Teach Them Well
Fresno State President among those at PC to tout ITEP
The Integrated Teacher Education Program or ITEP, has been developed by Fresno State, which is one of the largest teacher of teachers in the 23 campuses of the California State University system.
Fresno State has developed South Valley ITEP because there’s a shortage of teachers in Tulare County, said Laura Whitehouse, from the Kremen School, at Fresno State. “A group of academics, community leaders got together with college President Joseph Castro and made the ITEP program possible.”
Students who are attending Porterville College, College of the Sequoias in Visalia, and West Hills College, can attend specific classes for two years, and then transfer to the Fresno State Satellite Campus at COS, and study for two more years, and a month, and obtain their B.A. in Liberal Arts and a teaching credential through Fresno State, with the special ITEP accelerated program.
“The current student class from 2018/2019 ITEP program have already begun student teaching as they are finishing their last semesters. These teachers are homegrown,
and are already teaching in Tulare County,” said Whitehouse, “And Fresno State President Joseph Castro is inviting the community leaders to learn more about this celebrated partnership. We want to increase visibility and importance of this teaching program.
“We also want to raise awareness and fundraising for a scholarship to provide resources for the aspiring teachers in the ITEP program.”
At a dinner at Porterville College on Wednesday evening, Castro, and administrators from the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, and the Dean of the Fresno State Campus, introduced the ITEP program to PC President Dr. Claudia Habib, Porterville Unified District Administrators and Board members, Burton School District Administrators and Board members and Porterville City and business and local community leaders.
Castro spoke to everyone about Fresno State’s continued commitment to supporting Porterville and the South Valley, and talked about the dramatic increase of students transferring to Fresno State in the last five years. From 114 students to 194. High School graduates transferring directly to the university have also increased from 200 to 300, he said.
Bob Aguilar, PH.D, who’s a huge supporter of the ITEP Program, got his start at PC, played both baseball and football, and is in the Hall of Fame. He started the Teachers Club at PC in 1957, and said he always knew he wanted to be a teacher, and got his subsequent degrees from Fresno State.
Habib, who hosted the dinner, is a graduate of Fresno State, with a B.A. in Interior Design, and also her PH.D. She was thrilled to host Castro and his team, and acknowledged KCCD Chancellor Tom Burke, John Corkins, who represents Porterville College on the Kern Community College District Board, Sergio Mendoza, Daniel Figueroa, and many more notable dignitaries assembled.
Habib spoke about her education and moving to Porterville, and her years at Fresno State, Madera Community College District, and expressed her gratitude to the community of Porterville for welcoming her and her family. She said, “My husband, Ghassane, and sons all graduated from Fresno State.”
She said that PC has experienced 25 percent growth recently, and 43 percent of the students are high school seniors who are first generation students. 72 percent need financial aid, but the graduation rate is accelerating, she said.
“Our students do a lot of hard work, despite all the challenges they face. Over 1000 degrees were given to the last graduating class, which was the largest ever,” she said, “And 40 percent of transfer students are going to Fresno State.”
“A Fresno State satellite campus opened in Visalia in 2016,” said Habib, “This is about access. Our students are not traditional students.
“I want to thank President Castro for being bold.
“I welcome this partnership.”
The Dean of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, Laura Alamillo, spoke about Fresno State leaders and their commitment and dedication to students, to get them into teaching in the classroom. Whitehouse, the director of development at the Kremen School of Education, acknowledged the work of Figueroa and Aguilar, and spoke about how preparing future teachers involves everyone. She said, “We are all in this together. Quality teachers affect all the children.
“These pathways are so critical, and community partners are so important.
So many people are involved. It’s about equity and access. And President Castro’s work has helped foster this.”
“We are clearly making great progress together,” said Castro. He spoke about how happy he was she was hired at PC, thanked Chancellor Burke, and Steve Gonzalez at the COS Satellite.
Frederick Nelson has been involved with the ITEP program since the beginning, and teaches the science part of the program. He said enthusiastically, “It’s cool to hear so many people talking about ITEP tonight.”
He spoke about his involvement in the program and teaching students and showed a video to the assembled group. He then introduced Desiree Vargas, a teacher and ITEP student, and former PC student. She spoke movingly about the difficulties of going to school and caring for her four children, while studying to be a teacher, when the only choice was to go to Cal State Bakersfield, not Fresno State. Then the satellite campus opened and Dr. Gonzalez encouraged her, and said, “You can do it. Don’t give up.”
She said, “This program has been a blessing for me.” She spoke about having teaching curriculum overlap, and she can incorporate her lessons into the classroom.
She enthusiastically spoke about her students getting excited about learning about history and drawing a map about California and learning to do research. “I’m so excited to be in this program,” Vargas said, “And so glad to be in this program in Visalia.”
The student teachers in the program now will be able to begin as teachers next fall.
Current student teachers will do their final teaching in their local communities.
But the teaching students need support, and the ITEP program students need money, time and resources, those with the program said. They spoke about scholarships for teachers, and thanked COS for its generous donation for students who are graduating from the ITEP program.
Student teachers in the program are teaching from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. so don’t have time to work and need financial help.
“This ITEP program is the talk of the town,” said Whitehouse, “Dr. Aguilar is so dedicated. He really believes in this program.”