Adams State University’s Boettcher Teacher Residency program honored the 2015 Sans Luis Valley cohort of residents and their mentors at a reception held Oct. 8 at The Grille at Cattails. The event was hosted by the Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC), which operates the program in cooperation with the Adams State Department of Teacher Education and the Boettcher Foundation.
The Boettcher Teacher Residency (BTR) program helps prepare teachers for low-income, rural and urban public schools. Adams State is the sole educational partner in awarding master’s degrees for program participants across the state. BTR also has cohorts in the Durango area and urban Denver. The following SLV school districts are currently host residents: Center Consolidated, North Conejos, Alamosa, Monte Vista, and South Conejos.
Stephanie Hensley, field director for the BTR, said, "We truly value our partnerships with the superintendents, principals, and teachers in the area school districts. Our collaboration will help fill teacher shortages and better prepare teachers for high-needs students and rural schools."
Residents spend their first year working alongside a mentor teacher, then assume a classroom of their own the following year. Simultaneously, they take courses toward a Master of Arts in Education with an endorsement in culturally and linguistically diverse education. After earning their degree and teacher licensure, they make a five-year service commitment to teaching in their respective districts.
The 2015 SLV cohort includes the following resident teachers:
Laura Dambreville, Zach Dunbar, Ashley Favela, Laurel Heimstra, Kayla Hensley, Lydia Hunt, Mark Liebenthal, Crestina Lucero, Madison Miner, John Noriega, Monica Ramos Otsuka, Justin Samora, Rachael Sellers, Brittani Smith, Emily Therkildsen, Ruthie Trias, Katie Turner, Cal van Willigen, Charity Walker, and Carlos Wiggan.
The following are serving as mentor teachers: Lisa Abeyta, Kana Condon, Danielle Gibbs, Quinn Harmon, Loree Harvey, She Haslett, Colleen Hurst, Cheri Jones, Nikol Kelley, Teresa Manesiotis, Erica Martinez, Katherine Murr, Pat Naranjo, Kelly Ozawa, Russell Randolph, Michelle Shioshita, Gabriel Swanson, Luanne Torres, Kari VanRy, and Vickie Welch.
