Alumni

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 named 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:31:54 +0000

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 named 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year

November 28, 2023

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 has been recognized as the 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). AWSP is a K-12 organization and each year recognizes two winners, one elementary and one secondary principal, as its Washington State Principals of the Year. Jackson will also be recognized nationally by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in Washington, D.C. next year where he will compete with winners from other states for the NASSP’s National Principal of the Year award.

Jackson is a graduate of the ��ߺ��'s Leadership for Learning (L4L) program and currently serves as principal of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle Public Schools. He has been a school leader for seven years and leads with his strong belief that “honoring the brilliance of [his] students by centering their voice in curricular and school design is the justice-centered approach that leads to high engagement in learning and strong academic outcomes.” He received a record-breaking number of nominations from colleagues for this recognition. Nominations included phrases such as “transformational leadership,” “connector of people,” “loved and admired” and “deserves to be recognized with this great honor.” Brent Jones, Ph.D., superintendent of Seattle Public Schools and Jackson's supervisor, affirmed Jackson “has a clear vision of how to systemically build climate for equity, justice and academic outcomes” and that he leads with humbleness, intentionality and steadfastness resulting in “bold outcomes.”

In addition to his leadership at Nathan Hale High School, Jackson serves as an instructor in the L4L and Danforth Educational Leadership programs.

Learn more about Jackson's leadership journey in our Q&A with him. Please note that responses have been lighted edited for length and clarity.

How do you aim to show up in your role? What have you learned is important about how you support your school, staff and students and cultivate a community of learning?

For my daily sustenance, I focus each day on fulfilling my “why”— advancing equity, access, justice and service through radical love. Moreover, my goal is to be consistent every day with the small things, such as greetings and my presence in the community. I have learned that being visible and present goes a long way in creating a community that is belonging and safe, which ultimately will lead to high academic outcomes. For example, each student I see I make sure to stop and say “Good morning, have a great day” or “How was your learning for the day?” and “Have a great afternoon, looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.” If I am observing a class, I like to ask students how they are experiencing the learning, what they are learning and how they are being graded. For educators, similarly, I like to ask questions like “How was that last class for you?” and “How is your morning?”

I have learned that the most important part of my community for students, educators and families is collaboration. Furthermore, centering student voice in decisions, collaborating with educators to make consensus-based decisions and centering family and community voice in hiring, staffing, budgeting and scheduling have all represented the justice-centered approach that I see has had the strongest impact on academic outcomes.

How did your experiences at the UW — and specifically your experience in the L4L program — shape your work and/or outlook today? Was there a specific experience, course or assignment that sparked something important for you or otherwise supported your leadership journey?

My experience as a student in our Leadership For Learning program was life changing. Any course with Drs. Anthony Craig and Ann Ishimaru really pushed me and my cohort (L4L 7) to take justice-centered risks, but also to understand our movement within our decisions and risks. For example, in taking a justice-centered approach to a school or district budget, I learned from Dr. Craig and Dr. Ishimaru how to slow down, take a cycle of inquiry approach where I learned to listen to students furthest from educational justice about what their academic needs are, listen to family and community about what their academic needs are, then take steps to collaborate with my staff focused on the data that students and families shared in order to make justice-centered decisions. Moreover, I learned from Dr. Craig and Dr. Ishimaru how to leverage tension and hold angst while fighting for justice and futurity, regardless of the current climate. I learned deeply that this learning was to understand where I was situated in my decisions, in how my leadership moves impacted others. Was I a passive onlooker as a leader while hoping for justice to happen? Or was I active in taking a stance to address inequities? I hold this learning consistently as I lead, teach and mentor. I am privileged to have the opportunity to come back and teach for the Leadership for Learning program with these principles centered in my teaching. I also teach for the Danforth program as well, so what I learned from Dr. Craig and Dr. Ishimaru is how to show up in all my areas of leadership and growth.

What do you enjoy most about your role as a principal and leader in your community?

First, I find the most joy in bonding with my administrative team, Makela Steward-Monroe and Jessica Proctor. They are lightning rods in education and make the job fun and engaging. Secondly, I enjoy learning and growing with students, learning about the new challenges faced by each class and generation, and supporting them as they push me to be a better educator and leader. Lastly, I enjoy learning from our Nathan Hale educators. The ideas and challenges they bring always keeps me inspired and on my toes.

