helping teachers make the grade

K-12 Education

At Starlight Elementary School: (front row, l­r) students James Manville,
Darlene Mijarez, and Kimber Lee Manville; (back row, l­r) Lucia
Villareal, Alexander Marshall, Noni Reis, and Joyce Justus

(Photo: R. R. Jones)

Second-grade teacher Alexander Marshall never went to med school. But his colleagues at Starlight Elementary School have taken a cue from doctors and created an environment that's as close to a medical residency as a new teacher will get. Fresh out of UCSC's graduate education program, Marshall is part of a revolutionary approach to K­12 education that provides unusually high levels of professional support to teachers throughout their careers.

To that end, Starlight became a "professional development school" five years ago in partnership with UCSC. In this unique school, located in Watsonville in southern Santa Cruz County, teachers at every stage of their careers are encouraged to participate in weekly enrichment activities, to collaborate with one another, to utilize cutting-edge educational research, and, simply, to excel.

Unlike at many schools, where professional development occurs sporadically, career growth is an integral part of being on the Starlight faculty. Marshall began tapping the school's unique resources when he was a student teacher there last year.

"I had no idea how difficult this job is," says Marshall, who is now teaching second grade. "I was very naive. As a teacher, I feel like I'm an intellectual, a literacy strategist, a social worker, a counselor, a secretary, a big brother, and a psychologist. It's the most challenging, stimulating job I could ever see myself doing."

UCSC's Education Department shares resources with K­12 schools throughout the region to help give teachers consistent access to the tools and inspiration they need to perform at their highest levels. At Starlight, that effort goes even further: Every teacher gets one afternoon every three weeks to work outside the classroom with peers at his or her grade level. In these meetings, teachers assess how students are progressing, share effective teaching practices, and develop curriculum. Teachers also have many optional opportunities for professional growth, including peer coaching, observation, and study groups. Finally, the entire staff attends three focused daylong enrichment programs together.

"Traditionally, teachers are proprietary about materials they've developed, but not here," says Lucia Villarreal, the first-grade teacher who supervised Marshall last year. "We're all learners, and we're all teachers."

Like a lot of students in schools in California, Starlight's students have special needs. Most of them are native Spanish speakers, and 80 percent of them come from families living below the poverty line. Teachers and administrators teamed up with UCSC to help accomplish their goal of providing equitable schooling for Starlight's students.

"My mission is to ensure that all students have well-qualified, competent teachers leading rigorous academic programs," says principal Noni Mendoza Reis.

The "professional development school" (PDS) collaboration creates an environment that encourages excellence. For new teachers, the challenges are numerous: lesson planning, classroom management, working with parents, motivating children, and developing the skills and confidence to lead the class effectively. For experienced teachers, PDS gives them the opportunity to share their expertise and to continue learning about teaching--powerful experiences that help them avoid the common pitfalls of burnout, boredom, and isolation.

The program builds a sorely needed bridge between novice and experienced teachers, and it facilitates communication between school personnel and UCSC faculty, graduate students, and researchers. The university is among the many beneficiaries: About 80 UCSC students, including many in the teacher-credentialing program, gain valuable classroom experience at Starlight each year.

"The professional development model gives us a direct link to schools," says Joyce Justus, chair of the UCSC Education Department. "We need immediate feedback on what we are doing right in our teacher education program, what needs improvement, and what new needs are emerging in the schools that we should be preparing for. It is that continuing interaction that makes the difference."

Villarreal, who has taught for more than 20 years, was named Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the California Association for Bilingual Education last year. She has nothing but praise for the opportunities she has had through the PDS program.

"I have a lot to share, but I'm also learning from others," explains Villarreal. For example, with Marshall's input, she retooled her end-of-the-year unit on play and recreation, taking an approach that was designed to stimulate "enduring understandings."

She talked with her students about how people and animals play; how play helps us rest, learn, and work; and how play can be challenging, too. They read about how baseball helped sustain Japanese Americans who were imprisoned during World War II, and they explored the ways in which play can be free or expensive. "The unit gave students a real depth of understanding," she recalls.

Villarreal, like Marshall, has found that brainstorming with her peers in a supportive setting gets the creative juices flowing.

"Half the ideas I have I've borrowed, and the other half I've stolen," Villarreal says with a smile. "People don't see this because each teacher modifies material her own way. As educators, we need to learn from other professions. Doctors aren't starting from scratch. Attorneys don't invent the law. But there's this idea that teachers are supposed to invent everything by themselves. That's crazy."

--Jennifer McNulty