The UNM District Partner Teacher Residency, including the Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership (ATRP) recognized 63 new teachers for completing its teacher residency program on May 4th, 2023. Thirty-four of these educators will begin a three-year employment commitment with the Albuquerque Public Schools helping the district reduce vacancies and fill positions with highly skilled teachers. Other residents will begin their three-year commitment in Los Lunas, Belen, Bernalillo, Aztec, and Health Leadership High School. In addition, UNM recognized the teachers who mentored the residents as they completed the program.
“High-quality preparation is key to attracting and retaining diverse candidates into the teaching profession. Districts, schools, and most importantly our students benefit from the ATRP program,” said Dr. Ellen Bernstein, president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation. “ATRP’s design ensures that theory is purposefully linked to practice with the help of carefully chosen co-teachers. The strong and enduring partnership between the APS, UNM’s College of Education and the union has made this lofty idea a reality.”
ATRP is a collaboration between the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF), the University of New Mexico College of Education and Human Sciences (UNM), and Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) with the purpose of recruiting teacher residency candidates to experience an academic year with intensive coaching with a co-teacher in an APS classroom, while earning a teaching license.
“Programs like the Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership are essential to improving outcomes for students while reducing teacher turnover,” said Allan Oliver, Executive Director at the Thornburg Foundation. “Albuquerque’s teacher residency program effectively helps to equip diverse, well-prepared, and dedicated teachers who are ready to teach in New Mexico.”
In 2021, ATRP and the Thornburg Foundation commissioned an evaluation of the program that highlighted its effectiveness and benefits. The evaluation from the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) included:
- 100% of ATRP graduates are more effective teachers than their non-ATRP counterparts during their first year in the classroom.
- Nationally, while 50% of all teachers leave high-needs schools within three years, 88% of residency graduates are still teaching after three years.
- ATRP’s affordability and deliberate recruiting efforts respond to the Yazzie/Martinez court order by increasing teacher diversity as well as student performance.
In the summer prior to the clinical placement, residents begin coursework and participate in professional development about community schools. All residents receive a stipend to support their studies. All ATRP Residents who successfully complete the program are guaranteed a job as a Level I teacher in APS and agree to teach for APS for at least three years.