Is there anything that has stood out to you about returning to the College as an instructor in the L4L and Danforth programs? What has that experience been like for you to return and partner with your former faculty mentors in a new capacity?

This has been inspiring. Specifically, what has stood out to me in returning to the College as an instructor in the L4L and Danforth programs is the mentorship and support I have received from my colleagues, former professors and now peers. Being in faculty meetings with my former teachers has been fun and exciting, especially as they see me as their peer. It is really affirming. Lastly, I am always inspired by educators continuing their education, so having an opportunity to teach courses that school and district leaders are inspired by lifts me and motivates me to continue to learn and grow.

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

Director for Marketing & Communications

wilcoxc@uw.edu

Dr. Kyle Kinoshita Receives the 2023 UCEA Excellence in Education Award

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 01:43:05 +0000

Dr. Kyle Kinoshita Receives the 2023 UCEA Excellence in Education Award

July 17, 2023

The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Excellence in Educational Leadership Award recognizes a practicing school administrator who has made a significant contribution to the improvement of leadership preparation and development. This year’s recipient is Dr. Kyle Kinoshita, alum of the UW ��ߺ��, who previously received this award for the first time in 2004.

Dr. Anthony Craig, director of the Leadership for Learning (L4L) program, who was part of the team that nominated Dr. Kinoshita for this award said, “Throughout his extensive career in the field of education, Dr. Kinoshita has served as an equity-driven, learning focused leader who remains committed to the development of other educational leaders. In his retirement he has continued to work in service of P-12 students through continued involvement with principal and superintendent preparation programs in both formal and informal mentoring roles for educational leaders across the region.”

Dr. Kinoshita is the current co-president of the Seattle Chapter Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and is a career educator and affiliate faculty member in the ��ߺ�� L4L doctoral program. In 2019, he retired from Seattle Public Schools, where he was Chief of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction. Prior to his time at Seattle Public Schools, he was Executive Director of Teaching and Learning in the Marysville School District and principal in the Edmonds and Highline School Districts. Dr. Kinoshita earned a B.A.Ed. in Ethnic Studies from Western Washington University, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in Educational Leadership from the ��ߺ��, focusing on equity in schools.

Congratulations Dr. Kinoshita!

Learn more about Dr. Kinoshita’s career and educational experiences at the UW ��ߺ��, and what the 2023 UCEA Excellence in Educational Leadership Award means to him. Please note that responses have been edited for length and clarity.

What is your history with the UW ��ߺ�� and the Leadership for Learning program?

Although I received an undergraduate degree in education and ethnic studies from Western Washington University, all my subsequent certification — elementary teacher, principal and superintendent — and graduate degrees — master’s and doctorate — have been from the UW ��ߺ��.

I was a member of Leadership for Learning cohort 2, earning my doctorate in 2007. I then became an adjunct faculty member for cohort 5 (graduated in 2015) and now am the faculty lead for internships for the current cohort 8, who will graduate in 2024.

I have also been a faculty member in the Leadership Development for Educators (LEDE) principal preparation program at the UW Bothell School of Educational Studies since 2011.

How have your studies and work with the UW ��ߺ�� influenced your professional career?

What I owe the College for growing my professional knowledge in areas of education and leadership over the years is immeasurable. Outside of my formal degrees, I would turn to the ��ߺ�� to deepen my understanding of areas such as literacy and mathematics instruction, and the intersections of race, culture and justice and education. The nationally regarded expertise I’ve had the good fortune to learn from supported me in every role over three decades, from teacher and principal to senior district-level leader.

The College has always been at the forefront of defining what it means to pursue educational justice. This meaning has continuously evolved and deepened over the decades, and I’ve grown with it. From the beginning of my initial studies of leadership for principal certification in the early ’90’s, I was unsure if I even wanted to take this path. But working with nationally known ��ߺ�� faculty convinced me it was the right thing to do to make a difference with children in education. This was significant, as at the time, there were not many educational leaders that looked like me — I didn’t ‘look like’ a typical principal, or for that matter a typical elementary teacher. But the College constantly nurtured the motivation I had that came from growing up in Seattle neighborhoods predominantly populated by communities of color to support students and communities who have been marginalized and harmed by the system. And to take on career moves where I might have opportunities to serve a bigger population of students.

