Students with Disabilities Generalist (grades 5-9)
The Adolescence/Special Education (Grades 7-12) Program
Earn a Master of Education Degree, with teaching certification in:
One of the Adolescence Education (grade 7-12) content areas:
(Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, English, Mathematics, Spanish, Social Studies)
Students with Disabilities (grades 7-12)
A UNIQUE AND ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO TEACHING:
The Urban Teachers for Tomorrow (UTT) program is designed for individuals who view teaching as a calling and who have a commitment to serve city students and their communities. Talented professionals from a variety of fields have enrolled in this comprehensive program which prepares them to be outstanding educators in the Rochester City School District (RCSD). Candidates apply for either the Adolescence/Special Education program or the Childhood/Special Education/Middle School Generalist program.
The successful collaboration between the RCSD and Roberts Wesleyan College (RWC) is one of only a limited number of partnerships in the state leading to a Transitional B Teaching Certification (certification that allows you to teach only while you are enrolled in this unique “alternative” program.) UTT, now in it’s seventh year, is a highly selective program designed for professionals with undergraduate degrees in fields other than education.* It targets the areas of study (e.g., at the adolescence level: math, science, English, Spanish or social studies) specifically needed within the RCSD each year.
Those chosen to be Teacher-Interns will complete a pre-service program of 4 intense months of graduate study, facilitated by professors with urban experience from the district and college. The successful completion of the 24 month program results in a Master of Education degree.
This alternative program is not easier than the traditional programs that prepare you to become a teacher; but it is different. Both routes involve rigorous and demanding courses of study. Since both traditional and alternative programs must ultimately meet the same NY state standards for teacher preparation, it would be inaccurate to term one approach easier than the other. An applicant’s personal life situation, goals, needs, limitations and resources will determine which program is most suitable for him/her.
The application process includes a professional resume, writing sample, character and professional references, competitively high test scores on two state required certification tests, and a transcript review documenting fulfillment of all NYS liberal arts and content course requirements.
If you are a qualified professional whose background and academic training and strengths match those needed by the RCSD for the coming school year, we encourage you to consider a career in teaching Rochester’s urban youth through our Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program. We would like to help you enter the field of teaching in September. We will support you as you make the transition to this dynamic, challenging and personally fulfilling new career.
*Individuals with current or expired NYS teaching certification, those already eligible for certification, and those holding a current Preparatory Provisional Teachers (PPT) license are not eligible to apply for admission to the UTT program.
WHAT YOU WILL GAIN:
An exceptional education that will prepare you to be an effective and successful teacher
An earned Master of Education degree
Expert mentoring from a veteran teacher to help guide you through your first year
On-going collegial relationships with other Teacher-Interns and program mentors
Intensive instruction and excellent support from RWC faculty- adjunct and full-time professors- who all have been highly successful public school teachers
Tuition benefits from the Rochester City School District and a tuition reduction from Roberts Wesleyan College
A salaried probationary teaching position in the Rochester City School District
The opportunity to change your life and pursue your calling to make a difference in the lives of Rochester’s students
THE EMPLOYMENT COMPONENT:
All program applicants who have been screened by Roberts Wesleyan College in January of the calendar year and who have been documented as meeting the State Education Department (SED) criteria will be presented to the Rochester City School District as candidates for employment consideration. The RCSD forecasts potential teaching vacancies in the certification areas they will be recruiting early in the spring of each year. The District then offers April interviews to a few select candidates. Final offers of employment for the following school year are made based on the District’s projected vacancies and the results of the interview process.
The District selects candidates for employment after assessment of budgetary and administrative criteria. Please be aware that the process hinges on the RCSD budget and School Board. This may cause delays in the subsequent notification of acceptance into the UTT program, but ultimately helps ensure that a September placement is available for each Teacher-Intern hired! Only the candidates hired by the RCSD in April are accepted into the RWC Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program. The UTT program begins in May. Full-time employment in the RCSD begins in September.
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM:
The UTT graduate program is an intense and rigorous one. It begins with evening classes in May and June. The summer (July – August) pre-service component of the program includes afternoon and early evening classes following morning student-teaching experiences in the Rochester City School District summer school. Teacher-Interns work as full-time RCSD teachers and part-time RWC graduate students during the school year.
