The Teachers in Residence Program “borrows” exemplary public school teachers to serve as CSU faculty in teacher education. The following profiles of two CSU campuses—California State University, Chico and California State University, San Marcos—examine how the Teachers in Residence Program positively impacts the CSU and its students and participating school districts and teachers.

CSU Chico

More than a dozen years ago, faculty and administrators of the School of Education at California State University, Chico recognized the advantages of having Professional Teachers in Residence as members of the faculty. The careful daily mentoring provided to student teachers by the talented corps of cooperating teachers could only be enhanced by having some of them on campus involved in the planning and instruction of courses and the field supervision of candidates. Two current Teachers in Residence are Robert ‘Bob’ Kohen and Margaret Mow.

Kohen spent 25 years of his professional life teaching social studies at Chico Senior High School where he also served as an assistant principal for several years. He taught at Tahoe-Truckee High School, Jakarta International School, and Singapore American School.

While at Chico High School, Kohen taught social studies, and served as a district mentor for new teachers and as a cooperating teacher with pre-service candidates. In the early 1990s, Kohen was asked to teach content methods classes for the single subject preparation program. Over the next five years, Kohen taught two classes at the university while teaching full time at the high school. It was not long before Kohen was invited to become one of two Teachers in Residence serving full time as faculty members in the School of Education while on leave from the Chico Unified School District.

“My recent practical day-to-day experiences with secondary school students allow me to offer a unique and valuable perspective to teacher candidates,” notes Kohen. “I can cite real-world experiences and use examples from my own classroom in my methods classes. I think candidates appreciate and benefit from that perspective.”

Like Kohen, Mow began her service to the CSU Chico School of Education supervising student teachers while teaching kindergarten at Rosedale Elementary School. Mow always welcomed the opportunity to partner with the university and served on a number of advisory councils, task forces, and accreditation teams for both the district and the university. She also worked with student teachers with special needs or unique situations and willingly provided the extra time and structure they needed to experience success. During this time, Mow completed her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Southern California through the CSU Forgivable Loan Program, coordinated the district’s New Teacher Support Program, served as a mentor teacher for new teachers, and lectured part time in School of Education courses.

Once on board as a Teacher in Residence, Mow embraced her role as a contributing member of the School of Education faculty. She now is the coordinator of the Tri-Placement Program, a multiple subject option that operates on a professional school model and permits those candidates who are qualified to also earn a Single Subject Credential. While she was serving as a cooperating teacher, the Tri-Placement program twice received professional recognition as an outstanding example of collaboration between the university and the public schools. “Being part of such an extraordinary program is both a responsibility and a privilege,” says Mow. “I am honored to be a member of such a distinguished faculty.”

When asked what they believe best summarizes their unique position, Kohen remarks, “It is a win-win-win situation. Candidates benefit from our practical experiences, the university benefits from our first-hand knowledge of the public school environment, and the school district benefits from our input on professional program design and content.” Mow adds another “win” by noting, “We also benefit personally and professionally from this current challenging chapter in our careers.”

CSU San Marcos

The Distinguished Teacher in Residence (DTiR) Program at California State University, San Marcos is an innovative program designed as a collaborative partnership between regional school districts and the College of Education. The primary goal of this program is to establish and maintain close connections between teacher education and exemplary school practices. The DTiR program has created important, sustained linkages between the College of Education and public schools throughout the 18-member consortium of school districts in San Diego and Riverside counties.

The mutual benefits of the program are at the core of its continuing success. The DTiR program allows the region’s best teachers to share their expertise and experiences with those entering the profession. The program provides a unique opportunity for practicing teachers, selected through a competitive process, to assume two-year faculty positions at the university. Each semester, six teachers from the K-12 school community can be found working in the College of Education; they teach classes, participate on college committees, and provide important links back to their home districts. These professionals are the “best of the best.” They are a recognized influence in strengthening the programs in the College of Education.

In return, the added teaching resources of the DTiR program create an opportunity for the college’s tenure line faculty to develop partnerships and carry out collaborative projects with consortium districts and schools. Each year, faculty members dedicate hundreds of hours throughout the region working with teachers and administrators on various projects funded by these grants. All schools in the 18 school districts that make up the Distinguished Teacher Consortium are able to provide release time grants that enable faculty to address school-based issues.

The ongoing success of the Distinguished Teacher in Residence Program is due to the strong partnerships formed between the school districts and CSU San Marcos. All decisions regarding the selection of distinguished teachers or the awarding of grants are reached collaboratively with consortium members. The Distinguished Teacher in Residence Program is an exemplary model of the effective partnering of those directly involved in California’s efforts to help all students have qualified and quality teachers in their classrooms.