July 16, 2018 marked the beginning of classes for ESD-U’s first cohort; teachers and future educators dedicated four weeks of their summer to attending classes in their chosen endorsement area, led by 10 highly skilled instructors.
ESD-U offers an alternative route for individuals with a bachelor’s degree to earn their teaching certificate or add an endorsement if they are already certified. This year, the program offered endorsements in the high-demand areas of English Language Learners (ELL) and Special Education (SPED), with plans to offer additional areas of certification in the 2019-2020 school year.
Future ELL teachers in the first ESD-U cohort.
This year’s ESD-U cohort has an impressive total of 50 candidates–21 ELL and 29 SPED–from districts all over the Southwest Washington region, attending classes both in person and via Zoom.Many of the candidates are getting a jump-start on their new careers and were hired as conditionally certified teachers by partner districts for the 2018-19 school year while they complete the program. They will continue attending classes at ESD 112 every month throughout the school year.
