Aspiring teachers can now apply to be a part of the second cohort of the Arizona Teacher Residency, a program that prepares individuals with a rigorous graduate education, a yearlong apprenticeship and ongoing professional development.
The program, an initiative through the Arizona K12 Center at Northern Arizona University and supported by the Arizona Department of Education, is modeled after medical residencies and is open to any U.S. or permanent citizen with a bachelorβs degree.
βAddressing our stateβs dire teacher shortage requires multiple strategies. The Arizona Teacher Residency is already helping local districts fill critical positions and providing robust support for these teachers as they enter classrooms,β said Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman.
The program begins with a summer institute, followed by a year of in-school apprenticeship under a supervising teacher. The residents then become the teacher-of-record during the second year of the program.
Throughout the two years, the residents complete graduate coursework to obtain a masterβs degree from NAU. The participants receive a living stipend during residency and a salary from their respective school districts during their years as teachers-of-record.
In exchange, the participants commit to serving in partner school districts for at least three years beyond their residency year.
The Arizona Teacher Residency, currently in its first year with the first cohort, has residents teaching at Osborn, Roosevelt and Tempe Elementary school districts. For more information about the program, visit aztr.org or email aztr@azk12.org.
Essay contest winners
Two Pima County fifth graders were among the winners of the third annual AZ529 Essay Writing Contest.
Alyssa Hackett of Gale Elementary School in the Tucson Unified School District and Jonsie Taccogno of AZ Connections Academy, an online school based in Gilbert, were among the 20 winners selected from a pool of 631 essay entries.
The essay question was, βWhat is your dream job, and how do you plan on achieving it in the future?β
Hackett wrote about aspiring to be a fashion designer and plans to carve out her career by sketching her ideas and working hard in school. Taccognoβs dream is to write code, songs, music and short stories by continuing to practice and take courses to improve his skills.
The winners each received $529 toward a new or existing AZ529 Education Savings Plan, which may be used for future educational expenses such as tuition for college, trade school or workforce development training.
Teacher of the Year
Martha Bishop, a kindergarten teacher at Twin Peaks K-8 School, was awarded the 2022 Arizona Science Teachers Association (ASTA) Elementary Teacher of the Year.
The award honors certified, full-time teachers from elementary, middle and high schools who are members of ASTA. It is presented annually to recognize educators who exemplify quality science teaching.
βMs. Bishop makes science learning come alive for her young kindergarten students. Her creativity and excitement shine through,β Principal Dondi Luce said in a news release from the Marana Unified School District.
Bishop, who has worked at Twin Peaks K-8 for six years, has served as a STEMAZing Teacher Leader for MUSD, for which she has participated in professional learning sessions on science instruction. Through the program, she designed and developed quarterly science workshops for her teaching peers to promote high-quality instruction in their classrooms.
She has also served as an advocate on the districtβs Child Assistance Behavior Team, mentored new teachers and facilitated professional development opportunities for her colleagues.
