Educators Rising expands regional support to California Central Valley

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Hendron, Director of Special Projects & Public Relations
media@pdkintl.org

Arlington, VA—March 11, 2024—Today PDK International is announcing a new regional affiliation for its Educators Rising program in the state of California through California State University-Stanislaus. Educators Rising will have a single regional representative for high schools using Educators Rising as their Grow Your Own teacher pipeline program in California’s Central Valley, across sixteen counties.

“The interest nationally for Educators Rising is increasing as more communities recognize the potential for addressing their teacher shortage. Our solution provides schools the opportunity to develop future educators who mirror the diversity of their communities,” said Dr. James Lane, Chief Executive Officer.

“We know the interest in California for our program is strong,” said Albert Chen, PDK International’s Chief Operating Officer. “By providing the resources of a regional support contact to so many counties in California’s Central Valley, the potential for coordinated support for students in the program increases.” Educators Rising already has thirty-eight state affiliate programs before California’s Central Valley came online.

“One of the strengths of the Educators Rising program is its network of members and the support we provide students who are developing skills early-on around effective teaching practices,” said Robyn Mintier, Director of Membership. “By forming an affiliate program for California’s Central Valley Region, we will be able to increase our level of support for schools in this region who are taking an active role to cultivate their future education workforce.”

The regional representative for Educators Rising is Dr. Ana York, an assistant professor of teacher education at California State University Stanislaus. “I am excited about our affiliation with Educators Rising because it marks a new chapter in our commitment to shaping the future of education in the Central Valley and beyond. This partnership is a testament to our shared vision of empowering aspiring educators and enhancing the quality of education through innovative practices and collaborative efforts. By joining forces with Educators Rising, we are investing in the development of future teachers and the transformative power of education to uplift communities,” said York.

Educators Rising today has over 20,000 members across the United States in over 1,000 chapters. Educators Rising provides students advance training in teaching and learning for K-12 schools ahead of pursuing a teaching degree, helping school districts address the shared critical need of securing future educators for their schools. With sixty percent of teachers living within twenty miles of where they went to school, schools using the Educators Rising model and curriculum are addressing the teacher shortage head-on by cultivating the interest in teaching in students’ formative years.

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About PDK International
Established in 1906, PDK International supports P-20 educators, researchers, and policy makers by strengthening their commitment to the profession throughout the entire arc of their careers. We are committed to elevating the profession through the intersection of research and practice. Through our core values of social justice, engagement, excellence, and results, we encourage educators and stakeholders to elevate the discourse and change the narrative around teaching and learning to ensure that every student has a high-quality equitable education. https://www.pdkintl.org

About Educators Rising
In 2015, PDK International – in its 115-year commitment to the profession of education – launched Educators Rising, formerly the Future Educators Association (FEA). Today, Educators Rising is cultivating a new generation of highly skilled educators by guiding young people on a path from high school through college and into their teaching careers. By working with aspiring educators who reflect the demographics of their communities and who are passionate about serving those communities through public education, Educators Rising is changing the face of teaching. https://educatorsrising.org/