NLU and Chicago's First Bilingual Teacher Residency
In an e-blast on October 31, the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) reported that NCTR has received a grant to support Chicago Public Schools and NLU in the launch of the city's first bilingual teacher residency program. This $300,000 grant is from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust.
It was stated that the residency launched this past summer and by 2020 will prepare 50 new bilingual teachers each year, according to the project's grant application. In addition, lessons learned during the planning and implementation of the residency will be used to improve the recruitment, preparation, and retention of teachers across the district. NCTR will provide technical assistance and support, while NLU and CPS will grow their existing partnership to develop and scale a high-quality residency program focused in a key shortage area.
The NCTR CEO was quoted as saying, "We are thrilled to partner with Chicago Public Schools and National Louis University to launch the city's first bilingual teacher residency. We know from experience how powerful and effective teacher residencies are for developing educators to work in high-need schools. Our research and data show that graduates of teacher residencies increase student achievement more than traditionally-trained teachers."
