By Marilyn Sherman
 "I went into this because I believe in public education, but ... I need to be on the inside to do something about it." A former banker, NU-TEACH graduate Dorne Eastwood left a $500 billion portfolio to teach mathematics in Chicago. PHOTO BY MARK SWINDLE |
One day Dorne Eastwood was managing a $500 billion portfolio as a banker, and the next day she was training to become a mathematics teacher in an underserved school. Like other graduates of SESP's innovative NU-TEACH alternative certifi cation program, Eastwood gave up a comfortable office job to stand at a chalkboard in an inner-city mathematics classroom.
NU-TEACH provides highly qualified mid-career adults a fast track to becoming teachers in high-need areas such as mathematics. In a single year NU-TEACH interns earn certification to teach in Chicago schools. After completing coursework and student teaching in the summer, they teach under the mentorship of a master teacher and take classes during the school year. SESP's partners in the NU-TEACH program are the Golden Apple Foundation, Inner-City Teaching Corps and Chicago Public Schools.
NU-TEACH was founded in 1998 with the goal of creating educational opportunity for students in Chicago Public Schools. According to director Sylvia Smith-Demuth, students in underserved schools in Chicago would not have a chance to go to college without taking substantive mathemat- ics courses. "We make certain that the students who need to have upper-level math courses will get teachers with a strong background," she says.
Why Teach?
 Scott Galson was an econometric forecaster before he entered NU-TEACH and became a mathematics teacher at Chicago's Walter Payton High School. PHOTOS BY ANDREW CAMPBELL |
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Most of the people who enter NU-TEACH in mathematics come from careers in finance, technology, banking, engineering, actuary and economics. They have realized that they want to do something more service-oriented and people-focused, and they are committed to improving education in urban schools. "I know it sounds corny, but it was the time in my life when I needed to start giving back," says Eastwood, who left banking after 22 years to teach at Northwest Middle School. With her children out of college and financial responsibilities behind her, "I knew a change was in order, and I wanted to do something worthwhile." NU-TEACH grads sometimes find that a taste of teaching draws them in. Ted Linnenbringer, a mechanical engineer for six years, tutored in mathematics for a program serving West Town and Cabrini. "I enjoyed it so much that I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if I could do this full-time?'" Now Linnenbringer is teaching mathematics full-time - at Wells High School, in the same area where he tutored. |
An Agenda for Change
Many alternatively certified teachers speak of being ready for change. "The ability to change careers is really liberating," says Maribeth Ward, who worked in the technology field for 20 years and now teaches mathematics at Steinmetz High School in Chicago.
Scott Galson, a mathematics teacher at Chicago's Walter Payton High School, left a career in economic forecasting when he found it "wasn't challenging." After teaching at a private school, he entered NU-TEACH to prepare for urban public schools. "I wanted to have a greater impact with students who were underserved," says Galson.
Desire for change is a recurring theme for NU-TEACH mathematics teachers - not only for themselves but also the system. "I went into this because I believe in public education, but I believe the large urban system can be done better," says Eastwood. "I need to be on the inside to do something about it."
Real-World Mathematics Knowledge
Alternatively certified teachers, who bring expertise from former careers, see their background as beneficial for showing students the importance of mathematics. "My work experience and practical application," says Eastwood, "give me more credibility."
Ward, who ran the technology department for Ameritech, leverages her technological know-how wherever she can to help kids connect with mathematics. Likewise, Galson takes advantage of his economics background, especially in his AP statistics class. "Whenever we analyze data, I can bring up statistical concepts," he says.
Smith-Demuth points out that NU-TEACH mathematics teachers "draw on their past experiences to apply real-life problem-solving that students can better understand."
Challenges of Teaching
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While knowing the mathematics content isn't a problem for career switchers, they have other challenges as new teachers. "What I found much harder [than the mathematics] was the classroom management," says Ward. "It takes time and energy, and you've got to be creative." NU-TEACH veterans recall a grueling first year - teaching by day and studying by night, plunged into the bureaucratic world of unnecessary paperwork and the sometimes chaotic world of adolescents. Most concede that teaching was a lot more work than they had expected. "You're going from being at the top of your game to worrying about collecting 20 cents for lunch and taking attendance," says Eastwood, who describes being overwhelmed by new environment. Determined not to let preteens and paperwork get her down, she called upon her self-confidence and enthusiasm for mathematics. "Students absorb my energy," she notes. "In addition, the organizational skills and management skills I developed in the corporate world served me well." "I thought I was going to be a great teacher right away," Linnenbringer says. "One important lesson was that it's a very long process." He discovered the value of open-mindedness and trying new things, listening to others and incorporating their feedback into his teaching. "You know the math, but the question is 'How do you teach this stuff?'" Galson says. "That was the toughest thing." He sought classroom management and pedagogical skills, as well as discussion with teachers about how teaching works. He says, "I needed some more tricks in my bag," and he credits NU-TEACH with providing good ideas. NU-TEACH Pluses NU-TEACH's accelerated program has many advantages for career changers, not the least of which is getting prepared quickly - without the loss of income. "I loved the efficiency of it," says Galson, who describes the rigor of the required NU-TEACH portfolio project, videotaping and class analyses. "It's intense, and it's good intense." |
Another advantage of the program is its diverse instructors. "It was valuable to have different perspectives because I was readying myself for a totally different experience," Galson notes.
NU-TEACH grads say the program helps career switchers to go in with their eyes wide open, and it provides help with problems that new teachers encounter. "The support I got from the Golden Apple Foundation and Northwestern was fantastic," says Linnenbringer, "I don't think any of us would have made it without that."
Higher Teacher Retention
A hallmark of NU-TEACH is that its grads are more likely to stay in the profession than other teachers. The five-year retention rate for NU-TEACH teachers is estimated at 75 percent, in contrast to the national rate of 54 percent - and 24 percent in high-poverty areas.
Selectivity and high-quality preparation are often cited as reasons for the success of NU-TEACH. The selection process is rigorous, Smith-Demuth emphasizes, with approximately 25 applicants out of 150 admitted each year in mathematics. In addition to succeeding at interviews and essays, applicants who are prospective mathematics teachers must pass the state certification exam in mathematics before being accepted. "Teachers need to be steeped in the discipline," she says.
During their preparation, interns benefit from the close mentoring of experienced teachers, many of whom are Golden Apple award winners, and they receive plenty of observation, feedback and other help. Smith-Demuth acknowledges the commitment of everyone involved in the program.
At the heart of the program, however, is the fact that the would-be teachers are motivated and dedicated. "They have been in a career, and they know there's something lacking in that career," NU-TEACH coordinator Gary Sircus points out. "They have a better understanding of why they want to be a teacher." (Sircus himself was a lawyer before he entered the NU-TEACH program as an intern several years ago. After graduating from NU-TEACH, he taught for several years and now has returned to help coordinate the program.)
Linnenbringer, who not only teaches algebra and trigonometry but also has started a chess club that will compete regionally, is one of many NU-TEACH career changers who finds satisfaction in his second career as a mathematics teacher. "All my friends were amazed anyone would give up an easy career and make such a big change, but now they understand."
"Alternate certification is a wonderful program," says Linnenbringer. "It gives a lot more people an opportunity to become a teacher."