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NEWS RELEASE
Western Governors University and San Diego Unified School District Announce TEACH-LEAD San Diego Teacher Pathway Scholarship
(December 16, 2021) — Nonprofit, online university Western Governors University<http://www.wgu.edu/> (WGU) and San Diego Unified School District<https://sandiegounified.org/> (SDUSD) announce the TEACH-LEAD San Diego Teacher Pathway Scholarship, designed to eliminate the barriers that hold future educators back from pursuing their goals. The scholarship is open to new and returning WGU students enrolled with the Teacher's College and are currently employed as a paraeducator with SDUSD.
Paraeducators, also known as teaching assistants, work under the supervision of credentialed teachers. However, as practitioners juggle larger classrooms, the responsibility of instruction has increasingly fallen on paraeducators. This scholarship will help improve their skill set in the classroom while obtaining the required credentials to become certified teachers.
"Paraeducators are excellent candidates for future teachers as they have already demonstrated the desire and skills to help children learn and grow," said San Diego Unified School District's Chief Human Resource Officer, Acacia Thede.
Recipients of this scholarship will be a part of the "grow your own" educator pipeline program, TEACH-LEAD San Diego, which supports individuals in becoming teachers in their local communities. The goal of this program is to onboard certified practitioners to improve diversity among the teaching staff. As California's second-largest district, SDUSD serves more than 100,000 students and represents 15 ethnic groups.
According to Ed-Data, in 2020-2021, 77.5% of SDUSD students are ethnically diverse, with only 36% of teachers falling into that same category. Programs like TEACH-LEAD San Diego help fill that gap by increasing representation among teachers and leaders. Studies have shown that all students benefit from access to teachers and leaders who look like them and may have similar life experiences.
"This partnership supports a mutual belief in growing and preparing the next generation of teachers and leaders. We are committed to supporting new staffing patterns that will build a well-rounded teaching community for our students," said Patrizia Zary, WGU's Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager.
Additionally, it will increase equity and inclusion by eliminating barriers, such as financial constraints, time commitments, and the flexibility of class schedules by creating a clear pathway to becoming a teacher. Students enrolled in this program will no longer have to choose between employment or education, opening the door to building inclusive and stable workforces by addressing equity gaps and barriers to degree attainment. WGU's online competency-based model<https://www.wgu.edu/student-experience/learning/how.html> provides the flexibility to enable the students to complete their degree and related certificates in only 18 to 24 months.
WGU's Director of Regional Operations - West Region, Bob Benson, said, "WGU is an affordable and flexible option for learners that are interested in accelerating at their own pace while graduating with little or no debt. The many benefits include robust scholarship opportunities, a program mentor for each student, and a competency-based format, which allows students to complete a course as soon as they have shown mastery of the material, allowing them to move forward as desired."
If you are currently a SDUSD employee interested in applying for the TEACH-LEAD San Diego Teacher Pathway Scholarship through November 15, 2022, please contact Patrizia Zary at patrizia.zary@wgu.edu<mailto:patrizia.zary@wgu.edu>.
Candidates can learn more about SDUSD's TEACH- LEAD San Diego Pipeline to diversify the teacher and leader workforce at www.sandi.net/TeachLeadSD<http://www.sandi.net/TeachLeadSD>.
Media Availability: Thursday, December 16, 2021 (Please confirm coverage to reserve an interview time slot).
Speakers: Kimberly Moore, Diversity & Inclusion Officer, San Diego Unified School District
Contact for media inquiries: Contact San Diego Unified School District
Andrea Gardner Isabella McNeil
Regional Manager, Communications & Outreach Info. Services Specialist, Human Resources
(916) 397-8109 (619) 341-2343
Andrea.Gardner@wgu.edu<mailto:Andrea.Gardner@wgu.edu> imcneil@sandi.net<mailto:imcneil@sandi.net>
Contact for WGU Enrollment Information
Patrizia Zary
Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager
(760) 390-3000
patrizia.zary@wgu.edu<mailto:patrizia.zary@wgu.edu>
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 130,000 students nationwide and has more than 254,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 24 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families and preparing the workforce needed in today's rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu<https://www.wgu.edu/> and wgu.edu/impact<http://wgu.edu/impact>.
About San Diego Unified School District
As the second-largest school district in California, the San Diego Unified School District serves more than 100,000 students, including infant, pre-school, transitional kindergarten through grade 12, and adult programs. The students and families of the San Diego community represent more than 163 countries and bring the richness of more than 60 languages and dialects; approximately 20% of its students are multilingual. The diversity of the student population includes 47% Latinx, 23% White, 10% Black, 8% Asian, and 5% Filipino. The San Diego Unified School District is proud to call itself one of the top large urban school districts in the United States due to its commitments to racial and social justice, technology, curriculum, neighborhood and specialty schools, career-technical education, and food services. Learn more at www.sandi.net<http://www.sandi.net> and www.sandi.net/jobs<http://www.sandi.net/jobs>
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Best Wishes,
Isa
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