Author Archives: Woody

SCSU, UConn Students Honored As Alma Exley Scholars

Students from Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut have been chosen as Alma Exley Scholars for 2025.

Verónica Jazmin Alvarenga Ramos of Norwalk is a senior at SCSU majoring in elementary education with a bilingual endorsement. She received an associate degree from Norwalk Community College in 2022. She is a graduate of Our Lady of Fatima High School in El Salvador.

Verónica Alvarenga Ramos

Carter Newman, a graduate of Cromwell High School, holds a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from UConn and is pursuing his master of arts degree in curriculum and instruction at UConn.

Carter Newman

Working and Learning

Ms. Alvarenga came to the United States at age 17 and began taking English classes while working full-time to support herself and family back home. Eventually, continuing to work, she began taking classes at Norwalk Community College and earned an associate degree in early childhood education.

While at Norwalk CC, she served as a reading interventionist at Silvermine Dual Magnet School in Norwalk and did her student teaching at the same school. As a volunteer, she has worked in youth programs at Saint Joseph Church in Norwalk and has served in teen-parenting and domestic-violence programs at Horizons for Homeless Children.

Verónica Alvarenga Ramos with her

children, Angelica and Anthony

Transformative Power of Representation

Discussing her own education and the impact of a teacher of color, she said, “It wasn’t until I encountered a teacher who shared my background that I truly began to see the transformative power of representation. She understood the nuances of growing up in a household where survival often took precedence over academic achievement. She didn’t just teach the curriculum; she taught resilience, perseverance, and self-belief. Her presence in my life was a beacon of hope, showing me that my circumstances did not define my potential.

“These experiences fueled my desire to become a teacher,” she said. “I wanted to become the kind of educator who sees beyond the surface and who recognizes the potential in every student regardless of their background. I am committed to being a voice for those who, like me, have felt marginalized and overlooked.I want to create a classroom environment where all children know that they are capable of achieving great things, regardless of their socio-economic status or family structure. My goal is to be the role model that I needed—someone who can relate to their struggles and inspire them to rise above them.”

Carter Newman

A Leader at UConn

A UConn professor reported that Mr. Newman was chosen by the faculty to carry the Neag School of Education banner in the procession at his bachelor’s-degree commencement ceremony. He was chosen as the student who best demonstrated qualities of leadership and initiative, intellectual curiosity, creativity, and commitment to educational equity and excellence for all students.

Of Mr. Newman’s student teaching, the professor said, “The warm connection, patience, and faith in student learning I saw—and the way he kept students intrigued and engaged—augur well for the kind of teacher he will be and the good influence he will be on colleagues.

“I also saw Carter’s commitment to social justice and youth empowerment. He positioned second-grade students to identify ways they could make a difference in society. He also employed skillful means to make the content and skills he was teaching accessible to emergent bilingual students.”

Mr. Newman has an extensive background working with youth in various capacities. He was an instructor and advisor in the Explo summer camp on the campus of Wellesley College. He served as a Husky Insider, advising and orienting underrepresented, prospective UConn students. He was a summer teaching intern at Horizons Green Farms Academy in Westport, Conn. He also worked for three years as a substitute teacher in Cromwell Public Schools. He is vice president of UConn Leadership in Diversity and a member of the UConn Black Student Association, and he has served as a UConn Big Brother.

Endowment Growth

The program was able to offer two scholarships again this year because of the growth of the endowment at the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. Growth has been achieved thanks to substantial, ongoing contributions as well as solid investment gains.

A selection committee of respected educators chose the recipients from among applicants from educator-preparation programs in Connecticut. The selection committee was impressed with the potential of all the applicants. All were deserving and worthy of the scholarship. As we continue to grow the endowment, we will be able to recognize and support more aspiring future teachers in the years ahead.

Now in its 29th year, the program has honored and supported 40 outstanding aspiring teachers. Previous recipients are serving in teaching and leadership positions in 15 cities and towns in Connecticut and across the United States.

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Cardona Promotes Diversity at Educator Symposium

Dr. Miguel Cardona, U. S. Secretary of Education and 1998 Alma Exley Scholar, presented a strong case for educator diversity to an audience of more than 200 educators and aspiring educators on Thursday.

He spoke via video at the third annual Increasing Diversity Symposium at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, sponsored the Connecticut Department of Education and Educators Rising, a program that encourages high school students to pursue careers in education.

Also speaking was Connecticut Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker, who said that increasing educator diversity and strengthening the educator pipeline are among her agency’s strategic focus areas. (See story below.)

Diversity Is a “Must-Have”

“Educator diversity matters,” Secretary Cardona said. “It’s not only a good-to-have; it’s a must-have.

