Kyrgyzstan RPCV Emilia Rastrick is ready to fill mid-term vacancies



Kyrgyzstan RPCV Emilia Rastrick is ready to fill mid-term vacancies

'Boot camp' teachers ready to fill mid-term vacancies

By Susan Snyder

Inquirer Staff Writer

Fresh out of a grueling, one-month teacher boot camp of sorts, 61 newly trained educators will step into classrooms across Philadelphia tomorrow.

Filling vacancies left by teachers who retired, quit, or took midyear leaves of absence, they face a daunting situation.

Most are switching to teaching as second, or even third, careers. None has gone through a traditional four-year education-degree program. Some have had no teaching experience, save "boot camp." Half will be assigned to some of the city's most challenging classrooms, those serving special education students. And they arrive well into the school year.

But what they lack, they make up for in a major way: They are motivated. That is important in a district that has struggled for years with teacher shortages.

They all have bachelor's degrees in other fields, and they are also enrolled in an ongoing teacher-certification program offered through Temple University.

They represent the first group here trained by the New Teacher Project, a nonprofit New York company that specializes in readying nontraditional teachers for hard-to-staff classrooms.

Here is a look at three who are taking part in the program:

[Excerpt]

Emilia Rastrick. Rastrick, 32, was born in England and moved to this country when she was 14. She spent six years in the Army, which allowed her to travel around the world. She obtained a bachelor's degree in history, and she later got a master's in public administration from Rutgers University.

Rastrick served in the Peace Corps, where she taught English as a second language part time.

Most recently, she worked for Women's Opportunities Resource Center, providing online financial-management training to low-income people.

She has wanted to teach for years.

"Teaching is one of the best ways to get into a neighborhood and really know it," she said.

A resident of Germantown, she lives within blocks of Fitler Academics Plus School, where she will teach.

She already has volunteered to be a liaison between the school and groups that could provide reading coaches.

"I know these contacts. I can do that," Rastrick offered during staff training on Friday.

She's replacing a retired teacher at Fitler, which is for first through eighth graders.

Rastrick will teach health and physical education. Principal Willette Jones praised Rastrick for already having created a system of rewards and consequences for student behavior, a plan to communicate with parents, and lesson plans. "That's all critical," Jones said.

"Now," Rastrick said, "it's just a matter of hitting the ground running."

When this story was posted in February 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

February 5, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Peace Corps swears in 12 new Country Directors 4 Feb Kenneth Hawkinson studies oral traditions of Mali 4 Feb Tony Hall urges politicians to bring religious faith to office 4 Feb Dodd opposes Gonzales nomination 3 Feb Dr. Robert Zeigler to head Rice Research Institute 3 Feb Taylor Hackford going into television with "E-Ring" 2 Feb President Bush's past promises in State of the Union 1 Feb Moreigh Wolf says gays cannot volunteer with partners 1 Feb Coleman to chair Peace Corps Subcommittee 1 Feb Vasquez assesses need in Southeast Asia 31 Jan James Bullington says Bush Inaugural speaks to PC 31 Jan Allen Andersson creates foundation to promote libraries 31 Jan Joseph Opala to film "Priscilla's Homecoming" 31 Jan Donna Shalala embarks on aggressive UM expansion 31 Jan Thomas Dichter says Poor Countries Need Smarter Aid 30 Jan Alberto Ibargüen to head Knight Foundation 28 Jan Helen Sheehy organizes "Endangered Peoples" exhibit 28 Jan

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RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service RPCV Groups mobilize to support their Countries of Service. Over 200 RPCVS have already applied to the Crisis Corps to provide Tsunami Recovery aid, RPCVs have written a letter urging President Bush and Congress to aid Democracy in Ukraine, and RPCVs are writing NBC about a recent episode of the "West Wing" and asking them to get their facts right about Turkey.

RPCVs contend for Academy Awards Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

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