For their second summer, Teacher-Interns are full-time graduate students. The second school year of internship again combines teaching in the RCSD and enrollment in RWC evening courses.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PRE-REQUISITES:
A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or from an institution authorized by the Board of Regents to confer degrees and whose programs are registered by the New York State Department of Education) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
A Transcript Review documenting completion of all undergraduate courses that will be required of those seeking certification by the state of New York. This includes a concentration of 30 credit hours in one specific subject (e.g. history, biology, psychology, Spanish, political science, math) and 1-6 credit hours in each of 8 other areas of study
United States citizenship or permanent residency
A strong commitment to reaching and influencing students in an urban environment
The desire and drive to sustain and complete an intensive course of study
The commitment to continue employment in the Rochester City School District after completion of the program
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
A completed application form which includes a writing sample to be returned with application materials. Essay should be 300-500 words in length explaining why you are seeking admission to this program. Include how this program will help achieve your personal and/or career goals.
A one-page professional resume including any teaching/mentoring experience
Three completed recommendation forms with reference letters attached (one character and two professional)
Three official transcripts from each institution of higher education attended
Competitively high scores on the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and a Content Specialty Test (CST) in your chosen field
(Exam fees are the responsibility of the applicant and cannot be reimbursed.) For more information go to www.nystce.nesinc.com.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
The application deadline is January 1 of each calendar year. All application materials must be submitted prior to the January 1st deadline. The extensive review, recommendation, selection, interviewing and hiring process involved in the UTT program requires this cut-off date.
THE FINAL STEPS:
When you are nearing completion of the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program, you will be instructed to complete the Assessment of Teaching Skills Written test (NYSTCE ATS-W) and the Students with Disabilities Content Specialty Test (CST). Both of these tests are required to obtain the Initial Certification you will need to continue your teaching career. After three successful years of teaching you will be eligible for Professional (permanent) Certification.
UPON PROGRAM COMPLETION:
If you continue to teach with the Rochester City School District after completing the two-year Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program, you will need to teach for one additional year with Initial Certification to complete the three years of full-time teaching experience required before the state of New York will allow you to apply for Professional (permanent) Certification.
If you leave the Rochester City School District after completing the two-year Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program, you will need to teach for three additional years with Initial Certification to complete the three years of full-time teaching experience required before the state of New York will allow you to apply for Professional (permanent) Certification.
DECISION TO DROP THE PROGRAM:
If for any reason you leave the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow Program before completion or do not meet all the program requirements for graduation, you will not be eligible to apply for teacher certification through Roberts Wesleyan College. You may wish to contact your NY State Education Department (NYSED) Regional Certification Officer who is based with the area Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). He/She will help determine whether or not you have met the New York state requirements for teacher certification.
You may also apply for admission to our Initial Master of Education program if you wish to continue studies at Roberts Wesleyan College.
1. What is the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow (UTT) program?
The Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program offers an alternative route to teaching certification. It is a highly selective program designed to inspire talented professionals to enter the field of teaching and to support them as they make the transition to a new career. This successful collaboration between Roberts Wesleyan College (RWC) and the Rochester City School District (RCSD) is one of only a limited number of partnerships of its kind in the state.
2. What is Transitional B Certification?
Transitional B Certification has been designed by the NY State Education Department to enable an individual without a degree in education to teach full-time in a specific NY State public school district while simultaneously earning a Master of Education degree at a partnering institution of higher education. This certification is valid only while the individual remains enrolled in the program and teaches at the partner school. (The UTT program is a collaboration between the Rochester City School District and Roberts Wesleyan College, and is designed to be completed in two years.)
3. Am I eligible if I didn’t take any education courses in college?
The program is designed for people with undergraduate degrees in fields other than education. Individuals with current or expired NYS teaching certification, those already eligible for certification, and those holding a current Preparatory Provisional Teachers (PPT) license are not eligible to apply for admission.
4. Why does Rochester need the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program?
Like many districts in New York State and across the country, the Rochester City School District has faced a shortage of certified teachers in selected areas of study. Under the regulations set forth by the NY State Education Department, districts are required to hire certified teachers. The UTT program targets the certification areas specifically needed within the Rochester City School District each year and provides talented Teacher-Interns to fill those needs.
5. How long before I get my degree and start to teach?
The program is intense and rigorous, beginning with evening classes in May and June. Summer (July – August) involves a pre-service component (student teaching experiences in the RCSD summer school) and afternoon/late evening courses. Successful completion of this 4 month component (graduate courses plus student teaching experiences) is mandated before employment can begin in September.
Teacher-Interns work as full-time, salaried RCSD teachers and part-time graduate students during the first school year. They do graduate study full time from July through August of their second summer. The second school year of internship again combines RCSD teaching and RWC evening courses. You will receive your M.Ed. degree at the end of these 24 months!
