As part of NCTR’s continued commitment to recruit, develop, and retain 750 new Black teachers through our national network of teacher residencies, we are pleased to announce $3.74 million in new awards for the second year of our Black Educators Initiative.
Congratulations to the 14 residency partners who are receiving grants for 2020-21!
Grants have been awarded to NCTR’s Network partners who have demonstrated a commitment to reduce and eliminate systemic barriers that prevent Black teachers from entering and remaining in the profession.
Awards will provide direct financial support to Black residents for scholarships and living stipends, supplement expenses such as the costs of state licensure tests and textbooks, and offer other financial assistance. Partnering residencies are also focused on improving the residency model’s core components of recruitment and selection processes, mentor professional development and growth, and revising the residency year experience to better incorporate culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy, social-emotional learning, and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Program Spotlight: San Francisco Teacher Residency
San Francisco Teacher Residency(SFTR) aims to improve academic achievement and social-emotional development for historically underserved students in San Francisco’s public schools by recruiting, preparing, and supporting highly effective and equity-centered teachers. It partners with the University of San Francisco, Stanford University, San Francisco Unified School District, and United Educators of San Francisco.
Resident of the Year
SFTR Teacher Resident Cristina Harber exceeds program requirements, thereby demonstrating effectiveness. She is an excellent example of dedication and will power, exemplifying the qualities of a good colleague and peer within the cohort. Her caring nature and personality allow her to work well with others in a team setting. Cristina demonstrates empathy and respect for the opinions, feelings, and perspectives of others. She also displays a commitment to student growth and learning in her 5th grade classroom.
A standard set by epidemiologists to rank the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in a community—keeping the average daily infection rate among tested individuals under 5%—has convinced many of the nation’s largest school districts, including those in Los Angeles and Broward County (FL), to begin the school year with remote learning instead of face-to-face. Said Broward Co. superintendent Robert W. Runcie, “Now the futures of our young people are collateral damage from our inability to take this thing seriously.”
This piece highlights additional school districts’ decisions to delay or outright cancel in-person instruction for the 2020-2021 school year, including U.S. cities where NCTR partners operate (Nashville, Atlanta and Oakland). But these moves raise “big questions about whether districts will be able to improve the instruction they’re able to offer virtually and reach a greater share of students than they did this spring — and about how working parents will continue to manage without the child care that in-person school provides.”
This investigative article follows one AP History teacher in California and several of his students’ experiences studying for the AP exam during the unexpected and extended remote learning weeks this spring, during which they also navigated many social and family challenges.
Please note that the articles and events in the NCTR E-Blast do not reflect the opinions of our organization, but rather represent information that we believe will be relevant to you and your programs.
(SFTR) aims to improve academic achievement and social-emotional development for historically underserved students in San Francisco’s public schools by recruiting, preparing, and supporting highly effective and equity-centered teachers. It partners with the University of San Francisco, Stanford University, San Francisco Unified School District, and United Educators of San Francisco. 
