story by Claire Miller
Georgia State University associate professor Stephanie Cross received a $2.5 million grant renewal and a $10.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to redesign and expand a teacher residency program.
The Collaboration and Reflection to Enhance Atlanta Teacher Effectiveness (CREATE) program — initially funded by a 2015 U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation grant — is a teacher residency program that recruits, prepares and supports new and experienced teachers at 15 schools in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) system.
Cross and Georgia State faculty members Nadia Behizadeh, Camea Davis, Chantee Earl, Jacob Hackett and Rhina Fernandes Williams will work with grant partners Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, APS, the School Reform Initiative and Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics to update the CREATE program based on past results and a stronger emphasis on racial justice and equity in schools.
They plan to offer one- and three-year residency options for students, redesign a training program for educators who host students in their classrooms, expand professional development offerings for experienced teachers and deepen partnerships with community-based organizations, among other changes.
The Georgia State research team, who also serve as directors of the College of Education & Human Development’s Center for Equity and Justice in Teacher Education, will work with grant partners to incorporate a new, community-based summer institute for incoming residency students, update CREATE’s long-running institutes and professional development opportunities for teachers and school leaders who want to lead equity work in their schools, and conduct multi-year research studies related to racism and education.
“These awards allow us to continue the impactful work we are doing with our current CREATE residents and experienced educators in APS schools, and give us the opportunity to innovate, expand and invite new cohorts and experienced educators into the project,” Cross said. “We hope to learn how to best support the development of a thriving community of new and experienced educators who are committed to practices of teaching that prioritize racial justice.”
To learn more about CREATE, visit https://education.gsu.edu/create.