What does receiving the 2023 UCEA Excellence in Educational Leadership Award (twice) mean to you?

I also received this award in 2004 as a school principal just beginning doctoral work in the L4L program, after participating in numerous mentor and facilitator roles led by the UW Center for Educational Leadership. Both then and now, the awards have been a surprise, because to me, following a passion for supporting both new and experienced leaders in the incredibly complex and challenging work of leadership is tremendously fulfilling and just seems like the right thing to do. And ultimately, it impacts the students who mean a lot to me, who have been least served by the institution of education. I’m just grateful that I’ve found opportunities to participate in leadership development over my career.

What would your advice or guidance be for UW ��ߺ�� graduates entering careers in school administration?

Each one of us has a ‘story’ that compelled us to go into education. For most of us, it was some form of “I want to make a difference.” It’s essential that you find and hold onto that story as you enter leadership. For leaders of color, the story nearly always connects deeply to one’s identity and community. In my case, it’s being from a family and community that survived endemic racism, survived and became resilient after a devastating and traumatic incarceration in World War II and [being] the son of a mom who as an activist, achieved a measure of justice for that historical wrong. For leaders of color, it’s vital, as we often face pressure to detach ourselves from these identities, bury them and swallow whole injustices and microaggressions we experience for the sake of maintaining equilibrium of the status quo. On the other hand, being in touch with one’s ‘story’ is a source of the deep roots that allow us to weather stormy challenges, and to have the source of energy and growth for the hard work of striving toward educational justice.

And secondly, you’ll always be a learner — you’ll never be done growing. After all these years, I’m still recasting what leadership means to me.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’m incredibly grateful to be able to work with Dr. Anthony Craig and Dr. Ann Ishimaru, the Leadership for Learning faculty members who nominated me. They are doing the work to transform L4L to be a place where I and all the students can use what we learn about our identities and stories as a source of teaching and learning.

Alumna Erin Riesland receives Fulbright Specialist Award to travel to South Africa

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 22:22:21 +0000

Alumna Erin Riesland receives Fulbright Specialist Award to travel to South Africa

September 22, 2023

Alumna Dr. Erin Riesland has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award to complete a project at SayPro in South Africa that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities within education. Dr. Riesland is one of more than 400 U.S. citizens who will share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program this year. Recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad.

Dr. Riesland graduated from the UW ��ߺ�� with her Ph.D. in Learning Sciences and Human Development in 2023, under the direction of Dr. Katie Headrick Taylor. Before completing her doctorate, she enjoyed a long career working with technology in educational settings and completed her master’s degree under the late Dr. Bill Winn as an education technology major at the ��ߺ��, where she investigated the role of digital communication in learning and literacy. Shortly after, she took that knowledge to West Africa where she became fascinated by the way emergent technology practices — including new access to the internet and computers — were being taken up in ways that were culturally relevant to the young girls she was working with.

"This experience transformed the ways I looked at technology and its role in communication and learning — not as a neutral tool or resource, but as an emergent process that is taken up, distributed and transformed differently across cultural contexts," Dr. Riesland shares.

She adds, "During my career as a learning designer back in the U.S., I grew more and more interested in how different learning settings adopted and transformed technology practices that greatly influenced learning and communication. However, I could find very little in the literature that addressed the disconnect between practice, policy and reality as technology continued to progress."

Dr. Riesland returned to the ��ߺ�� to address this disconnect in her doctoral research by approaching her work from a postdigital perspective, acknowledging that teaching and learning practices cannot be separated from the ubiquity of the digital landscape. Her dissertation, "Reimagining Place-Based Education for our Postdigital World," investigates the relationship between emergent technologies of space and place (VR, AR, Geolocation maps) and theorizes about their future role in place-based learning. In her findings, Dr. Riesland attends to the persistent tension between young learners’ spatial reality of their experiences with home and homeland, and their encounters with digital representation.

