Policy Fellows will advocate for improvements in early literacy and school climate and focus on growing opportunities for multilingual learners.
Sacramento, CA, October 23, 2024 — Teach Plus, a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead student-centered improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has selected a diverse group of 25 educators from around California for its 2024-25 Policy Fellowship cohort. The Fellows will focus on a range of issues of importance to California’s students including early literacy and school climate and build on Teach Plus’s recent legislative wins for multilingual emergent bilingual students. They will also address the need to reimagine the teaching profession to better serve today’s students and educators.
“Over the last 15 years, Teach Plus has seen the power of informed and empowered, equity-minded educators to transform the education system to help our students fulfill their potential. We believe that these educational champions have the power to drive the change our students need, and this has only been reaffirmed by the energy of our newest cohort of Policy Fellows,” said Teach Plus California Executive Director Sarah Lillis.
“I have seen inequities that directly impact my students and want the opportunity to provide my perspective on educating English learners and kids with special needs in a low-income school and district. I want to help make policy-level changes that come directly from the classroom. I want these changes to have direct, positive outcomes for my students,” said 2024-25 Teach Plus California Policy Fellow Jennifer Kelso, who teaches elementary school in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
The cohort includes several National Board Certified Teachers, a local union bargaining team member, treasurer, vice president and vice chair, and Parent Teacher Association Outstanding Teacher recipients. Teach Plus California Policy Fellows are reflective of the diversity of the state, and the students they serve, and are located throughout Northern, Central, and Southern California. The Fellowship is composed of early-career teachers who have just completed their second year teaching to veterans with more than 30 years of experience. Coming from a variety of settings including district schools, charter schools, and early childhood centers, they teach a variety of subjects and serve students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade.