Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows Improve Ohio Classrooms
As Program Comes to Close After Five Years, Woodrow Wilson Foundation Reflects on Impact to Provide Excellent STEM Teachers for Ohio's High-Need Schools
PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship has had a demonstrable impact on both Ohio classrooms and the future pipeline of STEM (science-technology-engineering, math) teachers in the state, according to new data provided by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
The outcomes of the program was shared with the presidents of Ohio partner universities who worked with the Woodrow Wilson Foundation to create and lead the Teaching Fellowship program in the state. Originally announced in 2010, the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship program has been a collaboration of John Carroll University, The Ohio State University, Ohio University, the University of Akron, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Dayton, and the University of Toledo, dozens of K-12 school districts, and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation to recruit, prepare, and support STEM teachers for Ohio's high-need secondary schools.
"In coming to Ohio, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation set out to attract, prepare, and support talented and committed individuals to teach in high-need Ohio schools," Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine said. "Today, we see those Ohio Teaching Fellows leading urban and rural classrooms across the state, providing students in Ohio's traditional public schools and charter schools with the excellent STEM educations they need to succeed in our digital, information economy."
More than 300 aspiring educators have been named Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellows since the program's launch. Many Ohio Teaching Fellows came directly right after earning their undergraduate degrees, while others joined after serving in the armed forces or after successful careers in the private sector. Some with Ph.D.s became Teaching Fellows. Approximately 60 percent of Ohio Teaching Fellows are women, while 40 percent are men.
The Woodrow Wilson Foundation's comprehensive report on the Ohio Teaching Fellows program can be found at woodrow.org/news/publications/
After completing the program, Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows have assumed teaching jobs at more than 100 school districts and charter schools across the state. More than 40 percent of all Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellows are now teaching in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, Akron, Canton, Parma, Lorraine, and Hamilton public schools – the state's largest public school districts. Each year, nearly 95 percent of Teaching Fellows accept teaching positions in Ohio's public schools.
"Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows are committed to teaching in Ohio's high-need schools and are making careers of being just the sort of teachers our children need and deserve," Levine said.
"When we began, we set out to build a program that would reflect Ohio, its needs, and its students," Levine continued. "Working with our partners, we created a robust pipeline of excellent STEM teachers, all committed to the success of Ohio's children. For decades to come, Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellows will have a real impact on the state's schools and overall success. We are proud to have been a part of this important effort."
The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship program was funded through the generosity of a number of organizations including Choose Ohio First, Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, GAR Foundation, Battelle Memorial Institute, and the Battelle Fund at the Columbus Foundation. The Teaching Fellowship offers rigorous pedagogical preparation, extensive clinical immersion in secondary classrooms, and ongoing mentoring. In addition to Ohio, the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship is offered in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, and New Jersey.
The Woodrow Wilson Foundation will be working with its university partners to ensure the program is continued through the "Ohio Model" for teacher preparation based on the program. The model is expected to be taken up during the 2017 legislative session.
About the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Founded in 1945, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (www.woodrow.org) identifies and develops the nation's best minds to meet its most critical challenges. The Foundation supports its Fellows as the next generation of leaders shaping American society.
CONTACT:
Patrick Riccards
[email protected] | (703) 298-8283
SOURCE Woodrow Wilson Foundation
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