Westport Public Schools Announces Participation In CREC Teacher Residency Program
According to a press release from the Westport Public Schools:
“The Westport Public Schools proudly announces their participation in CREC’s Teacher Residency Program beginning in the school year 2021-2022.
The CREC Teacher Residency Program (TRP) began in 2019, with approval from the Connecticut State Department of Education as a revolutionary method of recruiting, training, certifying, and retaining elementary teachers of color. TRP, in partnership with the RESC Alliance, operated at four locations in 2020-2021.
Participating districts join together to create a cohort of teacher trainees (residents) who work in the district with a mentor teacher and take classes with others in the cohort. Westport will participate in the cohort sponsored by Cooperative Educational Services in Trumbull.
Residents begin their 18-month road to elementary certification, starting with a six-week intensive summer course to prepare them for the year. Residents are each paid a salary, with benefits, as they gain first-hand experience with their mentor teacher for one year. Residents continue to take classes throughout the year, in the summer and into the fall. Residents who successfully complete the certification requirements are guaranteed full-time classroom teaching positions in the second school year with their participating district. CREC’s idea through this program is to prioritize minority candidates’ potential to work with diverse students, provide quality training and minimize barriers to traditional certification programs.
Mr. Thomas Scarice, Superintendent of Schools, noted, “The Westport Public Schools involvement with CREC’s Teacher Residency Program speaks not only to our commitment with creating a more diverse workforce but also to making this a long term focus for our schools and the greater community.”
As part of the 2021-22 TRP Cohort, Westport will employ one teacher resident in an elementary school.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring this model to other school districts across Connecticut. Since its inception, we have had 26 residents of color in the program and look forward to doubling that number in the coming year,” says Marlene Megos, Director of the CREC Teacher Residency Program.
CREC and its partners hope to assist the State meet its goal of increasing the number of teachers of color across Connecticut by 1000 in the next year. CREC TRP eliminates the typical barriers to certification for teachers of color, like the high cost of graduate school tuition, standardized test requirements, and inadequate preparation for candidates.
“Embracing diverse teacher candidates with existing connections to students and their community is the key to stronger, more welcoming schools,” said Conn. Commissioner of Education Miguel A. Cardona in October 2020. “Case in point is CREC's innovative ‘grow your own’ Teacher Residency Program providing mentorship and support to school staff on their path to certification.”
Westport’s commitment to increasing staff diversity is in line with the State’s commitment to increasing racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of Connecticut’s teaching workforce. Westport hopes that the partnership with CREC and the RESC Alliance can soon achieve full fiscal support through broader public and private sponsorship.
More information about CREC TRP can be found at www.crec.org/c/trp.
Resident candidates can apply between January 4 and March 5, 2021. To register to learn more about this program, click here
As of December 11, eighteen districts across Connecticut have signed on to Partner with ACES, CES, CREC and LEARN for the 2021-22 Cohorts being offered in those regions. “
Looking for the Christmas Star at Compo
Many families from around the County went to Compo Beach in search of the Christmas Star, a moment when Saturn and Jupiter are said to be their closest to Earth in decade appearing as one conjoined “star”. Fog and clouds made the venture difficult, but many will continue to head towards the shore to take their chances at spotting the historic occasion for the next few days while the planets remain close. Photo by Rosie Jon for The Westport Local Press.
Historic Home Weathers 83rd Winter - Beautifully
The historic Patrick Goetz home, located in the Downtown area, looks to have weathered the current snow beautifully. The home is registered with the Westport Historical Society, now Westport Museum for History & Culture, and was built in 1937 - making 2020 its 83rd New England Winter.
Earthplace Shines Light with Family Campfire Tonight
One of Earthplace’s animal ambassadors, a rescued barred owl named Moody, who has called Earthplace home since 2013. Photo by Jaime Bairaktaris, December 2016
According to Earthplace, the local non-profit will be hosting a family campfire tonight in honor of the Winter Solstice - the shortest, darkest day of the year. They will light a yule log and invite members of the public to make s’mores and homemade candles at their sanctuary’s pine grove. Families will also have the chance to enjoy a guided nature walk through the property, and meet some of the center’s nocturnal animal ambassadors.
The event will be held at their 10 Woodside Lane sanctuary, starts at 4:30 PM, and is $25 per family (members), $30 per family (public). Phone registration is required: 203-557-4400.
Social distancing and health safety protocols will be followed - each family will be assigned their own picnic table and set of s’mores materials, and must bring or forage for their own marshmallow sticks.
Earthplace is a non-profit nature center and preschool that sits in the middle of over 62 acres of nature trails, brooks, ponds, and forest at 10 Woodside Lane. The center has over 50 wildlife ambassadors, from Bald Eagles to Box Turtles, and has been a cornerstone of the Westport community since its foundation in 1958 (then the Westport Nature Center). The building is currently closed to visitors, however the trails and outdoor exhibits are open to the public from dawn until dusk every day.