One of the underlying issues she addresses in her research is unequal access, and that is what she is heading to South Africa to take on with the educational NGO SayPro. Over her six-week visit, she will be collaborating with SayPro staff to develop a learner-centered instructional design process that is sustainable for their needs. Dr. Reisland's goal is to leave the organization with the skills and processes to produce their own instructional resources through which they can prompt original, creative work from their students through available technologies.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Alumni Q&A featuring Tianna Mae Andresen, B.A. '22

alxbclrk@washington.edu — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 22:12:04 +0000

Alumni Q&A featuring Tianna Mae Andresen, B.A. '22

September 27, 2023

Alumna Tianna Mae Andresen has been busy since graduating from the ��ߺ��, where she double majored in Education, Communities and Organizations (ECO) and American Ethnic Studies. Since 2022, she has been teaching the first Filipinx American U.S. History class offered at Seattle Public Schools (SPS). This is a yearlong, general credit course that fullfills SPS's 11th-grade American history requirement and is open to all interested students across the district. The class is offered virtually with in-person field trips and community events organized throughout the school year that students are encouraged to attend. So far, a small number of students have experienced the Filipinx American U.S. History class — less then 10 students enrolled last year, allowing Tianna to create an intimate learning experience for the group — but interest in being pre-enrolled remains high and suggests SPS students' growing interest in taking ethnic studies classes that allow them to learn about the experiences and contributions of different groups that are often unacknowledged in traditional U.S. history classes.

Learn more about Tianna's leadership in our Q&A with her. Please note that responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How did you come to teach the first Filipinx American U.S. History class at SPS? Please tell us about how your education, family history and/or other experiences have informed your preparation and passion for this role.

I was lucky to grow up in a community of Filipino activists and educators in Seattle who taught me the value of learning my history and culture early on. They engrained in me a sense of community organizing, social justice and making sure to give back where I can and pass on knowledge and resources to the younger generation. So from an early age I seized every opportunity I could to be involved with Filipino history, culture and community, which ended up leading me to the American Ethnic Studies and Education, Communities and Organizations majors at the UW. As a student of the school district, I also knew how important this class was and could have been for my own development. This fueled my fire further in wanting to pursue a role like this, and so I am here now!

I want to show up through community-based education with a focus on storytelling and creativity. I want to give back what my elders have given me. In general, my mission is to educate and empower marginalized youth through education based on social justice community organizing principles. Together we will foster solidarity networks built on collective learning, growth, healing, creativity and hope.

You worked on the curriculum for the course as part of your dual major in ECO and American Ethnic Studies at the UW. What did that process look like and what does the curriculum include?

The process was super collaborative with other fellow students and community members. A lot of the research we did was through the telling of stories and tying it to major events in Filipino American history, as well as making connections to other marginalized groups' histories as well. Working with community partners made sure that we also were being critical of the content that was created already, and updating it to be more inclusive and relevant. The curriculum itself is catered to meet the U.S. history requirements of Seattle Public Schools but encompasses so much more. I want to highlight that the class really centers community building and empowerment through it all, as we bring in guest speakers and go out into the community on field trips and as encouraged in some assignments.

What is expected of students once they are in the class and what are the intended learning outcomes?

This class is completely for community by community, and so students should expect to be learning through a different lens and mode than they are traditionally conditioned to learn through. The course focuses a lot on identity and making sense of the world's systems in relation to history, and how that history impacts us today.

How do you aim to show up in your role? What have you learned is important about how you support your students and become part of a community of learning?

As a high school teacher especially, I see how my young students are preparing for their lives outside of their current school system. Each student's needs are different, and they know their solutions best and you have to trust that. Many educators fear teaching high school because they think students are more rowdy or something — and perhaps their pedagogy isn't as prepared for more intense critical thinking — but in reality, a lot of students just want to be treated with respect and know that someone will show up for them. I want to show up for my students in a way that lets them know they have someone in their corner, both in class and outside of class. This doesn’t have to be me if I am not what they need, but I want to at least connect them to someone in the community. I want them to feel like their story matters and to do that I show up with my own vulnerability.

