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A one-of-a-kind program founded at William Paterson University is being lauded for addressing two major issues in the State of New Jersey: a shortage of a teachers and a shortage of teachers from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Now in its fourth year, William Paterson University’s Aspiring Educators summer program aims both to expand and diversify the state’s teaching workforce through a partnership with high school students from diverse school communities—rising juniors and seniors who are interested in teaching as a profession.
For half of their day, high school students in the Aspiring Educators program take an on-campus University course on teacher education. Tuition for the course, for which the high school students earn three transferrable college credits, is covered through contributions from the partner school districts, in addition to state and federal grants.
For the other half of their day, most of the students work on campus as teaching assistants in the University’s Summer Youth Program. Those from Paterson return to their hometown to serve as teaching assistants in their school district’s extended school year (ESY) program. In both cases, the aspiring educators earn both a $2,000 stipend and valuable, resumé-boosting teaching experience, also supported by the schools, grants, and private donors.
Fifty-eight high school students took part in the Aspiring Educators program this summer, up from 12 in the first year, and with demand growing.
While approximately 61 percent of children in New Jersey’s public schools come from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, approximately 81 percent of teachers in the state are white, per the New Jersey Department of Education.
“Through our intentional efforts to diversify the teacher workforce and cultivate efficacy among aspiring educators, we built Aspiring Educators to disrupt the status quo. We are thrilled to play a role in creating tomorrow’s teachers today,” says WP College of Education Associate Dean David Fuentes, noting the importance of “creating and scaffolding opportunities” to enter the teaching workforce.
In addition to district, state, and federal funding, thanks to its ingenuity, the Aspiring Educators program continues to attract financial support from the community, including from the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA)—a union representing more than 200,000 public school employees across the state—Alamo Insurance Group, Peapack Gladstone Bank, Lakeland Bank (part of Provident), and Sabor Latino restaurant in Dover, among others.
Many donors, along with representatives from participating school districts such as Bloomfield, Dover, Clifton, Passaic, and Paterson, visited the University last week to see the Aspiring Educators program in action. The donors repeatedly expressed how happy they were to support the state’s future; the district representatives repeatedly expressed how badly they need more teachers and how much they hoped their Aspiring Educators would return to their home districts someday as professional educators.
Among them was Carolina (James) Acevedo ‘13, WP College of Education alumna and associate supervisor of Paterson Public Schools’ career pathways program, who said she supports Aspiring Educators because she can personally attest to how well William Paterson prepares its students. She credits the institution, and especially Professor Darlene Russell, with growing her love of education and educational research.
“Thanks to the support of William Paterson University’s president, Dr. Richard Helldobler, this program got its start through strategic investment funding in 2021,” explains WP College of Education Dean Amy Ginsberg. “Of the twelve diverse high schoolers who participated that summer, several are now enrolled in teacher preparation programs at WP and other colleges in the state. As the program grows, so, too, will its effect. We are so excited to be lighting the spark in these young people who have the potential to be terrific future educators.”
Kaiya Arocho, a Bloomfield High School student in the Aspiring Educators program, was among those who addressed the group of visitors during a panel discussion. “Growing up, there weren’t a lot of people that looked like me. I didn’t see a lot of diversity in [my teachers]. I want the children to see themselves in me,” she said, on the importance of the program. She lauded the experience she’s gained as a teaching assistant, which has already given her important skills in classroom management and overall relationship building, and the ability to make friends with similar interests.
“This is an amazing partnership; I’m so happy to provide this opportunity to our students,” said Freddy Nunez, Dover High School principal. “It’s opening doors for our students that they previously did not have.”
Added Jaime Valente, membership manager for the NJEA, “This partnership is absolutely vital to the future of education.”
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