Aspiring educators at Westmont will now be able to nurture their teaching styles in Santa Barbara Unified classrooms — with far less financial stress.
Those seeking a teaching credential from the private liberal arts college in Montecito can apply for a new, year-long residency program that will place them alongside a mentor teacher in the district and comes with a $33,000 stipend they can use for tuition and living expenses.
The program will place teacher candidates in SBUSD classrooms three days a week for a full academic year, co-teaching alongside their mentor, who will receive a $3,000 stipend for the work. Meanwhile, the candidate will be completing their graduate coursework at Westmont.
A $2.4 million grant from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing will allow SBUSD to support 15 student teachers a year over the course of four years. They will be placed across seven elementary schools, two junior highs, and two high schools, covering single- and multiple-subject credentials.
It will be a “much more immersive experience” than a traditional student teaching placement, said Sally Hawkins, assistant professor of education at Westmont. Residents will be in the classroom from the first to last day of school. The mentee will gradually increase their contribution to lesson plans and instruction over the course of their residency.
“They are a co-teacher — their name is on the door right alongside the teacher of record,” Hawkins said. “If a visitor walks into a classroom and sees a mentor teacher and a teacher resident, they won’t be able to tell which one is which.”
The program is meant to reduce the financial barriers standing in the way of aspiring teachers getting a California credential. Expenses such as rent, childcare costs, and tuition can often dissuade these students from seriously pursuing the profession.
Westmont students will be encouraged to apply for other financial aid and scholarships to supplement the stipend, “but the spirit of the program is that it would cover their tuition; that’s the goal,” Hawkins said.
John Becchio, SBUSD’s assistant superintendent of human resources, said the initiative aims to diversify the local workforce by recruiting teacher candidates who reflect the backgrounds of the students they serve.
The institutions placed a special emphasis on multilingual and first-generation college students.
“Our hope is that some of our own kids from our own neighborhoods who have gone and got bachelor’s, can come back into our schools — kind of a grow your own,” Becchio said.
He said the district is facing declining enrollment, but has a large “veteran” teacher workforce. Upcoming retirements will open up positions for hire, potentially creating a pipeline into the workforce for Westmont residents upon graduation.
Students in Westmont’s regular teaching credential program have a long history of working in SBUSD’s schools, as well. And a new partnership recently created the opportunity for San Marcos High School students in the school’s Health Careers Academy to enter the nursing program at Westmont. But “this is really our first partnership related to preparing teachers,” Becchio said. The residency program is also the first-of-its-kind at Westmont.
The program should nurture a sense of belonging for teacher residents, said Hawkins, “which trickles down to cultivating a deeper sense of belonging for the students.”
Anyone with a bachelor’s degree, and who wants to be a teacher, can apply, Venz said.
Applications are open until June 10. To learn more, visit here.
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