A teacher pathway program for Newman-Crows Landing Unified’s Beyond the Bell (BTB) program could happen in the near future following its proposal during last Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
The pathway, a multi-year sustainability project, will focus on building a sustainable workforce through a seven-year employment block, according to a PowerPoint presentation. The pathway will begin with an Orestimba High sophomore student being hired as a BTB tutor. The student would continue working in the program and is matched with an OHS teacher as a mentor while pursuing their bachelor’s degree and teaching credentials while attending Stanislaus State, Merced College or Modesto Junior College. The plan is to build continuity throughout the program.
“When someone comes in and they’re gone in a year or they’re gone in two years, it’s still goodness, it's still love,” said Alysonn Cassidy, the director of expanded learning for the district. “But if they know the kids from TK to fifth [grade], the entire time they know that student, that’s beautiful.”
While the students aren’t guaranteed a teaching job, an interview for a job is promised to them, Cassidy said.
When Cassidy joined the district in 2021, she said there were 17 openings for the program and had a difficult time filling in those positions. Eventually after further discussion, it was decided that the program needed to grow its own workforce.
Around that same time, NCLUSD rebranded its after school program to Beyond the Bell to offer more dynamic activities after it was shown that students weren’t as engaged during virtual learning compared to pre-pandemic. This led to staff curating different activities for students such as piano lessons, podcasting and robotics classes, Cassidy said.
“We need to get very creative and come up with stuff that is highly active and engaging, and we need kids to want to be on campus, and the data shows that the longer that kids are on campus, the more effective we are at combating learning loss,” she said.
During Monday’s meeting, eight individuals were shown in the PowerPoint as an example of what the pathway could offer as they later became a teacher within the district. Cassidy said the situation was a coincidence but hopes it gives an idea of what the project could do.
“These are kids who want to be teachers. We need teachers,” she said. “America is struggling right now with teachers. We need to keep people who care.”
Board President Don Cabral and Board Member Lyzette Gonzalez supported the proposal. Gonzalez said she was told by Superintendent Justin Pruett the pathway would be funded through funding for BTB.
Currently, BTB staff is working on recruiting credential teacher mentors for the students. Cassidy said hiring for student positions for next year will begin in April.
When openings are advertised, counselors would send BTB staff recommendations of who they should interview. Some factors taken into consideration are whether the student is a good performer, if they have discipline issues, whether they have a 3.0 GPA and whether they want to become a teacher.
“Next year will be our debut, and so we talked to our parents about some growing pains, but nothing but good, nothing but love and support. So let’s try this together,” Cassidy said.
