Seven LMU School of Education alumni were selected for the 2013 cohort of the Teach Plus Los Angeles Teaching Policy Fellowship. Begun in 2007, the Teaching Policy Fellowship is designed to reduce attrition of high quality teachers in urban schools by offering teachers an opportunity to make an impact on the policies affecting the schools in which they work.
The seven alumni – Lauren Bochicchio, MA ’11; Danielle Lukk, MA ’10; Abra Sussman, MA ’11; Kimberly Vawter, MA ’10; Ma’ayan Weinberg, MA ’10; Stephanie Widmer, MA ‘09 and Sarah Williams, MA ’09 – who are graduates of the LMU/Teach For America Partnership program were 25 percent of the 29 teachers chosen to participate.
The LMU School of Education is the exclusive university partner with Teach For America in California, serving the Los Angeles and Northern California regions. One of the organization’s largest and most successful partnerships in the country, the LMU/TFA Partnership provides graduate training and support for TFA corps members earning their teaching credential and optional master’s degree in education from Loyola Marymount University.
The Teaching Policy Fellowship program is run by Teach Plus, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of urban public education reform in Los Angeles and other cities across the country, including Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, Memphis and Washington, D.C.
During the one and a half year program, Teaching Policy Fellows will gain a foundation in education policy, research, and best practices from around the nation that will enable them to advocate effectively for policies that will improve student learning and retain excellent teachers. Fellows will participate in leadership opportunities designed to amplify the voice of effective classroom teachers, proving that it is possible to meet teachers’ leadership aspirations without forcing them out of the classroom.
