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Recruiting & Retaining Quality Teachers in Rural Arizona

Recruiting & Retaining Quality Teachers in Rural Arizona. Project CENTRL January 22, 2010. Questions Addressed. How does one become a teacher in Arizona? What does “highly qualified” really mean? What is the State doing to help rural and small districts get quality teachers and principals?

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Recruiting & Retaining Quality Teachers in Rural Arizona

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  1. Recruiting & Retaining Quality Teachers in Rural Arizona Project CENTRL January 22, 2010

  2. Questions Addressed • How does one become a teacher in Arizona? • What does “highly qualified” really mean? • What is the State doing to help rural and small districts get quality teachers and principals? • What can you do to make sure your children/ grandchildren/nieces/nephews/etc. have quality teachers and principals?

  3. How does one become a teacher in Arizona?

  4. State Certification • Where does it come from? • Statutes • State Board of Education • Litigation • Why do we have it? • License to practice the profession of teaching • Documentation that a minimum level of quality has been attained

  5. Pathways to Teacher Certification • Completion of a State Board approved teacher preparation program • Course by course evaluation of an official transcript • Reciprocity • Intern program

  6. What does “highly qualified” really mean?

  7. Highly Qualified Professional • Requirements • Bachelor’s degree or higher • Valid Arizona teaching certificate (charter schools are exempt from this) • Content competency • Rigorous state exam • 24 semester hours or more of content • Veteran HOUSSE rubric

  8. What is the State (& Feds) doing to help rural and small districts get quality teachers and principals?

  9. Financial Assistance • Federal Title IIA monies, which all districts receive, is to be used for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers • Provide financial support to Arizona Small & Rural Schools Association for recruiting teachers for member districts • Transition to Teaching grant provides eligible teaching interns and paraprofessionals with a $5000 scholarship for their teacher preparation program • Partner with ASU, U of A, AZ Western College, Rio Salado CC, South Mtn. CC and NAU Yuma for paraprofessional 2+2 teacher preparation programs and tutorials • Provide grants to County Superintendents for their work in retaining teachers by providing timely, quality professional development

  10. Financial Assistance continued • Tutorials are being conducted in the districts to assist paraprofessionals prepare for the March 27th AEPA Basic Skills exam. • Partnering with Phoenix Teaching Fellows and Troops to Teachers in meeting rural district teacher needs, conducting district meetings and military base presentations. • Mentor Academy Trainings – New Teacher Center – scheduled in Holbrook for the Northern AZ school districts and contracted for Yuma/Nogales county school districts. • Marketing and Retention Workshops (2) – Yuma workshop was held Dec. 9 & 10, 2009 and the Northern AZ workshop is scheduled March 29, 30, 31, 2010.

  11. Technical Assistance • Certification On-Sites • Title IIA specialists • travel to districts and provide technical assistance for getting all teachers highly qualified and approving their Title II plans • share information with districts regarding the Transition to Teaching grant and the teaching intern program • Presentations are conducted to inform districts of changes to programs and new laws • Trainings are conducted to assist districts in entering their high qualified teacher information • Sponsor Professional Development Leadership Academies to help district & school teams improve student achievement through targeted, meaningful professional development

  12. Successes • Some of our rural (and even remote) schools have almost 100% highly qualified teachers in their core academic subjects • Teaching Interns – 292/911 (32%) interns have been placed in rural school districts • Teaching Interns – 46/292 (16%) mid career changers and recent college graduates have been placed in rural Transition to Teaching school districts as highly qualified teachers

  13. What can you do to make sure your children/ grandchildren/ nieces/nephews/etc. have quality teachers and principals?

  14. Recruitment • Teaching is a wonderfully rewarding profession. Encourage talented young people to enter it • Be involved with your schools • Hold your principals and teachers accountable for effectively teaching the academic standards • Support their efforts in discipline and attendance • Make as big a deal about academics as you do about sports and other extracurricular activities • Encourage administrators to “recruit” from within

  15. Retention Immediately include new teachers as members of your community. Work with the district HR directors & principals to help them find: • Housing • Church homes • Sporting activities for themselves and/or their children • Future spouses

  16. Questions

  17. Contact Information Jan Amator Deputy Associate Superintendent Highly Qualified Professionals Unit 602-364-2292 jan.amator@azed.gov Patty Hardy, Director Title IIA Activities 602-542-3626 patty.hardy@azed.gov Rosemary Gaona, Coordinator Transition to Teaching Grant 602-364-3553 rosemary.gaona@azed.gov

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