This current school system is super colonial and capitalistic (among all the other -isms). My goal is to show them that they are implicated by this system AND another way of education is possible. Which is why we try different tactics of learning that differ from traditional learning — such as using ethnic studies as a practice — in my class.

Why is it important for students to feel empowered in their own identities?

It literally saves lives! It shows students that they can honor their own humanity and honor the humanities of others. Having a sense of pride and empowerment, especially backed by community, creates a stable network that youth can grow up in that a lot of marginalized communities are shut out from. Especially within the systems of oppression we live in, our marginalized students are constantly told they are less than. Supporting them in seeing their own power and tapping into collective power tells them they are worth fighting for and able to fight for each other together.

How did your experiences at the UW — and specifically your experience as an ECO major — shape your work and/or outlook today? Was there a specific experience, course or assignment that sparked something important for you or otherwise supported your leadership journey?

For a long time, my only pathway was teaching through a school system or through non-profits but through my experience with community I saw all the different ways that community can be infused and how the educational systems can be dismantled and molded into something better for our students. When I entered ECO, I was exposed to a network of community members who had expertise that I learned a lot from. For example, Kriya Velasco teaching the Filipinx and Indigenous Studies electives really got me into ECO to be honest. They were the first critical ethnic studies courses outside of American Ethnic Studies that I experienced. I also specifically remember Kayla Chui teaching Community Based Research and Practice and it basically shifted my pedagogy and honestly checked my ego. University students often get in this savior mindset but Kayla reminded us that we are working WITH community not FOR them (because they can and have been working for themselves; we are just another addition). I also remember Dr. Jondou Chen's course and he accomodated my needs and my learning, which also completely shifted what I thought was possible in a school setting. During my capstone year, Dr. Edmundo Aguilar connected me with folks outside of school and has continued to support my growth as an educator even today. In his classes, I really felt empowered and he gave us tangible ways to practice what we preached for the last four years and he taught me what it really means to show up.

What sustains you as an educator and leader? Do you have guidance you can offer to others who share your mission-driven calling?

I would not be here without the support of my community. I would definitely recommend doing some work to think about the community resources you have and make the effort to reach out and incorporate them in a meaningful way. Especially within the system of capitalism, we are always expected to do it alone and for a low wage. This is not true at all and we know that together we can thrive. Find people who relate or can at least stand with you through your struggles. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you have to stop or take breaks. Stick to your work life balance plan and if you feel like you don’t have one, then make a plan so you can.

Nurture your hobbies or other activities in the same way you do your educator role. You are a human, too, and you are more than your job as an educator. Plus, bringing in your non-educator self to education spaces often forges stronger relationship building and tells others that we are allowed to be more than our jobs in these spaces. Being seen helps you also see others better.

Do the work of unlearning bias, discrimination and the -isms within your practice. You are not only doing that for the sake of others but it also will free you. It's okay to make mistakes as long as you own up to them and commit to doing better.

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

Director for Marketing & Communications

wilcoxc@uw.edu

Truth and Excellence: Teachers bringing their best

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 03:45:10 +0000

Truth and Excellence: Teachers bringing their best

January 17, 2023

As part of a team-building activity at the start of the school year, students in Carlos Garcia's fifth-grade classroom create posters with positive affirmations about bilingual education.

"I am a role model, a leader, a father figure," says Antonio "Tone" Morton, a Cleveland High School special education teacher.

"I can create a classroom where people love being," says Will Powell, a resource teacher at Chief Sealth International High School.

“I have a passion for dual language education and a love for teaching social studies." says Carlos Garcia, a fifth-grade teacher at a Spanish-English dual-language school in the Bellevue School District. “It is important for students to learn from multiple perspectives and get the full story when learning about our history.”

"Leading is like having a buffet of food. What is it you need? Let's eat together, let's grow together," says Salvador Gomez, who teaches Spanish and culture to middle schoolers in the Highline School District.

Morton and Powell completed a master's in education in UW’s Special Education Teacher Education Program (TEP) and Garcia and Gomez completed a master’s in teaching in UW’s Elementary Education TEP program. In addition to influencing and inspiring students in the classroom, these leader-educators also changed the TEP programs for the better.