“The Biden-Harris team is moving toward a vision of public education that’s ambitious and inclusive when others want to privatize the public good—public education,” he said. “Our vision includes making sure that we have a beautifully diverse workforce of highly qualified teachers—a diversity that matches the diversity of our communities.

“I’m proud to say that Connecticut is leading the way. It’s one of only seven states with an educator diversity goal. From the 2015-16 school year to 2023-24, nearly 2,000 additional educators of color were hired across the state.

He noted that Connecticut has streamlined the process for educators from out-of-state to obtain Connecticut certification. He cited the NextGen program, which pays prospective teachers while they work to obtain credentials and connects them with experienced teachers as mentors. He also mentioned a new state program that provides scholarships to aspiring educators from diverse backgrounds.

National Priority

Secretary Cardona said the U.S. Department of Education is supporting educator-diversity efforts nationally. He said the Department is also fighting for teacher respect and teacher support. He cited what he calls the ABCs of teaching: A is for agency, treating teachers like professionals. B is for better working conditions, making sure they have the tools they need to be successful. C is for competitive salaries, since teachers are paid less than people with similar degrees in other professions. And he added D for diversity.

“Let’s demonstrate the courage to raise the bar for teacher diversity,” he said, “and let’s demonstrate the will to fight boldly and unapologetically for public education.

“At a time when people are attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion, at a time when people want to use vouchers to create a system of haves and have-nots, I tell you this is the best time to be in leadership. This is the best time to fight for diversity in our profession.

“We are fighting for public education,” he said. “We are fighting to lift up the great work of our public schools and our educators. We just have to make sure that they are as beautifully diverse as our country. I’m excited to continue to work together.”

Commissioner Cites Progress But Calls for More

Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker reported that the state’s educators of color increased from 7.8 percent in 2009-10 to over 11 percent this past school year. This represents an increase from 4,130 to more than 6,000 educators of color in the state’s public schools.

But she noted that students of color account for 58.8 percent of the total student body. This amounts to more than 275,000 students of color.

“We have a lot of work to do,” she said. “This work is critically important. Our collective actions demonstrate that we’re not just talking about the problem; we’re about effective solutions and we’re moving forward.

“Our goal is to create a universe of opportunities for all of our students,” she said, citing Educators Rising, scholarships for aspiring teachers, and certification reciprocity among the state’s diversity initiatives.

“We’re leading the charge to ensure that our educator workforce really looks like the students that it serves,” the commissioner said. “Together, we are changing the face of education in Connecticut.”

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Alma Exley Scholar Is Driving Teacher Diversity

Connecticut’s Teacher Residency Program (TRP) is addressing the teacher shortage while also having an impact on the shortage of teachers of color.

I’m proud to report that Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims, an Alma Exley Scholar, is a leader in this state initiative.

Since we honored Dr. Sims in 2008, she has emerged as a highly respected educational leader as a public-school administrator, a UConn faculty member, and now as managing director of academics at the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC), which manages the TRP.

     Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims

Achieving Results

       The state approved the Teacher Residency Program in 2019 among a variety of initiatives to increase teacher diversity. After the first five years, 135 program graduates are teaching in Connecticut schools—94 percent of whom are persons of color.

       The program is in high demand among aspiring teachers. While the national trend in teacher-preparation programs is a decline in enrollment, TRP had a record applicant pool for the 2024-2025 cohort, resulting in 45 residents enrolled and placed in residencies within partner districts and a waiting list of more than 20 additional qualified candidates.

       “TRP enables candidates with bachelor’s degrees to take courses leading to teacher certification,” Dr. Sims says. “The program helps to break down barriers to entry into the teaching profession by covering the cost of tuition and paying a living wage during the one-year residency. Candidates receive three years of mentoring support from experienced educators from the time they are residents through their first two years as teachers of record.”

       The Capitol Region Education Council established the program to increase diversity among public school educators. The program has since grown to a state-wide partnership of the Regional Education Service Center (RESC) Alliance.

       Currently, only 11 percent of Connecticut public school teachers are persons of color, compared to over half of the students.

Impact of Teachers of Color

       “Ethnic and racial diversity among teachers and administrators adds positive value for all students,” Dr. Sims says. “This is evident in more equitable approaches to student discipline, greater representation of students of color in gifted programs, and improved student performance.”

       (Studies have demonstrated that students of color do better when they have at least one teacher of color.)

       Serving with Dr. Sims on the TRP leadership team are Ushawnda Mitchell, managing director of residencies, and Dr. Niralee Patel-Lye, managing director of recruitment, retention, and partnerships.

       Congratulations to Dr. Sims and her colleagues for their commitment to the cause of increasing diversity among the educator workforce in Connecticut. It’s heartening to see them achieving results and making a difference in our public schools.

  • Woody Exley