WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

The list of teacher shortages is growing rapidly, so three of the top universities in Winston-Salem decided to come together, to find out why and do something about it. 

“This initiative began prior to my involvement and is led by Provost Anthony Graham of Winston-Salem State University, Dr. Alan Brown, chair of education at Wake Forest University, Dr. Sheryl Long, formerly of Salem College and now dean of education at Meredith College, and a representative from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS). 

“Together, they recognized the critical teacher shortage and educational challenges facing our community,” stated Dr. Cynthia Williams Brown, associate dean of education and WS-TEACH co-principal investigator at Winston-Salem State University.  

The Institutes of Higher Education (IHE), as key teacher education programs in the area, made a collective commitment to addressing these issues. The outcome of this partnership is Winston-Salem Teachers for Equity, Achievement, Community & Humanity (WS TEACH), an organization formed by three IHEs in Winston-Salem to transform the quality of education within Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Winston-Salem TEACH is dedicated to creating a pipeline of highly effective teachers specifically for high-need schools in the district.

Dr. Rebecca Jordan, associate professor of literacy education, Salem College, co-PI, said that by working together Winston-Salem TEACH can begin to make small, significant changes to help the students in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. 

Something else that’s very impressive about the organization is how each institution respects each other’s lane.  “Salem College supports the elementary education of (WS TEACH) residents. Winston-Salem State supports the special education track and Wake Forest University supports the secondary education track. With our different tracks that we’re supporting, we treat the group as a whole. We have one cohort that are all going to be teachers in Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Across the different institutions, I think that noncompetitive collaborative nature is what makes us successful,” shared Dr. Jordan. The residents can earn up to $50,700 while receiving a master’s degree. The deadline is January 15, 2025, for the next cohort, which begins in Summer 2025.

The goal is to recruit as many exceptional future teachers into the program, preparing them and supporting them in a way that they can do their best work. The program provides residents with a very large living wage stipend, so that they don’t have to take out loans or go into debt to make this commitment. Residents must commit to three years at Title 1 schools in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

I spoke with resident Kayla Dove, who attends Winston-Salem State University, who said, “The program is incredible, because you get to collaborate with educators that are inspired and passionate about making a difference in students’ lives. I love how much I’ve learned in terms of practical teaching and strategies, and deeper understanding of educational issues that affect our next generation coming up.” Kayla is a special education resident. I could feel the deep passion that she has for teaching. When I asked why she chose special education, she replied, “I chose special education because of the school-to-prison pipeline. So, I’ve done a lot of research on the school-to-prison pipeline, and I feel like a lot of Black students are in special education that’s not supposed to be there. So, I’ve always had a desire to be in the special education classroom to push my Black students out of special education that’s not supposed to be there. I want to raise awareness and create informational resources for parents about the issue of the school-to-prison pipeline. And I believe by working together, that we can begin to make small, significant changes to help our students to succeed.”

Several of the residents who were on emergency license while teaching in schools, didn’t feel prepared. “Learning to be a teacher is a hard task and doing them both at the same time is a very difficult task. And because of this program, they have a space to focus on learning, and they can go back and be stronger, better, and faster with their craft,” said Dr. Kate Allman, executive director of WS TEACH, Wake Forest University, Co-PI. She added, “In addition to the curriculum, the Winston-Salem TEACH residents get some additional programming that they probably would not get if they were in the traditional program.”

The program is in their second phase right now, which is the fall phase. The residents are taking coursework at their individual master’s level institutions, which they can take into the classrooms. “We’re in observation mode, so we are looking at the teacher leaders, observing everything that we have learned from seminars and in class, and then writing down our own little plan and then observing, taking that feedback, making our own plan and seeing how that works for our own leadership,” said resident Kristen Henderson, elementary education resident from Salem College, who has a background in psychology.

Kristen shared something that I believe all educators should think about. “One thing I was really asking myself the other day is, what are you willing to sacrifice and what are you willing to change? And if you have to ask yourself how much, then you’re not willing to change anything because it takes your everything and that is the truth. I have the purpose and the passion, but this program has given me the language to be an effective teacher, and effectively address the issues and concerns of our students. These students are not just in the classrooms, they live in the city of Winston-Salem. So, in order for me to translate city talk or academic language, I need to know how to integrate them both. What Winston-Salem TEACH seminars do is offer a great historical knowledge that steps me into position to add contextual knowledge with the academic language.” The Teachers as Leaders program also teaches the residents that they’re not only teachers, but leaders as well, and whatever changes that need to happen in education begins with them.

Dr. Cynthia Williams Brown said that one of the most exciting pieces of the Teachers as Leaders is that new teachers need a lot of support, this program provides that extra layer of support … that part of the program is so important. “They get the coaching and mentoring to help them to get through that very tough first year. I think it is a great feature of our program.” 

The program has an extended community with their residents. When the student graduates, they maintain personal connections with a professor there. “The way Winston-Salem TEACH is structured, we get to stay together for not just their first-year teaching, but beyond that as well. As they remain part of the program, not only are they receiving the support the school district provides, but they are continuing to receive support from us.”  

The Community of Practice Program is their Phase One. “That’s during the summer. Our focus is around building community with one another and building community within our city and within our partner schools. So, in the seminars we rotate between our partner schools, so they have familiarity with some of the schools that we work with and the principals that lead those schools. In one of our first activities in our orientations, people talk about their own educational history and how that shaped their lives and who they are. And I think that was a really powerful experience for everyone to be able to share where they’re coming from and how that informs the type of teacher that they want to be. It’s such a joy to see our students blossom, as they are fully their own teachers and moving forward.”

The program serves WSFCS P-12 schools. To participate, there’s a two-part application process, applying simultaneously to Winston-Salem TEACH and Winston-Salem State University, Salem College or Wake Forest University. You must be accepted into both programs to become a resident. “The group that we have now will change the face of education,” said Dr. Cynthia Williams Brown. 

For more information about all of the programs they provide, visit winstonsalemteach.com. 

My Phenomenal Organization of the Week is Winston-Salem TEACH.