Cerritos College President & California State University Long Beach President Unveil Partnership for Education

For Immediate Release: May 5, 1999

Unveil Partnership for Education

to produce more top-caliber K-12 teachers

NORWALK, CALIF  Our nation's youngsters are in a serious dilemma. As a result of climbing school enrollments and rapidly increasing teacher retirements, the National Commission on Teaching and Americaís Future indicates that more than two-million new teachers will be needed to fill these vacant positions over the next ten years. Earlier this year, United States Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley challenged higher education administrators and faculties to fill this void and ì make teaching a first-class profession.

With this in mind, Cerritos College President Fred Gaskin and Cal State Long Beach President Robert Maxson will sign an agreement linking the newly created Cerritos College Teacher TRaining ACademy (Teacher TRAC) with the teacher education program at CSULB in a unique joint program that could serve as a model for the state of California, if not the nation.

The signing ceremony is slated for Monday, May 10, 1999, 11 a.m., in President Maxsonís Conference Room, located in Brotman Hall (Room 302), at CSULB.

A Seamless Teacher Education Process

As part of this evolving cooperative agreement, students will be admitted to Teacher TRAC at Cerritos College after high school graduation. Two years later, they will transfer to CSULB and following two more years, for a total of four calendar years, they will have completed both a baccalaureate degree and multiple subject teaching credential.

ìThe benefits to students enrolled in Teacher TRAC are outstanding,î noted project director and Cerritos College Professor of Mathematics Sue Parsons.

Admission to CSULB pending satisfactory completion of lower division general education and pre-major requirements;

The opportunity to complete 40 to 80 hours of service learning field experience in local elementary schools;

State-of-the-art training in integrating technology into the classroom (for both Cerritos College and native Cal State Long Beach teacher education students) at the Collegeís Innovation Center;

The opportunity to participate in California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST) preparation classes and take this actual exam, as well as the opportunity to complete the foreign language component of the Cross Cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) requirement;

While Teacher TRAC opens the door for high school students, it is important to emphasize that it is also available for any adult who dreams of becoming an elementary school teacher.

The two institutions are well matched for this partnership. ìCal State Long Beach was our first choice because a high volume of our transfer students have made it their first choice,î said Cerritos College President Fred Gaskin.

ìCal State Long Beach chose Cerritos College because of the Collegeís advanced technology and strong commitment to teacher education,î noted Dr. Jean Houck, dean of CSULBís college of education.

Graduating Top Notch Educators

And of course, the biggest winners will be the thousands of Southland youngsters who will receive the best education from teachers who have the finest training, devotion, and stamina to prepare teachers for Americaís future. ìHow ideal for a Teacher TRAC graduate to return to his or her own elementary school and give back to their community what was first given to them,î emphasized Parsons.

Teacher TRAC is anticipated to be up and fully operational by the start of the fall semester. Joining both presidents for the signing ceremony will be the faculty and administrators from both institutions who have worked to conclude the agreement led by Dean Houck and Dr. Morgan Lynn, Cerritos College provost/vice president of academic affairs.

Registration is now underway for Teacher TRAC. For more information, contact Parsons at
(562) 860-2451, extension 2212 or Houck at (562) 985-7610. Visit both institution websites at http://216.32.180.250/trac/ or www.csulb.edu.

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