AUSL Open House Highlights Teacher Residency Success Stories

Fast facts

Publish date: February 3, 2025
Categories: AUSL in the News, News and Updates, News from the Network
Post author: ausldevelop

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Earlier this winter, AUSL hosted an Open House at Pablo Casals School of Excellence in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood bringing together current and former Residents, school leaders, and friends of the AUSL community.

Attendees met AUSL Executive Director Adam Case, listened to a panel of current and former Residents, and witnessed the transformative impact of AUSL’s teacher residency program firsthand by visiting classrooms at Casals.

“This is why we are so focused on producing great teachers. We believe that is the agent of change for impacting students’ lives,” said Adam Case.

“AUSL’s north star is that we believe every child in every neighborhood deserves a great education and that informs everything we do in terms of providing equity-focused programming to students to help improve educational outcomes in underserved neighborhoods.”

A panel of alumni and current Residents shared their rewarding experiences with AUSL’s Teacher Residency program. Assistant Principal Rayburn of Casals School of Excellence, CTR Class of 2011 alumna Sarah Reardon, current resident Emily Pfriem, and CTR Class of 2004 alumna Principal Trevino-Terronez of Funston Elementary School joined us for an insightful discussion on their relationship and success with AUSL.

“As a training site, AUSL has been a backbone of Casals for the 14 years we have been affiliated,” said Assistant Principal Rayburn.

“Primarily because it is not just about the Residency, but also how teachers are retained and kept in the profession. Our relationship with AUSL is paramount to our success and we have been able to build on it from year to year.”

CTR Class of 2011 alumna Sarah Reardon shared how she came across AUSL’s Residency program and how it shaped her decade-long career in Chicago Public Schools.

“I was looking to get into a CPS school that was high-functioning. I knew how important it was to work on a team with like-minded people who are passionate about mission and vision and I saw that in AUSL,” said Sarah.

“I also knew enough to say I need more training. Without the shadow of a doubt, I would have left the classroom without the Residency. The tools that I learned, the mentorship that I had and still have, the collaboration and the networking and the support across schools, across grade levels – everything has been so supportive of keeping me in the profession. I stumbled upon AUSL from a quick google search and never looked back.”

Current Resident Emily Pfriem shared her journey of changing career paths, pursuing education through AUSL’s Teacher Residency program, and training at Casals as a third-grade ELA and social studies teacher.

Principal Trevino-Terronez of Funston Elementary School expressed how the Residency not only started her career as a teacher, but equipped her with the right amount of support to complete the program.

“As a new teacher, the support I received from AUSL was so impactful,” she said.

“My mentor would come in and be a breath of fresh air as I was completing the Residency program.”

Thank you to everyone who joined us to learn more about our work in the schools we serve.

Subscribe to our newsletter here to learn more about our next Open House event this spring!

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