Nazareth & U of R partner with Rochester City School District on first-ever urban teaching fellows program

Nazareth and the University of Rochester are partnering with the Rochester City School District (RCSD) to bring a first-of-its-kind urban teaching fellows program to Rochester. The ROC Urban Teaching Fellows program is based on a teacher residency model, an innovative solution that will ease the teacher shortage in Rochester while giving future educators hands-on classroom experience, employment, and mentorship. It is open to initial certification graduate students in the Nazareth School of Education inclusive childhood program and the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education adolescence and inclusive programs.

Fellows are hired by the District under a three-year contract, paid a salary with benefits, and provided $10,000 toward college tuition. The program is designed like a medical residency, and during their first year, teacher candidates who are accepted into the program will work full-time in Rochester school classrooms side-by-side with an experienced mentor while simultaneously completing a master's degree that leads to certification. After successful completion of their first year, ROC Urban Teaching Fellows will spend the next two years leading their own classrooms within the District.

"This new partnership will support the recruitment and retention of teachers in Rochester schools who are committed to urban education," said Nazareth's School of Education Dean Kate DaBoll-Lavoie. "What is so innovative about ROC Urban Teaching Fellows is the close collaboration among our two schools of education and the Rochester City School District to design teaching candidates' preparation as they enter the profession. The preparation melds mentored co-teaching experiences in schools with college coursework, and the financial support allows Fellows to be in classrooms on a daily basis across the entire school year while simultaneously completing a master's degree leading to teacher certification. Research shows that these types of programs lead to greater teacher retention, an additional critical component."

The program is already underway at the Children's School of Rochester No. 15, Francis Parker School No. 23, and East High School, and includes three fellows from Nazareth and three fellows from the University of Rochester.

Nazareth graduate education student Shaylee Picow is currently a fellow in a fifth grade classroom with a mentor teacher at the Children’s School of Rochester No. 15. She says being a fellow for the entire school year lets her experience far more than the traditional six or seven weeks as a student teacher. 

“It allows me to get to know the students better and build deeper relationships with them, figure out their interests and needs, and help them individually more than if I was only here for a certain number of weeks,” said Picow, who has her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She became a teacher with the goal to prevent students from entering the school to prison pipeline.

"I am excited to help bring this program to the City of Rochester," said Dr. Carmine Peluso, Interim Superintendent of the Schools for the RCSD. "Districts all across the country are faced with teacher shortages, and we now have a unique opportunity to bring diverse candidates from our own backyard into our District. These fellows are receiving embedded mentoring, access to our award-winning Career in Teaching program, and health and dental benefits."

"We know from research and experience that when residents work intensively with young people, mentor teachers and other educators in their schools, all benefit significantly," said Kevin Meuwissen, UR Warner School's chair of Teaching and Curriculum. "It adds value for everyone. And it does so in a way that encourages successful entry into teaching, not by watering down teacher education, but by making it more affordable, more powerful, and more responsive to the Rochester community's needs."

The New York State Education Department expects New York State to need 180,000 new teachers in the next decade. The District will pay each student's $10,000 tuition benefit and teacher salary through American Rescue Plan funding. The Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, a generous donor to this program, is providing additional funding for planning, staffing support, and program implementation. In turn, the District will address high-need shortage areas, including special education at all grade levels, Spanish bilingual education, mathematics and science education, and Career and Technical Education.

Participation in the ROC Urban Teaching Fellows program is based on a competitive application process. Students must apply to either Nazareth or the University of Rochester's graduate teaching preparation programs first, and then through a complementary selection process for the fellows program.

Picow is confident that she will be more prepared to be a first-year teacher along with the bonus of knowing she has a full-time teaching position in a city school. She encourages other graduate education students to look into the program.

“It’s a more mature experience — getting to be in the classroom an entire year. A traditional student teacher doesn’t get paid, and most of them don’t have time to have another job outside of their student teaching placement,” said Picow. “It’s nice to be getting paid while being in the classroom with a mentor teacher who has a lot of experience and knowledge to share.”

Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.

Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.

• published: 2022 December
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