Welcoming, Hearing, Seeing

When Powell was a sophomore in high school, he finally had a class he loved. It was a Spanish class, and it wasn't easy. "I felt respected," he says. "I enjoyed the environment. The teacher had high expectations." It made him imagine what school could have been like for him and his friends if they had felt seen and valued in all their classes.

"I was put on this earth to motivate them," Morton says of his work with young people after describing being supported at home but doubted at school. When he ran after-school programs, enrolling hundreds of students, a teacher encouraged him to go further. "She saw more in me than I saw in myself," he says. First, he became a paraeducator, helping kids who struggled to understand math. Then he connected with the Academy for Rising Educators (ARE), going on to UW so he could do more. "I'm connecting resources, building relationships, making change and changing the narrative," says Morton.

By unapologetically coming into spaces, being ourselves and still using slang, showing a different perception of what it means to be a teacher, it switches the trajectory of what students can do with their own lives.

"There's just not many teachers like us," says Powell. "By unapologetically coming into spaces, being ourselves and still using slang, showing a different perception of what it means to be a teacher, it switches the trajectory of what students can do with their own lives."

Gomez describes his desire to break free of assumptions about trauma being the same across racial and ethnic groups. He's also tired of so much emphasis on narratives of oppression and wants more focus on the many ways people are growing and prospering in community. "Leading doesn't mean I need to lead the discussion," he says. "I like to get to the core of being a human being with people. If we aren't okay emotionally, we're not going to be able to progress as a community."

After feeling like people were always making assumptions about him and his abilities in school, Garcia eagerly gives his students something different. "This month, I've been pushing my students to think critically about everything and to think about the conversation and who it impacts," he says. "There are different ways we can help one another."

Taking Care of the Teachers

It's precisely this intelligence, life experience, empathy, schooling, and wisdom that all students need in their teachers. Now, they need it even more, after the long pandemic years, meeting the moment and imagining how they might lead into the future. Like the stories of Morton, Powell, Garcia and Gomez, research shows that students thrive when they can see themselves in and relate to their teachers. But the teachers themselves also need support.

To attract, train and keep educators who reflect the demographics and needs of students requires attending to many parts in a complex system. Programs certifying teachers must be accessible through recruitment and affordability. Once candidates enter a program, they need relevant materials and welcoming faculty and classmates. When teachers become certified, there is also the piece of feeling welcome and having support in the educational settings where they work. Then the cycle must repeat and grow with more students seeing the pathway open before them as they become inspired to teach.

Salvador Gomez poses for a selfie with his students.

Initial funding has helped to further many of these efforts in the UW TEP programs. While a recruitment specialist position is still open, Gwen Sweeney serves as the teacher candidate retention and support specialist. In 2020, the first cohort of 16 students received full-tuition scholarships as Diversifying the Educator Workforce (DEW) Fellows. Having graduated from the Special Education program more than fifteen years ago, Sweeney has a unique perspective. "I can see transformation," she says. “We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re definitely different from 2005.”

Sweeney describes how the TEP programs are shorter than many degree programs but more intense. Her job is to normalize support and resources, meeting students' needs from applying to paying to attending. "How do we better set up folks for success early on?" she asks. "Directors can change the format or structure of a class, spread the class into two quarters if a lot of students need more time, address issues with financial aid, layer upon layer of systems that we have to keep chipping away and changing how things work."

How do we better set up folks for success early on?

Another critical piece is partnering with other institutions. Seattle Public Schools ARE collaborates with the City of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) to identify high school seniors and recent graduates, staff, and community members who may want to teach. Suppose these candidates commit to teaching for four years in SPS. In that case, the program pays for their tuition and teacher certification at Central Washington University, City University, North Seattle College, Seattle Central College and the ��ߺ��. Additionally, all these programs have the potential to work together in their support and funding options as students advance toward their goals in various programs of study.

The cohort model in classes is also crucial, so the students have a network of supportive colleagues. With more students of color comes a more dynamic environment and more feedback. "For me, as a Black student, when I was with only one or two other Black students in a class, I didn’t feel comfortable speaking up honestly about my experiences," says Sweeney. “We will get more feedback as we have larger groups of students with under-represented identities."

