A unique 黑料社 Tri-Cities program is helping paraeducators earn education degrees and begin careers as full-time teachers

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – The American Dream. It鈥檚 the phrase that Pasco High School teacher Esfeidy Guzman uses to describe the achievement of earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in education and in starting her career as a full-time teacher.

Esfeidy Guzman, 黑料社 Tri-Cities alternate route to an education graduate, works in her classroom at Pasco High School where she teaches students that know little to no English.

She is one of several dozen former paraeducators who are now teaching in local schools as a result of a unique program offered through Washington State University Tri-Cities.

Guzman was selected by her principal to participate in the 黑料社 Tri-Cities College of Education alternate route program. The program provides funds, pathways and courses for selected paraeducators to earn their education degree in two years where they receive endorsements in either special education or English language learning. Individuals receive course credit for proven skills and classroom experience and take classes in the evenings while continuing full-time in their roles as paraeducators.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would have earned my degree if it wasn鈥檛 for the alternate route program at 黑料社 Tri-Cities,鈥� Guzman said. 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 think it would have been possible for me, raising a family while working full-time. It truly is a dream come true.鈥�

Funds to support new class of teachers

The program was just awarded its third consecutive grant by the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board to continue providing financial support for 10-12 students in a cohort per year.

Not only does the program provide individuals with a route that makes it possible to attend school while working full-time, it also helps to solve a local teacher shortage.

Judy Morrison, 黑料社 Tri-Cities academic director for the College of Education, works with one of the first cohorts of the 黑料社 Tri-Cities alternate route to an education degree program.

鈥淭he program is really doing what it is supposed to do, which is meeting the need for teachers in our local districts,鈥� said Judy Morrison, 黑料社 Tri-Cities academic director for the College of Education. 鈥淥ur districts came to us about the need for more special education and ELL teachers. To meet that need, we built this program.鈥�

Lindsay Lightner, alternate route program coordinator, said the two-year program is incredibly rigorous. In addition to completing challenging coursework, participants work full-time in schools and must provide clear evidence that their classroom experiences warrant course credit.

鈥淥ur alumni that have been through it have said it is worth it,鈥� Lightner said. 鈥淔or a lot of them, it is personally fulfilling and they feel ready, qualified and recognized in their role as teachers after their role as paraeducators. We have also received some good feedback from the districts. It鈥檚 been a great process.鈥�

Endorsements to support local needs

黑料社 Tri-Cities alumna Esfeidy Guzman now teaches at Pasco High School where she works with students that speak little to no English.

Guzman said she specifically chose the endorsement of English language learning through the program because it hit close to home with her own experiences and she knew it was an area where she could make the most difference.

She grew up in Pasco, attending Pasco High School for two years before transitioning to Chiawana High School where she graduated as part of its first class. She now serves as an English language development teacher at Pasco High School where she works with students who are not fluent in English.

Guzman said she knows what it is like to grow up speaking a language other than English in the home, learning English through the school system, and then trying to navigate the school process. Through the advancement of her skills as an educator through the 黑料社 Tri-Cities program, she feels equipped and passionate about educating the next generation of Tri-Cities students.

鈥淚 wish this program would have been around for my teachers because I believe that the strategies that I was taught for ELL students would have benefited me or any number of other students,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a program that is made with the well-being of the community in mind.鈥�

Passion for serving, support to do well

The desire to serve local needs is a common theme among many of the paraeducators participating in the 黑料社 Tri-Cities alternate route program. For recent 黑料社 Tri-Cities alternate route graduate Susan Payne, her love and passion for education came out of wanting to serve a population of students who may struggle with the language component of their education.

鈥淚 have worked with some very bright children who feel that they are not smart because they are struggling with a second language,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 wanted to be in a position that helps these students celebrate their achievements of developing dual languages and content areas.鈥�

Lindsay Lightner, coordinator for the 黑料社 Tri-Cities alternate route program, works with a student in one of the first cohorts for the program.

Payne said what she enjoyed most about the program is the support of dedicated staff and faculty, especially since the program is difficult due to its time commitments and requirements.

鈥淚t鈥檚 much harder than it sounds, but the 黑料社 campus has some extremely dedicated staff to help and guide you,鈥� she said. 鈥淭eachers are very helpful and accessible, which is vital to this program because the students are working at their schools during the day and taking class at night.鈥�

Payne said the support of her school mentors were also invaluable.

