Teach Camden: Through partnership with College of Education and city school district, paraprofessionals seek to become certified teachers

Nineteen paraprofessionals working in the Camden school district are beginning their journeys to become certified teachers in the city through Teach Camden, a partnership between the district and Rowan University’s College of Education.

Jackie DeSesso, who earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rowan last year, is one of them.

“This is basically walking me through everything,” says DeSesso, who has served as a teacher’s assistant in Camden’s Martha F. Wilson Early Childhood Development Center for seven years. “I’m really grateful for this opportunity.”

Through Teach Camden, the paraprofessionals—instructional aides and teacher’s assistants—are receiving professional development, tutoring and mentorship through the College of Education as they prepare to become state-certified teachers.

The pathway program, which is free to the Teach Camden fellows, is funded through the school district. The fellows, many of whom have served the district for years as paraprofessionals, are working to become certified teachers by next September. Upon receiving their certification, fellows in the program have committed to remaining in Camden to teach for five years.

All of the Teach Camden fellows already have earned their bachelor’s degrees and all are full-time district employees.

Officials from the school district and the College of Education outlined the program during a joint announcement Sept. 16 on Rowan’s Camden campus. The Teach Camden fellows attended the event, as did Rowan and Camden officials and Anthony Wright, deputy commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, who assisted with the development of the partnership.

'You are a leader and role model for so many'

Teach Camden will help address the national teacher shortage while, also, adding diversity to the city’s teaching ranks, noted Camden Superintendent Katrina McCombs.

Herself the daughter of a paraprofessional-turned-teacher from Camden, McCombs said the program builds upon the idea of “growing our own.” Paraprofessionals in the program have a deep connection to the community and are committed to educating students in the district, she noted. Teach Camden provides them with an opportunity to positively impact their lives and the lives of students, McCombs said.

“My mother was a role model and example for me. Her journey profoundly shaped my life. It changed her outcome,” said McCombs, whose daughter, Tyra, a 2023 College of Education alumna, is extending the family’s dedication to education into a third generation.

“This is about multi-generational impact. You are a leader and role model for so many. This program has the potential to transform many lives.”

For DeSesso, who was a first-generation college student who attended preschool in Camden, Teach Camden is providing a big leg up financially as she prepares to dedicate her life to teaching. When she becomes a certified teacher, she said, her salary will double. She loves, she said, working with preschoolers.

“I love that I’m our students’ first real experience with school,” DeSesso said. “In preschool, they learn their way. We’re big on kindness and love and making friends. This is my passion.”

Joining Teach Camden is “a big step”—and an exciting one, said fellow Kim Son, a paraprofessional at Davis Elementary School, where she works with five- and six-year-olds.

“I’m loving the teaching and I love working with the children. They bring me so much joy. I’m learning and growing with them,” said Son.

Teach Camden kicked off over the summer, when fellows attended a weeklong Teach Camden Urban Institute, led by Rowan education faculty. Monthly professional development sessions are led by Rowan education faculty.

“You are already part of the community and you will make a tremendous impact,” Rowan College of Education Dean Gaëtane Jean-Marie told the fellows. “You said yes to this opportunity. Thank you for listening to the voice within.”