By Jarret Liotta

WESTPORT — A state-sanctioned initiative is striving to increase the pool of certified teachers at a time when staffing is challenged — as well as working to bring broader representation among staff in order to reflect diverse student bodies.

Westport Public Schools was an early partner in the Connecticut Teacher Residency Program, which began in 2019 up and around Hartford. This year it’s expanded to include Darien, Fairfield and other districts throughout the state.

Students Learning Better

“Research shows that all students learn better with a diverse teaching population,” explained Brianne Shea, resident coach with the program and a former classroom teacher at Saugatuck Elementary School for 16 years. “The program is focused on diversifying the teaching staff across the state.”

She noted that more than half of the state’s public school students are of color, while only about 20 percent of the state’s public school teachers are likewise.

John Bayers, Westport’s assistant superintendent for human resources & general administration, said the state’s Department of Education has been working for years to correct this incongruity, with individual districts required by law to work toward this goal as well.

“I think this program is a great fit for Westport,” he said, “not only for the schools but the greater community. Increasing the diversity in our workforce is a priority not just for the Board of Education, but the town side as well.”

Incentive

With COVID-related staffing issues also a national problem, Bayers said the TRP program offers an incentive for aspiring educators, combining summer course work and a year-long paid residency with mentor teachers.

“It does not require them to spend thousands of dollars going through a graduate program,” he said, but instead fast-tracks candidates toward elementary certification through their work in the district.

“It also allows them to go through this rigorous experience with a salary and benefits package that removes a serious economic barrier residents often face when considering the teaching profession,” Bayers said, noting it aids teacher retention within a district as well.

“It demonstrates a serious commitment to our employees, which ultimately benefits our students,” he said.

Shea said the nature of the program encourages districts to look within for candidates, referring to it as a “grow-your-own model.”

“A lot of our current residents in various districts are former paraprofessionals,” she said, “so the schools are promoting (people) from within, as long as they’re meeting the requirements.”

Cultivating Talent

“I think it gives districts the opportunity to really cultivate unrecognized people that may exist in their district,” she said, including exemplary paraprofessionals who already work extensively with students.

Last week, Shea coordinated a recruitment event for aspiring teachers throughout the area.

“Teaching is one of the most important roles in our society,” said State Rep. Stephanie Thomas, (D-143), who attended the event. “TRP’s vigorous program and supportive environment provide a valuable option for those committed to educating our future generations.”

Likewise, she noted the importance of allowing students of color to see other community leaders — teachers in particular — that look like them.

“When children don’t see people of color in leadership roles, unconscious bias can creep in, even when that is not the intention,” she said. “In Westport, I’ve heard graduates of Staples (High School) lament that they weren’t prepared for the world at college or in the workplace — a world that is far from homogeneous.”

“Unfortunately, this bias can also enforce a feeling of inferiority to children of color,” she said, “who don’t have an opportunity to see themselves in their teachers.”

You can learn more about the Connecticut Teacher Residency Program at this link.

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