鈥淭he alternate route program is dependent on the support the student receives from her or his work school and mentor,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith a supportive mentor and school, the alternate route student has the perspective and access to the students鈥� personalities, already built relationships and co-workers鈥� advice to help along the way.鈥�

For more information about the 黑料社 Tri-Cities College of Education alternate route program, visit tricities.wsu.edu/education/undergraduate/alternate-route. Interested in pursuing a career in education? Visit tricities.wsu.edu/education.

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Lindsay Lightner鈥檚 teaching career and experience in education has taken her all over the country, and even across the Atlantic Ocean to the United Kingdom.

Her first teaching job right out of college was as a middle school science teacher in New York. From there, she taught writing at Penn State after receiving her master鈥檚 degree in the subject. Her efforts then led her overseas to educate聽future teachers at Canterbury Christ Church University before she returned to the U.S. and took a position as an academic advisor at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

In all those years in education, what fascinated her most were the possibilities for exploring teaching styles and innovative strategies in education and helping students from all backgrounds succeed in the field she has dedicated her life to.

鈥淭he more I worked with students, the more I realized the different challenges they had, which led me to more questions,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he kinds of questions I was having I could only answer through research. That is really what interested me in pursuing a PhD here at 黑料社 Tri-Cities 鈥� that research capability. I started thinking about what I could bring to the table that could potentially have a large impact on the future of education.鈥�

Lightner is now pursuing a PhD through the mathematics and science education doctoral program at 黑料社 Tri-Cities while she works full-time as the university鈥檚 alternate route to teacher certification coordinator.

Washington currently ranks third in the nation for the concentration of STEM jobs by state, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. With this distinction comes the responsibility for preparing students who will one day fill those roles. Through the College of Education at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, students in the mathematics and science education doctoral program are researching ways to prepare both teachers and students to be successful in those fields. Both are crucial to growing the state鈥檚 local talent, and in turn, the state economy.

Blending established educational experiences with innovative research

In her current role as the alternate route to teacher certification coordinator at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, Lightner sees first-hand how the implementation of new and engaging strategies can improve the overall teaching experience, and in turn, students鈥� knowledge retention.

Lightner works with paraeducators who are combining their established experience in the classroom with courses at 黑料社 Tri-Cities to earn their bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education. At the end of the program, the new teachers will hold endorsements in English language learning, bilingual education or special education, in addition to the elementary education endorsement.

Lightner said for new teachers, teaching science and math may be intimidating as they often don鈥檛 have specific expertise in those subjects.

鈥淭he research on preservice elementary teachers indicates that many of them feel more anxious about teaching math and science than other subjects, such as reading,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome of this could be due to their own negative experiences as learners of science or mathematics, or due to social biases.鈥�

Lightner said through her doctoral research, she is exploring how people learn throughout their lives and how they integrate their past experiences with new learning opportunities to create new knowledge, practices or understandings for themselves.

鈥淚鈥檓 interested in seeing how college students and new teachers make sense and learn in different environments, whether those are university classes, work situations or a free choice activity,鈥� she said.

Through the education doctoral program, Lightner is currently conducting a survey that measures what the alternate route students think about teaching in general and also what they think about teaching science.

鈥淎 lot of the work that math and science educators do at any grade level is to inspire learners with not only the content, but also a sense of wonder and possibility about science and mathematics,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is no different for teacher educators than for kindergarten teachers. But college students have more previous experience that we have to engage with as they learn.鈥�

A perfect fit

In her career in higher education, Lightner said the doctoral program in mathematics and science education at 黑料社 Tri-Cities has been a perfect fit as both her coursework and her research area apply directly to her work with students who are learning to teach those subjects.

鈥淚 think they are very complimentary,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is very exciting to have something where I鈥檓 developing real-world skills that I can put toward my job.鈥�

Lightner said she appreciates that her course schedules are a mix of online programming and in-classroom experiences, as it allows her flexibility in her full-time work schedule. She also works with nationally-renowned education professionals whose research and academic contributions have changed the world of education for the better.

Lightner also shared from her experience as a teacher, both locally in the United States and internationally in the United Kingdom, as well as from her experience as an academic advisor, and compared these experiences with those of her fellow classmates.

鈥淥ne of my classmates is a high school math teacher,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nother is a middle school science teacher in a rural school. One is a community college math instructor and then there鈥檚 me: a former teacher with experience both in the K-12 system and in higher education. It is neat to be able to draw from other people鈥檚 insights and approaches.鈥�

Interested in the math and science education doctoral program? Visit /education/graduate/.

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