LYNN — For Salem State University graduates, a job in education is not so far away.
The Lynn Public Schools system is the largest employer of School of Education graduates, thanks to a partnership between both entities. A Memorandum of Understanding between the two allows the school district to make fellowship offers to education students preparing to go into student teaching.
As students near the completion of their programs, the school district interviews them and can offer positions such as teachers of record or paraprofessionals based on their experiences and areas of licensing.
Associate Dean for the School of Education Nicole Harris emphasized the impact this agreement has on students pursuing education. “This particular relationship has been important because it has helped us attract students … to stay in the teaching profession because this final year fellowship means they can work and be paid for their work.”
The relationship, which started approximately five years ago, provides both professional and social benefits to the Salem State students. “One of the things that is true [is that] Lynn Public Schools has a high representation of … pupils of color — very linguistically, culturally, racially diverse. It’s a community that offers an opportunity for our students to practice the scope that they are learning to meet the needs of today’s pupils.”
“[T]hey didn’t have to choose between working a job that might be important for helping themselves or their families, but they could also work someplace that would allow them to gain the experience they needed on their way to becoming a student teacher.”
In addition to this Memorandum and Understanding, Salem State and the Lynn School District have partnered in a multitude of other ways. For example, the largest concentration of participants in the Educator-Scholars of Color Program are products of Lynn schools, the beneficiary of a recent donation from the Cummings Foundation. In addition, this fall at Lynn Public Schools, some Salem State education faculty will be teaching in the early college program.
Harris said that these programs make it possible for Salem State to help the Lynn School District find qualified and passionate teachers. She explained, “What we particularly appreciate is that many times students who went to school in Lynn Public Schools are excited to return to Lynn Public Schools as teachers and student teachers.”
Harris added, “We have lots of students who ask us, ‘Can we return to Lynn Public Schools in order to serve the community where [we] grew up?’ We think that’s really powerful. It is a community that is local and also one that really exemplifies a lot of the focuses that we are really taking to support that community as a whole.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].
Emma Fringuelli can be reached at [email protected].
