Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont says the state’s program that encourages minority high school students to become teachers has been expanded to 10 school districts.
Lamont spoke at New Britain High School, where the Education Rising program originated, on Tuesday.
“What this program is going to do is allow other young people around this state, high school age and above, give them the incentives, give them the tutoring advantages they had so they consider teaching an amazing place to be,” Lamont said.
Lamont says he is expanding the Education Rising Academy program because he is passionate about closing the achievement gap in Connecticut schools. The governor says having more teachers who look like their students would help improve public school outcomes.
“Having a great teacher is really important and having a teacher that looks like you is really important.”
Sandy Fraiola is the coordinator of the program at New Britain High School.
“Our hope is that we can fuel the passion in our students and provide them with the support as they transition from middle school, high school, college and right back in the front of a classroom in the districts they came from," Fraiola says.
Black, Latinx and other minorities make up half of the students in Connecticut public schools and only about 8% of educators. Lamont says the expansion of the program would help improve that ratio.
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