Valdosta State, Valdosta City Schools partner to expand educational equity

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - With the support of the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity — Valdosta State University (VSU) and Valdosta City Schools (VCS) will now be able to better prepare teachers. All thanks to a new grant.

Valdosta State University has received a $300,000 grant to help expand educational equity and improve student achievement within Valdosta City Schools.

“It’s important to have this grant because this grant is all about focused on preparing students to be able to teach in a diverse setting — and that is what we have to prepare all of our students for. We live in a diverse world, we live in a diverse area, and we have to have our teacher candidates ready to go out and teach in these diverse settings,” David Slykhuis, dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Valdosta State University, said.

VSU officials say it’s important to work with VCS to figure out what students need to improve their programs.

“Ultimately, the teacher candidates that come through our program are going to be going out in the schools.” Natalie Kuhlmann, director of the Office of Professional Education Services at Valdosta State University, said. “Being able to make sure that we partnered with them in that effort is really critical. They have their mindsets, they have their thoughts, they know what their students need. And we know what our teacher candidates are going through. We can make sure by partnering together, we’re going to have effective teachers who are high quality.”

VCS leaders say their goals include student outcomes. They say the best way to get a positive outcome is by having prepared teachers.

“The beliefs for Branch Ed; every student, every teacher, every person, goes in line with goals at VSU and our beliefs at Valdosta City Schools.” Alex Alvarez, director of STEM and curriculum for Valdosta City Schools, said. “Working with diverse students, from diverse backgrounds, and thinking about equity, all those initiatives within the grant are initiatives within Valdosta City Schools.”

VSU’s teacher preparation programs and the Office of Professional Education Services will meet monthly to revise the current curriculum, and align the results. And make sure they are training teachers to be culturally responsive to their student’s learning styles and needs.

Over the next three years, VSU, VCS and Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity will be working together to address the critical issue of educational equity for all students.

“Educational equity is a big topic across the nation now, especially in a diverse school district like ours. Teachers being prepared from day one is a goal that’s been stated ably. To make sure that teachers one, maximize student outcomes, and two, have the tools and also clarity on what expectations are,” Alvarez said.

VSU says this will be great for their students. They will be able to learn the curriculum and then apply it within VCS.

“There’s going to be some thought groups and each of those groups are going to be working on different areas of the grant,” Kuhlmann said. “Tools and instruments to make sure there’s no bias. There’s going to be competency, so we’re going to be reevaluating what is a high-quality teacher. And then we’re also going to be working on professional development.”

VSU says this grant will give them the opportunity to touch every inch of their preparation programs and make sure their students are prepared for their careers.

“The reason we really need this grant right now is because of the world we live in. The world we live in is changing, it’s diverse, and you see it all day every day.” Slykhuis said. “We have to have our students prepared so that they can go out there and not just succeed but thrive in these settings.”

In spring 2023, VSU and VCS will begin identifying group members who will address the specific components of this transformation initiative.

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