On October 25th, 2023, the Chicago Board of Education unanimously approved a new agreement with AUSL’s Teacher Residency program.
The new agreement will begin on July 1, 2024 and end on June 30, 2027 with two additional options for renewal that could extend through June 30, 2029.
This historic agreement with CPS will allow AUSL to recruit and train approximately 600 new teachers for students in Chicago Public Schools over five years. It also represents an exciting opportunity to continue to positively impact the educators, schools, and communities we serve.
The current cohort of CTR Residents embodies AUSL’s mission not only to train highly-effective teachers, but to recruit diverse teachers in hard-to-staff subject areas:
- 75% of the incoming class of Residents identify as teachers of color, surpassing the national average of 20% (Pew Research)
- 69% of the incoming class train in hard-to-staff content areas (Special Education, Middle School Math, and Middle School Science)
- 48% of the incoming class train in the Diverse Learners program
AUSL also celebrates being recognized for training teachers that remain in their classrooms after graduation. The contract proposal recognized AUSL’s ability “to deliver retention results well above non-AUSL new teacher retention in comparable high needs schools.” Notably, 89.4% of CTR graduates over the past three years are still working in CPS, as compared to the approximate 50% national retention rate for public school teachers in high needs schools (University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute).
“I feel like I am learning from the inside out on how to impact students.”
Before the vote, current CTR Resident Kat McIntosh, an Elementary Education Resident at Dewey School of Excellence, joined the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education agenda meeting on October 18th to share her experience as a Resident this school year.
(Watch Kat’s deliver her remarks to the board below)
“Resident Teachers are very important in our schools. They are equipped to become successful educators AND leave an impact on our children.”
Jaqueline Vargas, ALSC President for Solorio Academy High School, submitted written comments to the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education, describing the impact of the Chicago Teacher Residency on Solorio’s students and community.
(Read Jaqueline’s full statement below)
High-quality teachers are critical for providing an equal educational opportunity for each and every student. This new agreement will allow us to contribute towards decreasing teacher vacancies in critical high need subject areas in classrooms across Chicago.
Do you know someone that wants to become a CPS teacher? We’re recruiting for the next CTR cohort! Refer them to the program here!
Kat McIntosh’s remarks to the board:
Jaqueline Vargas’s complete written statement (view all written comments here):
[English]
“My name is Jaqueline Vargas, mother of four children. Three of my children have been students at Solorio Academy High School. I am also active at the school, as the President and Parent Representative on Solorio’s ALSC. I am submitting this letter to advocate for and thank the Board for the Academy for Urban School Leadership’s Chicago Teacher Residency program at Solorio.
Resident Teachers are very important in our schools. They are equipped to become successful educators AND leave an impact on our children.
AUSL has trained more than 1,300 high-quality teachers and impacts the children of the south and west sides of Chicago. As a mother, I have seen and met the resident teachers and the work they have done in Solorio. 18 of Solorio’s staff are graduates of AUSL’s Chicago Teacher Residency. The teacher resident graduates at Solorio include award winning teachers like Greta Kringle (Science) and leaders who serve as Mentor Teachers for the teacher residency.
I ask the Board today to renew AUSL’s contract for the Chicago Teacher Residency so more schools like Solorio can train teachers for the district.”
[Spanish]
“Estimado presidente Shi, miembros de la junta directiva y director ejecutivo Martínez,
Mi nombre es Jaqueline Vargas, madre de cuatro hijos. Tres de mis hijos han sido estudiantes de la escuela secundaria Solorio Academy. También participo activamente en la escuela, como presidente y representante de padres en el ALSC de Solorio. Envío esta carta para defender y agradecer a la Junta por el programa de residencia docente de Chicago de la Academy for Urban School Leadership en Solorio.
Los profesores residentes son muy importantes en nuestras escuelas. Están equipados para convertirse en educadores exitosos Y dejar un impacto en nuestros niños.
AUSL ha capacitado a más de 1,300 maestros de alta calidad e impacta a los niños del sur y oeste de Chicago. Como madre he visto y conocido a los profesores residentes y el trabajo que han realizado en Solorio. 18 miembros del personal de Solorio son graduados de la Residencia de Maestros de Chicago de AUSL. Los docentes residentes graduados en Solorio incluyen maestros galardonados como Greta Kringle (Ciencias) y líderes que sirven como maestros mentores para la residencia docente.
Le pido hoy a la Junta que renueve el contrato de AUSL para la Residencia de Maestros de Chicago para que más escuelas como Solorio puedan capacitar maestros para el distrito.”
