Coalition is helping to build diversity in the teacher workforce in Western Massachusetts

AMHERST—A program backed by a regional coalition of 25 educational and workforce organizations has a mission to build teacher diversity in the region and seeks to expand its team of collaborators.

Called Paradigm Shift, the initiative offers tuition assistance as well as support for Black or Latinx professionals who assist classroom teachers and want to become licensed teachers. Known as para-educators, these professionals are sometimes called “teacher’s aides” or “paraprofessionals.”

In this region, said Marla Solomon, director of Five College Partnership Programs and of the Paradigm Shift project, there is a stark lack of teacher diversity in public school districts. 

Because research shows that cultural diversity among teachers strengthens educational outcomes for students, Solomon said Paradigm Shift has a goal to help 20 Black and Latinx para-educators become licensed teachers in Holyoke, Springfield, and Amherst before the end of 2021. 

“Students feel more connected to the educational process and motivated to achieve when their teachers share similarities in race, culture, and community,” Solomon said. “Research indicates that, for a child of color, having even one teacher of the same race can mean the difference between dropping out of high school or earning a diploma.”

The Diverse Teacher Workforce Coalition of Western Massachusetts, which created Paradigm Shift, is made up of leaders in local public school districts, along with the heads of teacher training programs in area community colleges, colleges, and universities; the region’s workforce boards; educator unions; community organizations; and other teacher support organizations such as Teach Western Mass.  

“We are seeking more collaborators like those we are already working with—as well as funders—so we can expand the work we are doing,” Solomon said. “We strongly believe in the importance of what we’re doing. We’re collaborating across what are usually competitive boundaries toward a common, urgent goal.”

Potential collaborators interested in learning more can contact Solomon at msolomon@fivecolleges.edu.

Solomon said this regional initiative is part of a larger state and national movement. “We’ve seen a huge increase in the level of activity in Massachusetts, certainly over the last year. We want to keep building that,” she said. “The more activity and the more pressure there is to work on this issue, the more progress we can make quickly. We hope to broaden our reach to impact the lives of even more para-educators, and subsequently, students in our region’s classrooms.”

In Holyoke, 84 percent of the student body is Black and Latinx, while 79 percent of the teachers are white.

Similarly, in Springfield, 86 percent of the student body is Black and Latinx, while 81 percent of the teachers are white.

Disparity also exists in Amherst, where 47 percent of students are non-white overall while 80 percent of teachers are white. This discrepancy is even stronger in the elementary grades—a critical learning period for students.

In contrast to the region’s student population, Solomon said almost half of the roughly 1,200 para-educators working in Springfield, Holyoke, and Amherst are Black and Latinx. “They represent the region’s diverse communities, and they are already here,” Solomon said. “They have valuable classroom experience—and they know our students. Many para-educators want to become teachers but may need help navigating the process. Helping them become licensed offers the quickest route to positive change.”

She added that para-educators face considerable obstacles in getting licensed, including a confusing licensing process; workplace cultures that aren’t always welcoming; and problems finding money and time to get licensed.

Through its coalition, Paradigm Shift provides free tutoring, prep courses, mentoring, and a tuition reduction supported by each para-educator’s district and college—all worth roughly $11,000 to each para-educator looking to earn a teaching license. 

Paradigm Shift was created in 2017, when the Five College Consortium received a $50,000 Innovation Grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts to develop a strategy to shift the balance in teacher diversity.

In 2018, the foundation granted Paradigm Shift $139,000, and, in February 2019, $142,000. These other nonprofits have also offered funding: the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, awarding $40,000 over two years in 2018; and the Beveridge Family Foundation, $30,000 in 2018. 

“The end goal is that school districts and colleges will take this on themselves, and it need not be a philanthropic endeavor,” said Danielle Phillips, Paradigm Shift program coordinator.

Seven para-educators have already earned a master’s degree through support from Paradigm Shift.

“The first 20 teachers in our new supported pathway will directly teach almost 100,000 children in the course of their careers and will be role models for many more,” Solomon said. “Equally important, they will motivate other Black and Latinx para-educators to pursue the same path and other community residents to consider education careers.”

