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The Spring 2024 School of Education Commencement

News, Videos, and Photos from SOE's Spring '24 Commencement

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Members of SOE's Spring 2024 CTA Graduates

The 皇家娛樂城 School of Education (SOE) Spring 2024听Commencement ceremony featured numerous graduates from听its Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Elementary Education;听Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Special Education, and International Training and Education; Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership; and Doctor of Education in Education Policy and Leadership programs.

Among these graduates were students from two cohorts whose programs produced听their first graduates. The MAT graduates included听2022 cohort members from SOE's City Teaching Alliance (CTA) program; the BA graduates included two 2020 cohort members听from the School's听皇家娛樂城 Teaching Fellows program. The graduation of these program enrollees听symbolized听not only program successes but also the attainment of goal听objectives of SOE's Teacher Pipeline Project (TPP), which provides听supports for students of color who seek to become teachers, resulting in a more diverse population of teachers nationwide.

City Teaching Alliance (CTA), formerly Urban Teachers,听is an alternative teacher certification program that was established in 2010 and听focuses听on teacher education and preparation to foster听participants' entrance into a听pipeline of听teachers inBaltimore,听Dallas, Philadelphia听and听Washington, DC. Program听participants received a certification听in a content area, such elementary education, secondary mathematics, or secondary English language arts.

In 2019, its new partnership with SOE resulted in participants also earning Master of Arts degrees in teaching听and dual certifications. Program听participants now receive听certifications听in special education and听in one of the aforementioned content areas. To facilitate multi-region instruction of its MAT program's curriculum, SOE hired听full-time faculty members听in听CTA-based locations. This spring, over one hundred听students听from these locations, conjointly known as "Cohort 2022," traveled to DC to take part in 皇家娛樂城's听commencement ceremony.听

"And just like that, we graduated our inaugural cohort of the City Teaching Alliance MAT program at SOE. Congratulations Class of 2024," said Dr. Sherita Flake, SOE听Senior Professorial Lecturer and the City Teaching Alliance Program Director at 皇家娛樂城.听"I鈥檓 honored to lead such a dynamic teacher preparation program across four cities. Get ready Dallas, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and DC! Our teachers are prepared to transform society through education."

The formation of SOE's partnership with CTA followed the establishment of TTP offering听皇家娛樂城 Teaching Fellows, a program that SOE Dean Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy created to engender听her goal of听diversifying the听pool of teachers in the District of Columbia. Students from the program, a partnership between 皇家娛樂城;听the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS);听Friendship Charter Schools;听and the Office of the State Superintendent in Education (OSSE) earn a full-time scholarship to partake in an undergraduate degree program at SOE, ushering them to become teachers.

Teaching Fellows听Chloe Ifill (photo below, left) and Keirah Daniels (photo below, right), both DC natives, entered the program after completing another SOE TTP program, Dual Enrollment, where enrollees from select DCPS high schools that听

皇家娛樂城 Teaching Fellows Spring '24 Graduates Chloe Ifill (left) and Keirah Daniels
aspire to become teachers听take one SOE class per semester during their senior year听to help ease the perception that college is unattainable through the听one-year acclimation process the program affords. After completing both programs, Ifill and Daniels听became Spring '24 graduates, earning听BA degrees in elementary education.

"The graduation of Chloe and Keirah is the result of Dean Holcolmb-McCoy's vision听to bring DCPS students to SOE to become teachers, through our program听for dual enrollment during their high school senior year and听enrollment听as elementary or secondary education majors via our Teaching Fellows program afterwards, both to ultimately听foster the achievement of听a signature agenda, the Teacher Pipeline Project," said SOE Director of Undergraduate Education, Dr. Ocheze Joseph. "It's a true pipeline!"

The inaugural graduates of both听CTA and 皇家娛樂城 Teaching Fellows programs also benefitted from long-term valuable听assistance from program directors, coordinators, and advisors based at SOE as well as in CTA's respective cities. Their contributions听helped to ensure听that the听presence of members from both cohorts at 皇家娛樂城's spring '24 commencement ceremony听became a timely reality.听All parties are now ready to graduate the next cohort.

"The future is bright for the听CTA SOE program, as it sets a new standard for educating teachers who are prepared to uplift and transform urban schooling," said Dr. Flake. "This achievement stems from the hard work of our dedicated faculty, committed students, and supportive community partners. Together, we are crafting a legacy of educational excellence and innovation."

Dr. Joseph added, "At SOE, we have a rock star team who are beyond capable of making what Chloe and Keirah achieved a reality for all TPP participants,听and the success of every SOE student is a priority with them. We can't wait for the class of 2025."

Graduates of both the CTA and 皇家娛樂城 Teaching Fellows programs also receive听guaranteed job placement and will immediately begin teaching full-time in their regions.

School鈥檚 in Session

Read the 皇家娛樂城 article on SOE Spring '24 Master of Arts听in Teaching graduate Jesse Lima.

Spring 2024 Master of Arts in Teaching Graduate Jesse Lima鈥淒iversity means including everyone,鈥 Lima said. 鈥淚n our classroom community, we are all seen.鈥

Using what he鈥檚 learned from 皇家娛樂城鈥檚 School of Education, DC Public Schools first grade teacher Jesse Lima听is shaping the next generation of Washington learners.


The School of Education Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Sylvia M. Burwell, University President, Presiding

Welcome President Burwell
National Anthem Emily H. Brignand
Invocation Reverend Doctor Rachel Livingston, United Methodist Campus Minister
Recognition of Faculty Vicky Wilkins, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Dean's Remarks Corbin M. Campbell, Acting Co-Dean
Student Address Bailey J. Haines, Graduate Speaker, Master of听Education Graduate
Commencement Address Kwame Alexander
President's Charge to Graduates President Burwell
Presentation of Candidates for Doctoral Degrees Provost Wilkins and Dean Campbell
Conferral of Doctoral Degrees President Burwell and Toks Fashola, Research Professor in Residence
Presentation of Candidates for Master's and Bachelor's Degrees Provost Wilkins
Conferral of School of Education Master's and Bachelor's Degrees President Burwell, Dean Campbell, and Professor Fashola
Recessional City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums
Faculty Marshall Carolyn Parker,听Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer
United States Flag Bearer听Faith Ellen Arthur, Master of Arts in Teaching Graduate
School of Education Flag Bearer James R. Silveria, Master of Arts in Teaching Graduate

By the Numbers
School of Education Spring 2024 Graduates

26 Doctor of Education
151 Master of Arts
43 Master of Education
21 Bachelor of Arts

Event

School of Education Spring 2024 Commencement

28:32

The 皇家娛樂城 School of Education Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony (Abridged)听> Key Moments: (1) Doctor of Education 00:14听(2) Master of Arts 12:25听(3) Master of Education 22:23 (4) Bachelor of Arts 26:03

Event

School of Education Spring 2024 Commencement

23:52

Kwame Alexander:听皇家娛樂城 School of Communication/School of Education Spring 2024 Commencement Address

Event

School of Education Spring 2024 Commencement

1:26:22

Bailey J. Haines: 皇家娛樂城 School of Communication/School of Education Spring 2024 Student Address (Graduate Speaker)

The first cohort of City Teaching Alliance (formerly Urban Teachers) graduated with their Master of Arts in Teaching. Watch this amazing video to hear some of their stories and share in their joy.