Utica University and Utica City Schools Pilot New Hands-On Teacher Residency Program

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Utica University and Utica City Schools Pilot New Hands-On Teacher Residency Program

A teacher points to the board at the front of a classroom as students at desks listen.

The students will “earn while they learn.”

The Utica University Educator Preparation program is piloting a new partnership with the Utica City School District (UCSD).

Through this grant-funded program, two Utica University graduate students have the opportunity to serve as teacher residents in UCSD for the school year. The two students piloting the program are Jessica Roziér Brown and Forest Stewart. Jessica is placed in an elementary classroom and Forest is in a secondary social studies classroom.

Throughout the year, they each will provide support and co-teaching as teacher residents in their respective classrooms. Both will be supervised and evaluated on their progress, earning credit toward graduation.

This pilot program takes the place of the traditional student teaching experience by giving Utica University graduate students an entire year in one classroom. The students will “earn while they learn.” The Utica City School District received a grant that will allow Jessica and Forest to be paid a living stipend for the year. In addition, the district will also pay the student’s tuition fees for the graduate program. The award, per student, is $30,000.

“I am gaining invaluable experience by observing veteran educators and taking in the 2024 classroom and community dynamics, let alone the opportunity to work directly in lesson
planning and instructing,” said Jessica Roziér Brown, Utica University Educator Preparation graduate student. “This is an incredibly enriching experience, which I'm happy to be a part of in this pilot year.”

With a remaining $240,000 in grand funding, Utica University plans to expand the program and place eight teacher residents for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Educator Preparation program is actively recruiting teacher residents from current and prospective graduate students in the MS-Childhood, MS-Adolescence, and MS-Students with Disabilities P-12 programs to place next year.