diverted funding into TRP credential programs.
"They did this because the teachers' outcomes are high, and there's a teacher shortage. But they want to figure out how to get the most effective teachers into classrooms as soon as possible," she said.
Since 2016, California has made expansive investments in TRPs to attract diverse talent, providing approximately $1.6 billion to address the teacher shortage.
With the Golden State housing the most public schools in the country, the local demand for qualified teachers is critical.
Laura Alamillo, Dean of the College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies at Sonoma State, said the program has acquired millions of dollars from CTC that go directly to students.
"We are not only providing strong educator pathways into our communities, but we are also financially supporting our residents for the year in the program. We are committed to ensuring the quality of education of our graduates," Alamillo said.
Residents in the program, which spans from Novato to Ukiah, are given a stipend of $30,000 to $35,000 for the year, and get numerous professional development opportunities. Mentors also receive a stipend of $1,500 for the year to have a resident in their classroom.
Education Shortage Fields
Casesa said the CTC is particularly interested in funding designated fields with education shortages, including special education, bilingual education, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), computer science, Transitional Kindergarten (TK/K), teacher diversification, and school counselors.
SSU's TRP focuses on the fields of: special education, bilingual education, STEM, teacher diversification, and TK/K. Residents need to be working in at least one of the categories to receive funding.
Dr. Rajeev Virmani, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Curriculum Studies and Secondary Education at Sonoma State and head of the North Bay STEM Teacher Residency Program (NBSTEM), said the NBSTEM program is committed to justice-focused, practice-based teacher education.
"We prioritize the recruitment of creative, diverse candidates, particularly those from the very districts they will eventually serve, embodying a ‘grow your own’ model," Virmani said.
Virmani said this community is committed not only to guiding residents but also to enhancing their teaching and mentoring skills, creating a dynamic, reciprocal environment where everyone works together to become better educators.
"Residents engage in collaborative learning events, instructional rounds, and rehearsals, all designed to support equity, enhance instructional practices, and deepen content knowledge for teaching science and mathematics," he said.
Sonoma State's TRP is unique because of its nine-district reach, Casesa said. "It's an extensive region, and the district partners support each other. It's very collaborative," she said.
The program started with seven residents and has grown exponentially, almost doubling in one year, with 54 residents this fall compared to 31 last year.
Bilingual Educators and Diversity
Because almost one-third of Sonoma County's population is Hispanic, bilingual educators are fundamental to community schools. Casesa said she is seeing the demand locally.
"Local schools are interested in getting bilingually authorized teachers into the programs with high numbers of Spanish-speaking kids. There is a huge need for dual language and bilingual education teachers in California," she said..
NBSTEM also approaches candidates by focusing on supporting emergent bilingualism, mainly by integrating biliteracy in math and science teaching through Sonoma State's Biliteracy and Content Area Integrated Preparation (BCAIP) Project.
"This commitment not only helps to stabilize the local teacher workforce, but it also ensures that our graduates remain connected to and invested in the communities they serve," Virmani said.
Casesa said that financial incentives through SSU's TRP are essential for teachers working toward their credentials. Teaching is also a good option for people who have not considered it.
"We intend to diversify the workforce. So I think it's important that if you never saw yourself as a teacher, it could have been because your teachers didn't look like you. I want to encourage people to consider it an option," she said.
While Sonoma State is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Casesa said the university aims to benefit all underrepresented populations.
"We define diversity broadly; beyond race or ethnicity. We do this because the stories of these diverse teacher candidates — whether they be related to childhood poverty, first generation status, mid-career changes, home language, or immigration status — it all resonates with the children and families that we serve, and because everyone's story matters to kids in classrooms."
- Krista Sherer, Strategic Communications Writer