Mentoring is another way to increase networks of support. Garcia's principal asked him if he would become a mentor after his third year of teaching, and he's continued since then. "I love it," he says. "The student I mentored last year is now a 4th-grade teacher here. It's nice because I can help future educators and also help dual language teachers better their practice."

Next Generation Rising

Dual language is another area with lots of planned growth in the coming years. Since 2017, the UW's Elementary Teacher Education program (ELTEP) has credentialed more than 50 bilingually endorsed teachers. Associate Teaching Professor Teddi Beam-Conroy emphasizes the importance of dual language in preparing educators committed to racial and linguistic justice.

Beam-Conroy’s leadership on behalf of UW at the state level has influenced an initiative recently announced by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal to increase the number of dual language teachers so that all K-8 Washington students have access to dual language education by 2040. This commitment continues investments to expand the dual language workforce and dual language programs made by the Washington State Legislature since 2015.

Gomez wants to break any existing ideas of what a dual language teacher should or shouldn't be. He remembers a time in school when Spanish language teachers would ask students only to speak Spanish — solo Español. But he also had the experience in elementary school of a teacher saying that he couldn't speak Spanish.

As a teacher, Gomez embraces the cultural richness that comes from being first-generation or fifth-generation and speaking multiple languages or mixing them in new ways. "Sometimes we have 5 to 10 minutes of Spanglish, or Viet-English, or Vietnamese, Spanish and English. That's what it is to bring your culture into the classroom, getting to be you and figuring out who you are in the process," he says.

In Garcia’s district, dual language classrooms are taught in a 50-50% model. The program is very intentional in forming classes with half native Spanish speakers and half non-native speakers, with an emphasis on supporting multilingual learners. The focus in these classrooms is on learning grade level content while also bridging both languages and building students sociocultural competence. “My students have been doing a wonderful job with that,” he says.

In all of this, there's the sense that some things are changing, but there's still so much to do. Morton and Powell talk about navigating the many challenges. Powell mentions that he has 27 students on his Individualized Education Program (IEP) caseload, making it difficult to support them in the ways he wants to. Morton explains that there wasn’t enough time to collaborate and build a relationship with his co-teacher. “I also have a huge IEP caseload with 25 students, which makes it difficult with co-teaching,” he says. “Teachers need to understand each other’s teaching style to serve each student to the best of our abilities.”

It's the job of programs like TEP, with people in positions like Sweeney’s, to continue to listen and evolve and share the load of making real a future equal to the hard work and excellence these leaders bring and the next generation they inspire.

"I feel like when we were coming up, we saw the teacher as the all-knowing," says Powell. "What I love about this generation is they are so much more outspoken. I tell them I don't have all the answers. I'm learning from you all."

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

Director for Marketing & Communications

wilcoxc@uw.edu

Alumni

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 named 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year

Alumnus William Jackson, Ed.D. '21 named 2024 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year

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Charleen Wilcox

Dr. Kyle Kinoshita Receives the 2023 UCEA Excellence in Education Award

Dr. Kyle Kinoshita Receives the 2023 UCEA Excellence in Education Award

What is your history with the UW ���ߺ��� and the Leadership for Learning program?

How have your studies and work with the UW ���ߺ��� influenced your professional career?

What does receiving the 2023 UCEA Excellence in Educational Leadership Award (twice) mean to you?

What would your advice or guidance be for UW ���ߺ��� graduates entering careers in school administration?

Anything else you’d like to add?

Alumna Erin Riesland receives Fulbright Specialist Award to travel to South Africa

Alumna Erin Riesland receives Fulbright Specialist Award to travel to South Africa

Alumni Q&A featuring Tianna Mae Andresen, B.A. '22

Alumni Q&A featuring Tianna Mae Andresen, B.A. '22

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Charleen Wilcox

Truth and Excellence: Teachers bringing their best

Truth and Excellence: Teachers bringing their best

Welcoming, Hearing, Seeing

Taking Care of the Teachers

Next Generation Rising

Contact

Charleen Wilcox

What is your history with the UW ��ߺ�� and the Leadership for Learning program?

How have your studies and work with the UW ��ߺ�� influenced your professional career?

What would your advice or guidance be for UW ��ߺ�� graduates entering careers in school administration?