NMPED News:
A New Mexico two-year fellowship that removes barriers for those interested in becoming licensed educators has grown from 380 participants last school year to almost 500 this year.
Educator Fellows NM, overseen by the Public Education Department, is designed to provide additional support to students and teachers in the classroom to reduce class sizes, is one of the avenues on the state’s teacher preparation landscape. Attractive to those who want to remain in their communities, it is a prime way to foster homegrown future educators. Fellows are paid education assistant salaries, receive full health benefits and are given paid leave to attend up to 12 hours of college coursework a week.
“This has been the greatest honor of my life,” said Amber Romero, the program’s administrator. “You plant corn, cultivating it over time so it yields food. That is what the Ed Fellows program is all about. We are planting seeds and will see the impacts.”
The former Las Cruces Public Schools teacher, instructional coach and administrator added that, “We’re bringing in people who live in and understand that community.”
Like Naomilynn Macias, who has been an educational assistant for four years and is on her way to being a first-generation college graduate. One of the allures of Ed Fellows is that it allowed her to be close to home to care for a family member.
“Pena Blanca has always been home for us and being able to be a part of my community feels like I’m helping my community made the adjustment easier,” said Macias, who has been at Cochiti Elementary Middle School since the spring semester of 2022. “We can work under our mentors and learn how to teach with hands-on experience to be better prepared when it is our turn to take the reins.”
The fellows support targeted small-group or one-on-one intervention, high dosage tutoring and enrichment. Some have started clubs around books, as well as science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Participants who must have a high school diploma or equivalent and be seeking a degree that will lead to licensure are working in urban and rural areas, in large and small schools across the state. The program has been funded through the American Rescue Plan Act but can continue to exist through continued legislative support and funding.
Bobbie Shack is an Ed Fellows coach since spring 2022, taking the lead in supporting high indigenous-serving districts and schools. Last year, more than 15% of fellows were Native American. Twenty-five percent of them were seeking bilingual licensure.
Shack, a member of the Zuni Pueblo, is proud of her education story, one robust with mentors who lifted her to reach for her dreams, including multiple college degrees and college teaching and administrative jobs in multiple states.
“NM Ed Fellows is such an important program because it can empower communities,” she said. “Many of the Ed Fellows participating in our program are working in school districts within their own communities. How powerful that is for students to see their own community members in front of classrooms and leading lessons! Our fellows send the message to their students that they, our fellows, are working to become teachers.”
Eric James, Bernalillo Public Schools’ associate superintendent of human resources, loves this aspect of the program and appreciates the unique features of Ed Fellows, including how it creates a sustainable pipeline of teachers that come from the same background as the students in his district.
“It has allowed us to integrate these wonderful teacher candidates into our instruction,” he said. “They are more than teacher assistants. They provide direct instruction and tutoring in the classroom. This experience will be invaluable as they achieve their teacher certification and prepare to take on their own classes in the future. We are providing them additional supports and training to make sure that they are supported and prepared to become our future teachers.”
This fellowship is ideal for individuals who enjoy interacting with youth in a school setting, have good communication skills and enjoy working with diverse populations experiencing a range of social needs. The fellowship provides critical hands-on experiences in the education arena and a solid foundation for those who are planning to enter the profession.
“As coaches, we connect with our fellows and provide the encore round of applause, that virtual fist bump, to show them that we know they’re doing their best and that we’re all so incredibly proud of them as a collective group of coaches,” Shack said.
Dee Hagan, an Ed Fellow in a fifth-grade classroom at Bernalillo Elementary School, is right where she needs to be.
“I couldn’t pass up this opportunity of a lifetime to help, contribute, build and grow in not just myself but with the Bernalillo community,” she said.
For more information, click here or contact Amber Romero. In addition, Ed Fellows is featured on the PED website.
