Increasing the Ranks of Public School Educators
Program offers Santa Ana Unified School District employees opportunity to become math, science or special education teachers
October 17, 2006
By Mimi Ko Cruz
A new program funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant is endeavoring
to train 125 Santa Ana Unified School District employees to become math,
science and special education teachers or receive double credentials in
those subjects.
Barbara Glaeser,
chair and associate professor of special education, is accepting applications
for “On-Track: Transition to Teaching,” to increase the number of
teachers trained in these specific areas.
Glaeser has
received $331,811 in first-year funding from a $1.77-million, five-year U.S.
Department of Education grant. Twenty-five employees of the Santa Ana Unified
School District — including instructional aides, other staff members who
want to become teachers, math and science teachers who wish to earn a second
credential in special education, and special education teachers who want a second
credential in math or science —will be chosen to take part in the program
this year. Those selected to participate will receive up to $5,000 per year to
cover expenses such as university fees and books, while earning a bachelor’s
or master’s degree and teaching credentials in math, science or special
education.
In exchange,
participants must agree to remain employed in the Santa Ana Unified School District
for at least three years after completing the program, Glaeser said.
“In
Orange County, Santa Ana Unified is the lowest-performing school district, so
we want highly educated teachers to commit to make a difference there,” she
said.
Glaeser, who
earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Cal State Fullerton,
has been a member of the faculty since 1998 and has served on the U.S. Department
of Education Teacher Training Corps for three years. Her research interests are
reading and writing interventions for students with learning disabilities, web-based
learning for adults with learning disabilities and teacher education. She holds
a doctorate from the University of Kansas.
Produced by the Office of Public Affairs at California State University, Fullerton.