Solomon said that in addition to putting para-educators on more financially stable ground as teachers and increasing the overall pool of teacher candidates, having a more diverse teacher workforce has shown to positively impact students.

To learn more about Paradigm Shift and its work, visit paradigmshift-teach.org.

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Note: I recently penned this blog for Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, New Hampshire. Leah impressed me, and I also admire her. She Dares Greatly. So I am sharing her story with you.

Every single day, people ask Patrick’s manager Leah Nelson difficult questions.

“How come you don’t have any hair?”

“Do you have cancer?”

Or, from children, “Are you a boy or a girl?”

Leah fields these queries with patience and grace, seeing them as an opportunity to educate people about alopecia totalis, an autoimmune disorder that causes people to lose all the hair on their bodies. Basically, the body attacks the hair, and it falls out.

“The awareness of alopecia is slim,” Leah explains. “When men are bald, people don’t give it a second thought, but when you’re a woman, and you’re bald, it’s completely different. That’s just the way our society is. I want my story to empower people to just be who they are.”

Leah is a 31-year-old Gilford Village resident. She came to Patrick’s in a management role just over a year ago with a background in art education and an extensive resume in the hospitality industry. She’s become an integral part of the Patrick’s family.

“I feel there is a real sense of community here,” she says. “I have a good time with the staff and the owners. And then there’s the regular customers who come in year-round, many of whom have been kind enough to invite me into their homes. Their loyalty is a testament to how Patrick’s is run.”

Though her fellow Patrick’s co-workers and customers have never known her with a full head of hair, Leah had dark brown, shoulder-length locks until she was in her early 20s. She was a senior, studying ceramics at Plymouth State University and was bartending at The Common Man in Ashland when she noticed a bald spot on the back of her head.

After a friend confirmed what Leah could feel with her fingers, Leah called her aunt, who also has alopecia. “I kind of knew what it was,” Leah remembers. “I knew that my aunt was bald and that she even wore a wig during my childhood.”

“Your body is trying to get rid of something it thinks is a threat,” she explains. “It was really driving me insane. It was worse to try to keep the hair I still had, so I eventually shaved what remained.”

In a matter of weeks, Leah’s eyebrows, eyelashes, and the hair on her arms and legs also fell away. This was an indication that Leah has alopecia totalis, the rarest form of the disorder, which involves loss of all hair.

“Losing my hair bothered me a bit, but the harder part was when I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows,” she says. “It changed the way I look. People I know from childhood don’t recognize me now when I run into them.”

Though Leah tried a wig, she didn’t feel like herself. Instead, she embraces her look. And she educates people who find it a curiosity. She does, after all, have a degree in education.

After earning a bachelor’s in ceramics from PSU, Leah obtained a master’s degree in art education, also from PSU, and then spent four years teaching at several different schools in southern New Hampshire. She always held part-time roles in the restaurant industry as well.

“I was always working three or four jobs at a time,” Leah recalls. Eventually, she decided to give up the often-chaotic lifestyle of dual employment and pursue only restaurant work.

“I enjoyed being in the service industry more than teaching because it’s different every day, and it makes you think on your feet all the time,” she says. “I’m constantly problem-solving, so I never get bored.”

The restaurant industry is people-oriented, though, and that leaves Leah open to the questioning. She wishes people wouldn’t leap to the conclusion that she has cancer.

“My situation doesn’t feel that serious,” she explains with a smile. “Some people have a really hard time with the hair loss, and the psychological effects can be damaging. I am lucky that, for me, it’s just hair.”

The post Empowerment, Education appeared first on Beetle Press.

Manager at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery Raises Awareness About Alopecia

GILFORD—Every single day, people ask Patrick’s manager Leah Nelson difficult questions.

“How come you don’t have any hair?”

“Do you have cancer?”

Or, from children, “Are you a boy or a girl?”

Nelson fields these queries with patience and grace, seeing them as an opportunity to educate people about alopecia totalis, an autoimmune disorder that causes people to lose all the hair on their bodies. Basically, the body attacks the hair, and it falls out.

