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.

 

Barbara Glaeser
Barbara Glaeser