Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1360078
Doby is one of 10 UTR educators employed by the district for the targeted program, which pays market-rate wages for expe- rienced teachers — a fact that shows the district is invested in the goal of providing resources to students, Doby says. "is investment will help students grow and thrive." EDUCATORS TEACHING EDUCATORS During the winter surge, Los Angeles County was the global epicenter for COVID-19 spread, with underresourced, primar- ily Black and brown communities disproportionately impacted. With more than 1.2 million cases and 23,000 deaths countywide, the virus has touched many students and educators alike. "We're surviving together as a community. We've lost a lot," says Montebello Teachers Association (MTA) member Gabriela Orozco Gonzalez, who not only has eight students who lost a close relative to COVID, but whose own father died from the virus. "We're in a unique situation as a commu- nity. How do we empower students and parents? By being present." In Montebello, the path to this support began a few years ago w hen MTA became the first local association to win contractually protected t each er v oic e on w hat kind of profe ssional development educators need to best support Montebello students. Pre-pandemic, teachers teaching teachers had a huge impact, and during distance learning, perhaps even more. The result is a virtual academy coming this summer modeled after CTA's Good Teach- ing Conference. "Teachers in Montebello are looking at education in a unique way, tapping into dierent learning needs and including lessons that make students feel seen and valued," Gonzalez says. "How can we tie this into everything we're doing to target their needs and ll the gap? How can I build community?" e response was massive, not only from educators who want to attend, but also those who want to lead sessions, with submis- sions ranging from supporting students during distance learning to educational technology and virtual eld trips. that supports approximately 60 African American students experiencing diculty with reading literacy. Four days a week, Doby works with ve second grade students for an hour — a setting that aords the kind of engagement they need to best learn. "I noticed students were longing for interaction. ey were feeling unseen," says Doby. " Working in small groups is great because they feel seen and heard." A January report by the Learning Policy Institute explores the use of high-quality tutoring as an eective intervention strategy to support students during the pandemic, nding that successful tutoring has four main characteristics: • It employs credentialed educators. • It is provided at least three days a week for at least 30 minutes, as part of the regular school day, in groups of ve or fewer. • It invests in sta capacity building. • It builds relationships between students and teachers. "While much of what has been lost during this pandemic cannot be replaced, a well-designed, well-funded tutoring initiative is one way we can increase instructional time for students and provide instructional support for teachers," the report reads. Since Doby works with a vulnerable population of students, she says it's unclear whether their needs are caused by the pandemic or if it exposed pre-pandemic learning gaps associated with inequality. Either way, Doby 's attention to their social and emotional needs, daily armations to support their condence and self-esteem, and ongoing skills practice to support their reading are making a dierence — and they're having a lot of fun, too. "ey're eating it up! I'm seeing lots of growth!" says Doby, who drops o materials at her students' homes, including val- entines for all her kindergartners. "It empowers them, and that's what keeps them coming back every day. Just because you're a reluctant or non-uent reader doesn't mean you can't learn and grow." "If we can't address race and equity issues with each other, how can we help our students?" — Asedo Wilson, United Teachers of Richmond 25 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 21 Myra Pasquier "We'll need time to fill the gaps, but the kids are very resilient." —Yesenia Guerrero, Lennox Teachers Association