As school districts across the country grapple with teacher shortages, one local charter public school network is creating its very own teacher pipeline.
STEM Preparatory Schools, a charter public school operator in the West Adams and Jefferson Park neighborhoods of South Los Angeles is looking to cultivate and invest in local talent who live and understand the communities it serves, rather than hiring from out of state.
Over the next five years, the network will invest $1.6 million to build and strengthen teacher preparation.
“The teacher pipeline is disappearing,” said Emilio Pack, CEO of STEM Preparatory Schools. “Very few people are going into teaching and instead, people are leaving the profession. We’re also seeing a lack of teacher and school staff diversity. For this reason, we are making a huge financial and human resource investment in our community to turn this around.”
According to Pack, the network is funding college degrees and teacher credentialing across the organization, and benefiting staff at all levels like Julieta Lopez, an office employee who is on her way to obtaining a degree toward a future position. Lopez, a 40-year-old from Mexico who is mother of two children, is a DACA recipient whose dreams of becoming an education professional were stifled due to a lack of equity and opportunity.
Thanks to STEM Prep, Lopez is on her way to making her dream a reality. The network is paying in full for both her bachelor’s degree and teaching or other certificated credential.
“STEM Prep’s guidance is invaluable,” said Lopez. “It’s helping me achieve my professional goals, and I am immensely grateful. Not only has STEM Prep’s financial assistance brought much-needed stress relief, but the ongoing encouragement keeps me on my journey.”
Like Lopez, more than 190 employees, including instructional aides, school alumni, parents, and campus and office aides will benefit from this new investment. Half are credentialed, and half classified (non-credentialed such as office instructional aides). There are currently 90 staff members seeking a bachelor’s degree and/or credential. So far, thirty have been tapped.
In addition to the teacher pipeline investment, STEM Prep has developed an Emerging Leader Program for teachers who aspire to be administrators. Johanna Parker taught elementary school grades for 20 years before joining STEM Prep Elementary as one of its founding teachers.
She began teaching third grade with the organization and after three years, decided to participate in the Emerging Leader Program. Today, Johanna is the network’s Director of Race, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“STEM Prep’s Emerging Leaders program provides aspiring leaders with direct coaching from the organization’s leadership,” said Parker.
For more information about the program, contact Evelyn G. Alemán at (818) 943-2481 or via email at evelyn@mipr.net.