“The awareness of alopecia is slim,” Nelson explained. “When men are bald, people don’t give it a second thought, but when you’re a woman, and you’re bald, it’s completely different. That’s just the way our society is. I want my story to empower people to just be who they are.”

Nelson is a 31-year-old Gilford Village resident. She came to Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in a management role just over a year ago with a background in art education and an extensive resume in the hospitality industry. She’s become an integral part of the Patrick’s family.

“I feel there is a real sense of community here,” Nelson said. “I have a good time with the staff and the owners Jeff and Allan Beetle. And then there’s the regular customers who come in year-round, many of whom have been kind enough to invite me into their homes. Their loyalty is a testament to how Patrick’s is run.”

Though her fellow Patrick’s co-workers and customers have never known her with a full head of hair, Nelson had dark brown, shoulder-length locks until she was in her early 20s. She was a senior, studying ceramics at Plymouth State University and was bartending at The Common Man in Ashland when she noticed a bald spot on the back of her head.

After a friend confirmed what Nelson could feel with her fingers, Nelson called her aunt, who also has alopecia. “I kind of knew what it was,” Nelson remembered. “I knew that my aunt was bald and that she even wore a wig during my childhood.”

“Your body is trying to get rid of something it thinks is a threat,” she explained. “It was really driving me insane. It was worse to try to keep the hair I still had, so I eventually shaved what remained.”

In a matter of weeks, Nelson’s eyebrows, eyelashes, and the hair on her arms and legs also fell away. This was an indication that Nelson has alopecia totalis, the rarest form of the disorder, which involves loss of all hair.

“Losing my hair bothered me a bit, but the harder part was when I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows,” she said. “It changed the way I look. People I know from childhood don’t recognize me now when I run into them.”

Though Nelson tried a wig, she didn’t feel like herself. Instead, she embraces her look. And she educates people who find it a curiosity. She does, after all, have a degree in education.

After earning a bachelor’s in ceramics from PSU, Nelson obtained a master’s degree in art education, also from PSU, and then spent four years teaching at several different schools in southern New Hampshire. She always held part-time roles in the restaurant industry as well.

“I was always working three or four jobs at a time,” Nelson recalled. Eventually, she decided to give up the often-chaotic lifestyle of dual employment and pursue only restaurant work.

“I enjoyed being in the service industry more than teaching because it’s different every day, and it makes you think on your feet all the time,” she says. “I’m constantly problem-solving, so I never get bored.”

The restaurant industry is people-oriented, though, and that leaves Nelson open to the questioning. She wishes people wouldn’t leap to the conclusion that she has cancer.

“My situation doesn’t feel that serious,” she explained with a smile. “Some people have a really hard time with the hair loss, and the psychological effects can be damaging. I am lucky that, for me, it’s just hair.”

For information on Patrick’s Pub, call 293-0841 or visit www.patrickspub.com.

The post Empowerment, Education appeared first on Beetle Press.

Community members are invited to learn more about services that could benefit them or their loved ones

HADLEY—To raise awareness about its offerings, Highland Valley Elder Services of Hampshire and Hampden Counties is holding its first Keys to Aging Well Expo on Thursday, Oct. 4, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Hadley Farms Meeting House at 41 Russell St.

The nonprofit agency, which serves older adults and their families through education, advocacy and a range of supportive programs, will provide booth space for its sponsors and vendors. Community members are invited to learn more about the offerings for area seniors and their families.

The Keys to Aging Well Expo will also include live music, refreshments and a cash bar.

Additionally, Highland Valley Elder Services staff will present awards to deserving volunteers in the community that further the agency’s mission to offer services that empower elders to discover their own strengths, talents and solutions.

“We plan to invite hundreds of guests from the 24 Councils on Aging in our service area,” said Highland Valley Elder Services’ Executive Director Allan Ouimet. “With our shared interest to help elders and improve the community, we expect this event will be the first of many!”

Highland Valley Elder Services was formed in Northampton in 1974, when a state cabinet position was created with a focus on creating care services for elders. Over the years, the agency has occupied several locations, and now operates out of Florence.

