Pictured from left to right are (top row): Scott Tunnell - Brainerd High School, Jennifer Zellner - The Howard School, Susie Everly - The Howard School, Tiffany Corkran - Tyner Middle Academy; (middle row): William Budd - The Howard School, Ella Bonah - Tyner Academy, Liz Gibbons - Brainerd High School, Kasi Quinn - Lookout Valley Middle High School; (bottom row) Michael Romano - East Hamilton Middle High School, Anne Holt - The Howard School, Katie Butler - East Lake Academy
The Project Inspire teacher residency celebrated the graduation of eleven new math and science teachers for Hamilton County schools as part of its fifth cohort on Thursday, Aug. 4. Project Inspire, a collaboration between the Public Education Foundation, Hamilton County Department of Education, and Tennessee Technological University, recruits talented individuals with STEM backgrounds and spends fourteen months training them in schools alongside highly effective teachers.
“At Project Inspire we believe that all students deserve access to a dynamic and well-prepared educator,” said Mark Neal, program director. “This year’s graduates will play a key role in ensuring access for thousands of students in the years ahead, and we are thankful to our partners for supporting these educators as they make a difference in the lives of the students who need them most.”
The graduates will enter their first week of teaching in schools across Hamilton County with over a year of direct experience in the classroom and master’s degrees in education, supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Center for Teacher Residencies, AmeriCorps and the Tucker Foundation . Most graduates will be teaching in schools that have historically struggled to find enough math and science teachers, including Brainerd High School, East Lake Academy, the Howard School, Lookout Valley Middle/High School, Tyner Academy, and Tyner Middle Academy.
“As the new Algebra 1 teacher at Tyner Academy, I am excited about the opportunity that I have to transform the way students view mathematics by adapting the lens through which we analyze principles,” said Ella Bonah, Project Inspire cohort 5 graduate. “I am also working to bring into my classroom driven young adults who have succeeded through education. I want my students to be able to see for themselves the opportunities that education brings.”
Teacher residencies are receiving national attention for their ability to train individuals specifically for school district needs through best practices, as well as their ability to increase teacher retention. “Teacher residency provides residents a safe, supervised year of practice with an expert in the field,” says Anthony Goad, who has been a clinical instructor with the program for six years. “A year-long residency is the best way to train teachers.”
A sixth cohort of teacher residents began their training in June 2016 alongside clinical instructors at Tyner Middle Academy, Tyner Academy, East Ridge High School, and Ooltewah Middle School this past week.
Project Inspire began recruitment for cohort 7 this month. Individuals who are interested in earning a teaching license in secondary math or science and are committed to making a difference in high-need Hamilton County schools are encouraged to apply for the teacher residency starting on Aug. 15. Teacher residents earn a living stipend and a master’s degree with reduced tuition while training full-time to be a teacher. More information can be found at projectinspiretn.org or by contacting Erin Harrell at eharrell@pefchattanooga.org.