ACE program aids teacher development

(9/21/05)

New Haven Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, as well as Southern Connecticut State University President Cheryl Norton and other distinguished guests, formally unveiled the Accelerated Certifi cation for Educators Program on Monday at Hillhouse High School in New Haven.
This program, which is in its fi rst year, has $750,000 allocated for 63 aspiring teachers attending state universities in Connecticut, including Southern.
The premise of this program is to give teachers, who already have their bachelor degrees in mathematics and the sciences, an accelerated program to enable them to join the teacher workforce without the logistical hassle of attending school full-time and balancing other jobs.
Many of these individuals are already accomplished professionals who seek to change careers in order to contribute to the community.
The participants will work primarily with children in urban schools where there is a pressing need for motivated teachers. After the completion of their accelerated programs, they will be considered on loan to certain school systems throughout the state, depending on where they did their internships and in-class training.
According to DeLauro and other administrators, this influx of new blood into urban schools and the teaching force as a whole could not come soon enough. With an estimated 41 percent of teachers being over 50 years old, the need for teachers is expected to increase in the coming years.
New Haven and SCSU are receiving the lion's share of the appropriations for the project.
Out of 63 participants, 29 are attending Southern and doing their internships with urban schools in the New Haven area. Out of the $750,000 total budget, Southern is receiving $347,200. This allotment covers tuition for all 29 participants, including books and a $1,000 stipend for cost of living needs.
Paul Donahue, a participant attending Southern, said that his concern for at-risk youths and his desire to make a contribution to society is what prompted him to drop his other professional pursuits in favor of teaching.
Congresswoman DeLauro expressed a great appreciation and admiration for these individuals as well as proclaiming her desire to up the dollar figure to $1.5 million next year.
This particular program's success will hinge on the willingness of these men and women to stay within the lonely confines of inner-city education and reach those underprivileged individuals that people like Donahue feel need the most assistance and attention.