A taste of teaching

Windsor Journal

August 17, 2007

Gov. M. Jodi Rell has announced that a Windsor resident is one of 26 high school students from throughout the state who took part in a four-week residential program at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) designed to give students a taste of the teaching profession.

Dayquan Adam (pictured above)s, who attends Windsor High School, participated in The Summer Institute for Future Teachers, which ended Aug. 3. The demanding program is funded by a state grant that aims to increase the ranks of Connecticut's minority teachers.

"We want to do everything we can to encourage our young people to become teachers," Rell said. Because a large number of baby boomers will retire from teaching in the next few years, there's a continuing need for more educators. The students who participatein this summer program may one day become our future special education, math and music teachers.

"The program combines academic and social stimulation and motivates students to attend college regardless of their eventual career path. It is a very positive summer learning experience for each student. I commend Dayquan for taking part in the Summer Institute, and I wish Dayquan all the best in the future."

During the four-week program, students stay on the ECSU campus from Sunday night until Friday afternoon. They typically spend about three hours in class each morning, learning everything from how to prepare lesson plans to strategies for creating a positive learning environment. Activities after lunch vary, from listening to guest lecturers to taking part in exercise programs. After dinner, students are given instruction on how to integrate technology into education.

Each student also spends time at a nearby elementary school, where they assist certified teachers who are working with young summer school students. Students earn three college credits by participating in the program.
Last month, Rell signed An Act Concerning Adequate Funding of the Teachers' Retirement System, which authorizes $2 billion in Pension Obligation Bonds to help close a $6.9 billion shortfall in the teachers' pension fund. The law also requires the state to fund the Teachers' Retirement Fund at 100 percent of the actuarially recommended contribution over the life of the bonds which will also reduce the state's long-term liability.
"This bill takes us even further in the right direction toward long-term adequate funding of the Fund," Rell said. "We want to encourage the very best people to enter the teaching profession and ensuring the stability of the pension system will help accomplish that goal."

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