- Washington Heights Elementary School
- Homepage
FWISD Student Teachers Learn They Will Each Receive $20,000 Stipend
Watch the Video of the Surprise Announcement
Thirteen student teachers at Fort Worth ISD learned Thursday morning they will each receive a $20,000 stipend to help support their yearlong residency.
They are all part of TechTeach Across Texas (TTAT) -- an intensive program from Texas Tech Universitydesigned to prepare teachers to improve the academic achievement of K-12 students. The TechTeach model includes a Dallas-Fort Worth area program for education students who wish to remain in their home communities. Seven of the Fort Worth ISD teacher candidates are graduates of the District.
Earlier this year FWISD was awarded the TCLAS (Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports) Grant, with part of the proceeds being used for teacher residencies.
Video captured the moment the surprise announcement was made.
“When these future teachers step foot in a Fort Worth ISD classroom, they will be keenly aware of the experiences of the students they will serve, and they are more likely to implement lessons and provide support that are relevant and equitable to the students’ needs,” said Emily Camarena, Director of Talent Management for Pipeline Development in FWISD’s Office of Innovation.
According to Camarena, a recent study from Educators Rising (2020) showed that 60% of teachers teach within 20 miles of where they went to school. FWISD hopes to capitalize on that tendency by strengthening that pipeline of future teachers coming home.
Unlike the traditional student-teacher model that encompassed one semester, TTAT’s yearlong residency approach means a teacher candidate will work with their cooperating teacher more as a co-teacher. This provides the candidate with more instructional experience in a classroom.
“This program allows the TTAT teacher candidate to get fully vested in the culture of a campus and of a district,” Camarena said. “After the year of residency, the transition into his/her very own classroom is a smoother one with a more confident first-year teacher.”
TTAT also partners with Tarrant County College in FWISD and Grand Prairie ISD.
This isn’t the first time teacher candidates have received supporting stipends. FWISD previously awarded $20,000 stipends to 28 yearlong residents in theTarleton Teacher Education Program.
-FWISD-
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and the Fort Worth ISD Mobile App for the latest information