Newcomers Entering Teaching: The Possibilities of a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Teaching Force

• In Event: 70.048 - Toward Racial Justice and Democratization of the Teaching Force

Abstract

The call to prepare students to be global citizens who are multilingual and cross culturally aware has been made by diverse groups. Many communities have an untapped human resource in immigrants. This paper discusses the Newcomers Extended Teacher Education Program at the University of Southern Maine, a modified version of the university’s teacher education program, recruits and prepares teachers from immigrant and refugee communities. As a federal immigrant and refugee resettlement community, the Portland Public Schools saw a 158% growth in the number of English Language Learners between 2000-2010. The program offers additional time and supports that enable immigrant students to successfully become teachers. Seventeen of the twenty-one immigrant students who graduated were employed as teachers (13) or paraeducators (4); 100% remain in their positions as many as ten years later. Drawing on interviews and email questionnaires, the chapter reports benefits these new teachers offer, as well as challenges of trying to make the pathway into teaching more accessible to immigrants.

Author

• Flynn M. Ross, University of Southern Maine