University of Houston-Clear Lake, the Galveston Independent School District and Galveston College reaffirmed their commitment and partnership in recruiting and retaining more “home-grown” teachers for the Galveston area.  Above UH-Clear Lake President William A. Staples, GISD Superintendent Lynne Cleveland and GC President W. Myles Shelton sign a memorandum of collaboration supporting the Galveston Area Teacher Education Recruitment and Retention (GATER2) Program. The three institutions will work together to identify and assist GISD and GC students interested in a teaching career with the intent that these students will return to GISD as teachers.

Partnership seeks to develop Galveston 'home-grown' teachers

University of Houston-Clear Lake, the Galveston Independent School District and Galveston College reaffirmed their commitment and partnership in recruiting and retaining more “home-grown” teachers for the Galveston area, a strategy designed to address a shortage of teaching professionals predicted to grow as more baby-boomer teachers enter retirement.

The three educational institutions are teamed through the Galveston Area Teacher Education Recruitment and Retention (GATER2) program to identify and support GISD and GC students who are interested in pursuing teaching careers. The main intent of the program is to assist and prepare these students to return to GISD as teachers.

“This partnership,” says GC President W. Myles Sheldon, “will help us create a resource of teachers to meet the future needs of our students in Galveston and Texas.”
 UH-Clear Lake President William A. Staples agrees.

“The GATER2 program is a great example of how a school district, community college and university can partner to address critical needs in our communities,” says Staples. 
 Besides providing a pipeline of teachers, explains UH-Clear Lake Collaborative Program Coordinator Jerricia Ulmer, these “home-grown” teachers have added value. They are already familiar with the Galveston community and return to Galveston schools with a built-in sense of pride. The students also recognize them as being “one of us” so they look up to the teachers, Ulmer says. The community benefits as well by retaining local talent who make a positive contribution to the island’s economy, growth and development. 

“It’s a win-win for GISD and for us,” says UH-Clear Lake student and GATER2 participant Naomi Long. “We get to work and live on the island. We can stay in our community and work for GISD.” 

Long, who has lived in Galveston for nine years, will graduate in Spring 2009 as a bilingual elementary teacher.

“I would love to stay on the island…I love living there,” she adds.

Through the GATER2 partnership students begin taking course work at GC and transfer to UH-Clear Lake to take junior and senior level courses. GISD provides GATER2 students with hands-on classroom training as well as opportunities for employment when their studies are completed. GATER2 advisers are also available to help the student every step of the way – providing advising assistance, career counseling, scholarship funding and employment opportunities.

Janice Lewis is a home-grown GATER2 success story. She graduated from Ball High School in 1975, and began studies at Lamar University the following semester but dropped out after her mother died suddenly and unexpectedly during her sophomore year. Lewis often thought about returning to college to complete her degree, but never found the time nor the courage as the years passed. Then, while working as a GISD secretary, her boss encouraged her to enroll in the home-grown teacher program and GATER2.

Lewis took classes at GC and graduated from UH-Clear Lake in 2005. She is now in her third year at GISD’s Weis Middle School, teaching math and personal finance, and next year she will move to Central Middle School to teach eighth-grade personal finance.

“It’s so much fun.  I love it…It’s been a wonderful journey for me from start to finish - and a lot of it had to do with the GATER2 program,” Lewis says, adding that without the program’s support she might have given up that first semester.

“I was so nervous about going back to school…Things had changed a whole lot since I was on campus. The program was such a great resource for me. Whenever I needed something it was like I had my own personalized, one-on-one adviser and counselor,” Lewis explains.

The program seeks to identify young students still in high school who express an interest in a teaching career.

“We want to steer them in the right direction,” explains Ulmer. “That can mean ensuring they are taking the right courses, following the right plan, having experiential learning opportunities early on – which can help them be sure of what they are getting into – being exposed to college/university campuses and scholarship opportunities,” she says. “It can also mean helping students realize that they ‘can’ go to college, something that may be hard to fathom for first generation college students or those traditionally underrepresented in higher education due to various barriers.”

GISD Superintendent Lynne Cleveland expressed her excitement about the program that allows Galveston students to continue their education in the area and return to GISD as certified teachers. 

“We are blessed to have this opportunity in our community and I look forward to the positive outcomes of this partnership,” says Cleveland.

Additional information is available through the GISD Personnel Office (409-766-5155), the GC Counseling Center (409-944-1220) or the UH-Clear Lake School of Education (281-283-3600).

UH-Clear Lake’s School of Education has established similar partnerships with Goose Creek Consolidated ISD and Lee College; Galena Park ISD and San Jacinto College-North; and Austin High School and Houston Community College-Southeast.