TEACH FOR ARKANSAS GRADUATES EARN ACCOLADES, ADMIRATION AND MASTER’S DEGREES

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The first master’s degree graduates of the Teach for Arkansas program have earned more than a degree. They have earned the admiration of their faculty advisor.

Eleven interns will receive their Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degrees at University of Arkansas commencement on Saturday. Initiated by the College of Education and Health Professions, Teach for Arkansas is an innovative collaboration with Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas. UA faculty members deliver the MAT coursework to community college students through state-of-the-art distance education technology and on-site instruction in Helena, Ark.

Samella Williams, COEHP faculty member located in Helena, praises the stamina of the first group of MAT graduates.

"They have been through much to achieve their goals," Williams said. "They deserve recognition, and they certainly have my admiration."

Teach for Arkansas was designed to facilitate completion of the MAT by delta residents committed to teaching in their home area. Priscilla Griffith, director of the Teach for Arkansas program and head of the UA department of curriculum and instruction, reports that even during their internships, Teach for Arkansas students had an impact on delta schools. Most interns were hired by the school district while they finished their master’s program.

"The partner schools have been very enthusiastic about the program," Griffith said. "Teach for Arkansas is providing an advanced education to people who are already committed to their community and their schools."

One Teach for Arkansas intern, Sandra Hughes, was named Phillips County Teacher of the Year. Hughes taught sixth grade language arts and reading at J.F. Wahl Elementary School in Helena and was nominated by the school principal, Earnest Simes, for the award. In his nomination, Simes cited Hughes’ commitment to her students.

"She treats every child with respect and makes them feel they can and will achieve," Simes wrote. "She is a role model for her students and always encourages them to 'keep on keeping on.’"

Before entering the Teach for Arkansas program, Hughes worked in the Helena-West Helena School District as a volunteer, a substitute, a teacher assistant, and a secretary. She thinks that her University of Arkansas classes gave her a new outlook on teaching.

"The University of Arkansas classes gave me the necessary knowledge to come into the classroom and combine new techniques with what I had learned from observing veteran teachers to give my students all that I have," Hughes said.

Like many Teach for Arkansas students, Hughes achieved her education while juggling a full-time teaching job, a full block of MAT courses, and family responsibilities. In addition to raising two children, Hughes cared for her ill mother and helped with her brothers and sisters.

"Although the work was overwhelming," Hughes said, "I must say I enjoyed learning. Without my UA classes, becoming Teacher of the Year would probably be farther than arms length."

"Sandra has the heart of a teacher," Williams said. "She deserves the Teacher of the Year award and other accolades for grace and determination under fire."

This first crop of Teach for Arkansas MAT recipients speaks highly of the program. Katonya Sanders says she could not have earned her master’s degree while caring for her mother and three children without the Teach for Arkansas program.

Sanders had been a classroom supervisor with the Phillips County Development Center when she entered the program and immediately began to bring new ideas into the classroom. Now five of her co-workers from the center have entered Teach for Arkansas, including Sanders’ boss, who is working on a bachelor’s degree.

One of the challenges for the students was adjusting to learning by distance education. After a few weeks, Sanders said, they felt like the instructors were there with them.

"The faculty were always available by e-mail, and many gave us their home phone numbers," Sanders said. "We’ve developed some good friends."

Jean Davenport of DeWitt, Ark., echoes Sanders assessment that she would not have been able to achieve her goals without Teach for Arkansas. A single parent, she held two full-time jobs to put herself and her daughter through college. She credits the Sara Rhodes Harris Scholarship and the Jack Williamson Scholarship with making it possible for her to attend classes.

"As I entered this program, everything was a challenge," Davenport said. "Being the first cohort to come through, we had to clear the path for future cohorts. We were faced with many obstacles. Research was almost impossible until connections with the U of A library became available last summer. Everyone had to get accustomed to compressed video."

Through all this, she achieved academically. She became a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and received the Award for Academic Excellence for four semesters.

Barbara Jacobs, who lives on a farm outside West Helena, agrees that it was difficult to do it all and stay in school. It helped her to be part of a group of students going through the program together. Today she is teaching in the Lakeview School District and looking forward to a life in public service.

Sherry Frierson had been working in the business office at Phillips Community College, her dream of being a teacher set aside by marriage and motherhood. She is grateful that PCC was very lenient about adjusting her working hours to her class schedule. She is enthusiastic about her future as a first grade teacher in Beechcrest Elementary School in Helena.

"My life was really impacted by this program," Frierson said. "Without Teach for Arkansas, I would not have been able to realize my goal of teaching."

Five of the Teach for Arkansas students will make the trip to Fayetteville to attend commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 12, accompanied by crowds of proud family and friends.

"I can hardly wait to hear my name called to receive my degree," Davenport said. "Thanks again for bringing Teach for Arkansas to us."