Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/556394
"I didn't want to move here just to have to go back to Los Angeles," says Bingcang, a Student CTA member and Stanford student. "This ensures that people stay and become part of the community rather than being an outsider who's just passing through. I feel like they have made an investment in me. I feel like part of the San Francisco community." Kyra Bajeera just finished h e r f i r s t ye a r a s a t e a c h e r of record at Mission High S c h o o l . T h e b i o l o g y a n d p r e c a l c u l u s t e a c h e r s a y s her residency gave her the confidence she needed for going solo. "I had mentors and people I could go to when I was feel- ing lost. I had a great support system. I could apply theory in a real-life setting. It was amazing, and I don't think I'd be here without it." Dayna Soares, who became a teacher at Mission High School after finishing her residency in 2012, says the most valuable aspect was learning classroom management skills and how to foster connections with students. "I think a residency is the best model there is," says Soares. "I can't speak to other models, but this makes the most sense for me." UNION SUPPORT IS CRITICAL A recent report by CTA's Teacher Evaluation Workgroup praised the "inten- sive support" of residency programs for producing new teachers who are fully ready to assume their professional responsibilities. The report calls for labor unions, higher education and school districts to partner up and create new residency programs to strengthen the profession. The report found three components of preservice programs that distin- guish residencies, even though those same components may be seen to a lesser degree in other preparation pathways. Those components are: partnerships, integration and intensive support. San Francisco's program has created a "win-win situation" for schools, teachers and students, says Dennis Kelly, immediate past president of UESF. "At times we sit on opposite sides of the table," he observes. "But we had a shared vision and willingness to work toward a common goal. People from the school district, people from universities and union leaders asked important questions such as 'What does effective teaching look like?' or 'What is effective mentoring?' or 'What can we do to support teacher retention?' It was exciting to collaborate on something positive like this — and something more school communities should consider doing. We are proud to be leading the way in San Francisco." UESF support is critical to the success of the program, says Osler. "When residents come in knowing that the union is a key partner, they feel they are part of a professional network and they are supported," says Osler. "On a prac- tical level, the union has been very involved in helping us recruit new residents with social media and also through word of mouth." UESF also has helped with fundraising and was instru- mental in helping the program win a big grant from NEA. Participants from SFTR have presented at NEA leader- ship conferences. "It's a powerful, transformative experience for teachers involved in the program to share their work with other teachers around the country," says Osler. "We are very excited to share the good things that are happening in San Francisco." San Francisco Teacher Residency director Jonathan Osler gets a hug from Leilani McGehee. 28 cta.org Feature Kyra Bajeera