6. What about salary compensation and benefits?
All UTT participants are entitled to the salary and benefits of first-year teachers in the Rochester City School District. The starting salary is approximately $36,000, and is determined by the contract existing between the Superintendent and The Rochester Teacher’s Association, and RCSD Human Resource policies. Benefits start the first day that Teacher-Interns report to work, usually the day after Labor Day. More detailed information can be obtained from the RCSD Office of Human Resources at (585) 262-8595. Your specific placement on the salary schedule is determined by the RCSD
7. What can I expect to pay for the program?
Tuition for the 2007-2008 school year is currently $600 per credit hour, however Teacher-Interns in the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program receive a tuition reduction:
Roberts Wesleyan College provides approx. 20% tuition discount
The Rochester City School District reimburses a portion of the cost per credit hour at the SUNY tuition rate. (currently $288 per credit hour)
8. What core study areas is the Rochester City School District recruiting for this year, and how many people will they hire from each core area?
This varies from year to year based on the changing needs of the District. Since the program’s inception in 2001, applicants from all nine core study areas have been hired. The total number of applicants hired in a given year has ranged from 17-37.
This above statistic is a guideline only and should not be used to predict the future needs of the RCSD. If you are interested and qualified, please complete the application process. This may be the year that your core area is needed!
9. What will the employment interview be like?
Applicants selected by the Rochester City School District for an employment interview will be invited to visit classes in the RCSD and then to participate in a half-day interview process. These candidates will be asked to:
Make a presentation on a specific classroom issue to the interview team
Engage in a formal interview with representatives from the Rochester City School District
Complete the Haberman Assessment which is designed to measure aptitude and potential for success in urban teaching
10.What about the teaching/employment placements?
The design of the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program guarantees participants a full-time teaching position. All participants will be teaching in the Rochester City School District in their certification area. Often school assignments are completed around mid-August. The RCSD will notify you of your placement and arrange for contact with your assigned mentor. All assignments are made by the RCSD Human Resources Department and are based on the needs of individual schools.
11.What about the graduate work at Roberts Wesleyan College?
Urban Teacher for Tomorrow Teacher-Interns enroll in program-specific courses and proceed through the program as a cohort taking classes together as a group rather than picking and choosing courses individually. Due to the strict NY state teacher certification guidelines, all UTT participants must complete the entire 24 month program of study as designed in order to be eligible for Initial Certification upon its completion. Consequently, transfer credit is not granted. There are no elective courses in the program.
The administrators and instructors understand the rigors of full-time teaching and the courses are designed to promote both your academic and professional development. Once you have completed the required coursework and most importantly the Master’s project or thesis, you will receive the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree.
12.What happens if I withdraw before I complete the degree?
If you choose to withdraw from the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program you may apply for admission to our Initial Master of Education program if you wish to continue studies at Roberts Wesleyan College. You will be responsible for paying the full cost of your tuition from that point on. Any time you have already served teaching in the RCSD as part of the Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program will not be accepted in fulfillment of the three year teaching requirement set by the state for application for Professional (permanent) Certification.
13.Do I qualify for the program?
To qualify, you must have:
A Bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0
A Transcript Review by our Admissions Counselor documenting completion of all undergraduate courses that will be required of those seeking certification by the state of NY
US citizenship or permanent residency
14.What are the application requirements?
Your application is complete when we have received:
A completed application form which includes a writing sample
A one-page professional resume which includes any teaching/ mentoring experience
Three completed recommendation forms with reference letters attached (one character and two professional)
Three official transcripts from each institution of higher education attended
Passing scores on the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and a Content Specialty Test (CST) (see www.nystce.nesinc.com/)
15.What are the state-mandated tests that I must take?
Passing scores on the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and one of the Content Specialty Tests (CST) are application requirements. (Competitively high scores are recommended.) For more information on these exams, go to www.nystce.nesinc.com\.
16.What other criteria are considered?
Excellence in previous endeavors
Strong commitment to teaching and influencing students in an urban environment
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
17.When is the application deadline?
Applications are due by January 1 of each calendar year in order to be considered for an April employment interview.
18.How do I apply?
Obtain an application form from the Roberts Wesleyan College Division of Teacher Education, Urban Teacher for Tomorrow Office, at (585) 594-6561. An application form may also be downloaded from our Website: www.roberts.eduand mailed to us, or you can apply directly online.
In addition to sending us the application form, be sure to meet all other application prerequisites and requirements. (see questions #13 and #14)
You will get an overview of both our Urban Teachers for Tomorrow program (UTT) and our Initial program (which we recommend as a wise backup plan for those applying to UTT.)
Sample schedules will be available.
You will have the opportunity to ask questions, meet other applicants and learn from their questions as well.
If you have personal questions, there will be time to speak with Admissions Counselors and other members of our Graduate Teacher Education Department after the presentation.
(We serve refreshments!)
RSVP Daryl Staneck by the preceding Friday if you would like to attend. (see contact information below)
