Initiative aims to get more teachers, especially those of color, in Camden schools

“Sandra Dominguez came to the United States from Colombia, moving around in North Jersey before her family settled in South Jersey when she was 14 years old. 

Her experiences, both as an immigrant and as a product of urban schools, made her want to teach students who, like her, don't see many people who look and talk like they or their families do.

"I love working with the kids," said Dominguez, who works with second graders at Molina Elementary School in North Camden. 

"Most of them are African American and Latino, and I share a cultural piece every day. Many of the students are Spanish-speaking or come from Spanish-speaking homes, so I try to focus on that. I'm very intentional, because they deserve representation."

Now living in Willingboro, the Rowan University senior is part of the Camden Teacher Pipeline, a partnership among the Camden Education Fund, Rowan University and Relay Graduate School of Education to bring student-teachers into city schools. Student-teachers receive a $4,000 to $6,000 stipend and mentoring, with the ultimate goal of a full-time position as a teacher once they graduate.

The program began in 2018 and is geared toward all the city's school models, said Jonathan Garr of the Camden Education Fund: public, charter and Renaissance schools. Student-teachers work with mentor teachers and meet — virtually during the pandemic — with others in their cohort in "deliberate practice" sessions to share experiences, questions and challenges, with content developed by Relay and Rowan.

The sessions include topics like building inclusive classrooms, culturally responsive teaching, anti-racist and anti-bullying and ways to anticipate student misconceptions, as well. “