UCSC teachers' program, 07-23-01

UCSC Currents online

July 23, 2001

First group wraps up new credential/master's program

By Jennifer McNulty

With plenty of pomp and sufficient circumstance, 67 proud members of UCSC's graduate program in education wrapped up their studies on Friday and prepared to head out into the world of teaching.

The group was the first to complete the campus's new program that offers students a master's degree in education as well as a teaching credential in just 15 months.

"It was fast and furious," said graduate Sarah Henne, 25, who will teach second graders in a bilingual classroom at H. A. Hyde Elementary School in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District this fall. "I got exactly what I wanted, but we definitely broke in the program!"

Participating in the graduation ceremony in the Music Center Recital Hall were Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor John Simpson, Social Sciences Dean Martin Chemers, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Frank Talamantes, and Education Chair Joyce Justus.

Eighty-five percent of graduates have jobs lined up for the fall, said Justus. Most will stay in the tricounty area, but about 10 percent will head "over the hill" to Silicon Valley and beyond.

UCSC was the first UC campus to respond to Governor Gray Davis's 1999 call for the University of California to play a bigger role in teacher-preparation efforts, which traditionally have been the bailiwick of the California State University system. The UCSC program offers a blend of theory and practice. It emphasizes the theoretical basis of teaching and learning while requiring students to complete five quarters of student teaching.

By condensing the Education Department's successful two-year program into 15 months, UCSC is helping to fill the state's alarming need for classroom teachers: More than 250,000 new teachers must be hired in the next ten years, according to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Nothing appears to have been sacrificed, said Justus. "These students have performed as well in the classroom setting as our students who were in the two-year program," she said. "I think that's because the two-year program included a summer break in the middle. This 15-month program is nonstop, and the students make a focused, concerted effort."

Stuart Branoff, 30, chose UCSC's program in part because of the shortened time line. With seven years as an outdoor educator under his belt, Branoff was ready to go into classroom teaching, and the condensed program, as well as the master's degree, suited his needs.

"Having a master's degree and a credential offers more flexibility in terms of what you can do after you graduate," said Branoff, who will teach sixth grade at Bay View Elementary in Santa Cruz.

More than signing his hiring papers, Branoff said getting his hands on the key to his classroom made the reality of being a teacher sink in. "I'm very excited and nervous in the sense that I want to do a good job," he said. "It's been busy, but I'm very happy with the program. I've gotten good experience, I've gained classroom skills, and basically, I got my ideal job."

UCSC's focus on the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students resonated with Lawrence Raneses, 23, who jumped right into the graduate program two weeks after earning his degree in mathematics at UCSC.

"Education is basically breaking down barriers between different people, and the program made me aware of all the different types of people there are and how, as a teacher, I can deal with that," said Raneses, who will teach geometry, pre-algebra, and interactive mathematics at Everett Alvarez High School in his hometown of Salinas. Raneses was inspired to become a teacher by his own high school math instructor.

"Hopefully, I can be a teacher like him, being there for kids outside the classroom as well as academically. He's why I'm here today," said Raneses. "It's my turn to give back."

Asked if he felt the program prepared him to take on the challenges of classroom teaching, Raneses replied with good humor: "In terms of being stressed, yes," he said. "And the workload, too."

Coincidentally, the new class of 121 aspiring teachers arrived the same week that Raneses, Branoff, Henne, and their classmates finished up. It may have been a wild 15 months, but the graduates all agreed that it was time well spent.

"I feel prepared--much more prepared than people who didn't go through a master's program," concluded Henne, who earned a B.A. in community studies from UCSC in 1999. "People have said our preparation is equivalent to being third-year teachers."

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	July 23, 2001 First group wraps up new credential/master's program By Jennifer McNulty With plenty of pomp and sufficient circumstance, 67 proud members of UCSC's graduate program in education wrapped up their studies on Friday and prepared to head out into the world of teaching. The group was the first to complete the campus's new program that offers students a master's degree in education as well as a teaching credential in just 15 months. "It was fast and furious," said graduate Sarah Henne, 25, who will teach second graders in a bilingual classroom at H. A. Hyde Elementary School in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District this fall. "I got exactly what I wanted, but we definitely broke in the program!" Participating in the graduation ceremony in the Music Center Recital Hall were Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor John Simpson, Social Sciences Dean Martin Chemers, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Frank Talamantes, and Education Chair Joyce Justus. Eighty-five percent of graduates have jobs lined up for the fall, said Justus. Most will stay in the tricounty area, but about 10 percent will head "over the hill" to Silicon Valley and beyond. UCSC was the first UC campus to respond to Governor Gray Davis's 1999 call for the University of California to play a bigger role in teacher-preparation efforts, which traditionally have been the bailiwick of the California State University system. The UCSC program offers a blend of theory and practice. It emphasizes the theoretical basis of teaching and learning while requiring students to complete five quarters of student teaching. By condensing the Education Department's successful two-year program into 15 months, UCSC is helping to fill the state's alarming need for classroom teachers: More than 250,000 new teachers must be hired in the next ten years, according to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Nothing appears to have been sacrificed, said Justus. "These students have performed as well in the classroom setting as our students who were in the two-year program," she said. "I think that's because the two-year program included a summer break in the middle. This 15-month program is nonstop, and the students make a focused, concerted effort." Stuart Branoff, 30, chose UCSC's program in part because of the shortened time line. With seven years as an outdoor educator under his belt, Branoff was ready to go into classroom teaching, and the condensed program, as well as the master's degree, suited his needs. "Having a master's degree and a credential offers more flexibility in terms of what you can do after you graduate," said Branoff, who will teach sixth grade at Bay View Elementary in Santa Cruz. More than signing his hiring papers, Branoff said getting his hands on the key to his classroom made the reality of being a teacher sink in. "I'm very excited and nervous in the sense that I want to do a good job," he said. "It's been busy, but I'm very happy with the program. I've gotten good experience, I've gained classroom skills, and basically, I got my ideal job." UCSC's focus on the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students resonated with Lawrence Raneses, 23, who jumped right into the graduate program two weeks after earning his degree in mathematics at UCSC. "Education is basically breaking down barriers between different people, and the program made me aware of all the different types of people there are and how, as a teacher, I can deal with that," said Raneses, who will teach geometry, pre-algebra, and interactive mathematics at Everett Alvarez High School in his hometown of Salinas. Raneses was inspired to become a teacher by his own high school math instructor. "Hopefully, I can be a teacher like him, being there for kids outside the classroom as well as academically. He's why I'm here today," said Raneses. "It's my turn to give back." Asked if he felt the program prepared him to take on the challenges of classroom teaching, Raneses replied with good humor: "In terms of being stressed, yes," he said. "And the workload, too." Coincidentally, the new class of 121 aspiring teachers arrived the same week that Raneses, Branoff, Henne, and their classmates finished up. It may have been a wild 15 months, but the graduates all agreed that it was time well spent. "I feel prepared--much more prepared than people who didn't go through a master's program," concluded Henne, who earned a B.A. in community studies from UCSC in 1999. "People have said our preparation is equivalent to being third-year teachers." Return to Front Page