Butte College and CSU, Chico Partners in 'Teacher CORE Link': New Pathway for Elementary School Teachers Created

Butte College and California State University, Chico have entered into a partnership called "Teacher CORE Link," a pathway that will allow Butte students to transfer into the CSU, Chico's Liberal Studies program after four semesters.

Prospective elementary teachers at Butte will enter CSU, Chico's Integrated Teacher CORE (ITC). In ITC, Liberal Studies students who want to become elementary school teachers take classes together and participate in tutoring young students.

According to the California Department of Education, California will need between 260,000 and 300,000 new teachers over the next 10 years.

Teacher CORE Link parallels the first four semesters of CSU, Chico's program. Starting in fall 2002, qualified Butte College students will take linked courses each semester and participate in AmeriCorps, a federal program of paid work in public schools. In the fall, the Butte College students will attend linked sections of American government, political science and speech.

With the exception of the linked courses each semester, students are free to develop educational plans tailored to individual needs. At the end of four semesters, the student will have duplicated or exceeded the corresponding CSU, Chico requirements and will be able to transfer to CSU, Chico for the remaining four or five semesters.

The benefits of Teacher CORE Link include guaranteed transfer to CSU, Chico's Liberal Studies Program; participation in a close-knit learning community in which students take several classes together; up to $4,000 in credits and a stipend annually through participation in the AmeriCorps program in local elementary classrooms; and an opportunity to complete the teacher education program in 4 1/2 years with a bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies and a multi-subject credential.

"The goal is for Butte College students to complete Chico State requirements in four semesters, so that they can seamlessly transfer over to the Chico State Integrated Teacher CORE. This new Teacher CORE Link will save time and money," said Dan Barnett, a Butte College philosophy instructor who will be teaching one of the courses.

"The intention in planning and implementing Integrated Teacher programs at Butte College is to make access to the teacher preparation program more available to a more diverse population of potential teachers," said Michael Kotar, chair of the education department at CSU, Chico.

A significant number of Liberal Studies students transfer to CSU, Chico from community college. "Re-creating an ITC program will provide Butte students with opportunities to participate in the same general education and school experiences as university students. Transfer students will be better prepared for the ITC junior year and benefit from the blend of content and methods courses," said Kotar.

The linked ITC meets the goal of CSU, Chico's Strategic Plan to be an anchor institution for education in the region. Collaboration with Butte College helps meet the needs for new educators for California, Kotar said.

For more information about the program, contact either Kotar, 530-898-6421, or Barnett, 530-895-2973.