story by Claire Miller
Cecilia Butler (M.A.T. ’23) started her career in education four years ago, when she joined the staff at Shiloh Elementary School in Snellville, Ga., as a special education paraprofessional.
When her principal told her about an opportunity to earn her master’s degree and become a special education classroom teacher, she jumped at the opportunity.
Butler was one of nine paraprofessionals who earned her Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education this year through Project GREAT, a partnership between the College of Education & Human Development and Gwinnett County Public Schools to increase the number of teachers committed to high-need schools in urban and rural settings.
The partnership, supported by the college’s Network for Urban and Rural Teachers United for Residency Engagement (NURTURE) Project, helped Butler and her fellow educators build on their teaching skills and receive mentorship as they earned their degrees and transitioned to full-time classroom teachers.
“In our practicum classes, we were often required to reflect on our experiences within the classroom, which included identifying our areas of strength and the areas needing improvement,” she explained. “Through these practices, I learned that good teachers regularly reflect and make adjustments to their lessons and classroom procedures.”
The nine paraprofessionals who graduated this year have committed to working in Gwinnett County Public Schools for the next three years, which gives the school district a much-needed influx of high-quality special education teachers.
“Project GREAT was a fresh idea in response to the staffing needs and challenges associated with hiring qualified special education teachers,” said Keysha Robinson, director of talent management for Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Division of Human Resources. “We are able to staff classrooms with well-trained special educators for three years, which allows for consistency in our classrooms and also supports retention of teachers in a critical area. It’s a win-win for all involved.”
The project also gave Butler a community of educators to work alongside and learn from as she earned her master’s degree.
“What I enjoyed most about the Project GREAT program was the comradery among my cohort members,” she said. “We supported each other through the ups and downs and worked hard to finish strong.”
Now, Butler serves as a special education teacher at Shiloh Middle School, working with sixth-eighth grade students with emotional behavior disorders. It’s a role that she’s well prepared for following her participation in Project GREAT.
“I would tell others who might be considering the Project GREAT program to go for it. The journey is challenging but the outcome is beyond rewarding,” Butler said.