Author Archives: Woody

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

National Board Certification Brings Elite Status

Jessica Raugitinane, whom we honored in 2012, has completed an intensive, two-year process to earn an elite level of certification that has been achieved by only four percent of teachers nationwide.

Congratulations to Ms. Raugitinane on becoming a National Board-Certified Teacher.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) grants this certification in line with its mission to advance the quality of teaching and learning. The National Board’s mission is to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

Ms.Raugitinane began working toward the certification while teaching English-language learners at a dual-language school in her hometown of Alexandria, Virginia. Now she serves as the K-12 English Learners Curriculum Specialist in her school district’s central office.

“In this position, I can focus on my passion for curriculum writing, especially for English-language learners, and remain connected to the classroom by piloting curriculum with teachers and students,” she says.

Recommendations for Colleagues

For teachers who might be considering pursuing National Board certification, Ms. Raugitinane offers this advice:

“Seek out resources from your school district; see if there is a mentor or cohort who can guide you through the process and review your portfolio submissions.

“The certification process is rigorous and time-consuming, so creating a schedule that dedicates time to certification requirements while balancing teaching and personal life is essential. 

“Nevertheless, the process is beneficial and doesn’t feel like you are just trying to check off a list of tasks, but rather truly investing in yourself as a teacher. The critical analysis and deep reflection throughout the process lead to improved instructional strategies and better student outcomes, while allowing you to display your strengths as a teacher.”

Triple Major at UConn

Ms. Raugitinane received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in 2013 with three majors: elementary education, English, and Spanish, along with a minor in Latino studies. She received her master’s degree from UConn in 2014. Before joining the faculty in Alexandria, she taught English as a second language to university students in Quito, Ecuador.

“I knew the certification process would be labor-intensive,” she says. “But I felt supported by my school district’s board-certified mentor who reassured me that the deep reflection encouraged by this process would truly enhance my teaching skills and motivate me to provide high-quality teaching to my students.”

Ms. Raugitinane achieved National Board certification in English as a New Language for Early and Middle Childhood (ages 3-12) by submitting a portfolio for each of four components:

  • Content Knowledge: Candidates demonstrate an understanding of the subject matter and how to teach it effectively.
  • Differentiation in Instruction: Candidates provide evidence of how they tailor their instruction to students with diverse learning styles and abilities.
  • Teaching Practice and Learning Environment: Candidates submit videos of their teaching and provide written analyses of their teaching practice in varied contexts.
  • Effective and Reflective Practitioner: Candidates analyze and reflect on how they use assessment data and student feedback to improve their instruction. Candidates also provide evidence of participation in professional learning communities and collaboration with other educators to meet students’ needs.

Felicidades to Ms. Raugitinane and best wishes for continued success in this new phase of her career.

  • Woody Exley

Celebrating Community at Multicultural Night

Students at Mayberry School in East Hartford comprise many ethnicities, hail from many countries, and speak many languages. In fact, one-third of the students are English-learners who speak 15 other languages.

This rich diversity was celebrated last week at the school’s annual Multicultural Night.

“The purpose of the event is to invite families into our school to celebrate the community and its diversity,” said Ivy Horan, first-grade teacher and co-leader of the school’s Equity Team, which hosted the event.

The Alma Exley Scholarship Program honored Ms. Horan in 2019, when she was a student in the Neag School of Education at UConn.

ivy Horan, first-grade teacher

Celebrating Diverse Cultures

Families were invited to wear clothing from their cultures, and they brought food representing their families. After dinner, students performed in a talent show, which included instrumental music, songs in Spanish, and the reading of a poem in Spanish.

Then everyone was treated to a performance by the Drill Team, composed of 25 fourth- and fifth- graders. “The Drill Team practices all year, while also meeting to discuss the importance of community, diversity, and equity,” said Ms. Horan, who helps lead the group.

Mayberry Drill Team performs at Multicultural Night.

‘Community’ Mural

Another highlight was an interactive mural, in which students spelled out the word “community,” which was the focus of the Drill Team.

Prior to the event, school staff members had created visual displays depicting the diversity of their own families and the community. Then, during the event, students and their families were invited to create similar displays. Also, the Family Resource Center hosted a table to share information about their services.The evening ended with a dance party.

Strengthening Bonds Within the School Community

“Multicultural Night is intended to help our students and their families to feel more connected to our school community,” Ms. Horan said. “Everyone has so much fun at the event, and since it’s towards the end of the school year, it is a great way to wrap up the year together.

“Our Equity Team’s main goal is to help ensure that equity is part of everything we do, and this event is a great showcase of that.”

Well over 200 people attended the event, including students, their families, school staff, and volunteers from the University of Saint Joseph, Mayberry’s educational partner.

Ivy Horan with Kennedy Martin, her first-grade teammate and co-leader of the Equity Team

Building Confidence

“I want to thank our Drill Team teachers for believing in me and helping me perform today,” a fourth-grader said. “I never thought I could do something like this, but they told me I could.”

A fifth-grader said, “I can’t wait to do the Drill Team again next year. This was the best experience. Thank you for helping me. Tonight was so much fun. I wish every single day at school could be just like today!”

Mayberry students anticipate the arrival of the Drill Team.