Today, its broad collection of programs include personal care and homemaking, a community meals program, emergency response, money management services and options counseling. More than 5,000 consumers have received assistance from Highland Valley Elder Services, as well as 1,358 meal recipients across Hampshire and Hampden counties.

For more information about Highland Valley Elder Services, visit www.highlandvalley.org.

The post Highland Valley Elder Services Organizes Inaugural Keys to Aging Well Expo appeared first on Beetle Press.

LONGMEADOW—In the past year, Glenmeadow provided $17,781 to 20 employees through its Staff Education Fund so they could return to a college or university for career advancement or take classes for personal enrichment.

Anne Miller, the assistant administrator at the life plan community known for its mission of caring for the mind, body and spirit of its residents and staff alike, said the education fund was created in 2007 as a means for staff to advance their skills or follow a passion.

The fund was the brainchild of residents, whose gifts and bequests have helped fund it. This year, in honor of the retirement of longtime president and chief executive officer Timothy V. Cotz, who left his post on Oct. 5, employees, residents and community members donated over $18,000 to the account, which currently holds a total of $70,000 that represents direct donations and board allocations of unrestricted gifts, Miller said.

Employees, including per diem staff, who have worked for the organization for at least six months, for at least 10 hours per week, may apply for scholarships of $1,250 each calendar year, she added.

“We’ve helped people earn nursing degrees and forward their careers,” Miller said. “But we’ve also supported sewing, baking and guitar lessons as well as barbecue classes. That helps peoples’ spirits, and that’s part of what we are trying to do here.”

Spending from the fund was quite a bit higher last year than in years past. In 2014-2015, staff were provided with a total of $11,233 in scholarship funds; in 2013-2014, $13,091.

Miller said the benefit is something that attracts high-quality employees to Glenmeadow, and keeps them in their jobs for decades. Of the 219 staff members, 83 have been employed for five-plus years and 39 have been employed for 10 or more years.

“We have a lot of employees who come to work for us because they’ve heard from other people that this is a good place to work,” she said. “This is one of many things we do to let staff know they’re valued.”

Richard “Rick” Lavoie, formerly an employee in Maintenance, was supported by Glenmeadow about five years ago in earning his commercial driver’s license, and now he works as a driver for Glenmeadow.

This year, Lavoie received a scholarship through the Staff Education Fund to pay for guitar lessons he began taking in April because his children are grown, and he had time to develop a new hobby; in past years, he said, he has received funds for art lessons.

“I’ve always wanted to play an instrument. I decided I would try to do that,” Lavoie said, noting that the benefits staff receive through the education fund make them feel collectively more loyal and dedicated. “I have high regard for Glenmeadow and everything it does for residents and staff. They treat the staff very well. It’s a great place to work.

“It gives us a lot of opportunities to broaden our horizons,” he added. “It’s a nice thing for them to offer. I’m very happy with that.”

Nineteen additional employees also applied for and received grants from the Staff Education Fund, between October 2015 and the end of September. Their scholarships were used to take classes toward nursing programs they are enrolled in as well as for culinary art school education, sewing lessons, and dog training, philosophy, psychology, art and creative writing courses.

To learn more about Glenmeadow and the history and offerings of its various programs, visit www.glenmeadow.org.

About Glenmeadow

In the 1800s, elderly individuals without family or means were sent to live at what was called “the poor farm.”  In 1884, a group of civic leaders raised funds among themselves and other area families and purchased a house on Main Street in Springfield’s south end. Quickly outgrowing that house, land was purchased on the corner of Chestnut and Carew streets, where a new home was constructed and opened in 1900.  In 1960, the name was changed to Chestnut Knoll, and in 1992, it began to admit men.

In 1993, the organization purchased a 23-acre parcel in Longmeadow to build a new community that would provide both independent living and assisted living in one building with various common areas. This was a new concept known as a continuing care retirement community.  Existing residents from the old Chestnut Knoll property were moved to the new campus in 1997.  Shortly after the move, the board voted to change its legal name to Glenmeadow to coincide with the name being used by the developer of the property.

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