In order to better equip teachers for New Mexico's linguistically diverse climate, the College of Education launched TECLA, Teacher Education Collaborative in Language Diversity and Arts integration, according to a UNM press release.
The TECLA program is funded by one of three grants from the ECMC Foundation, which total $1.27 million, according to the release. The ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation with current assets of $354 million.
The foundation works to facilitate "improvements that affect education outcomes," particularly in underserved communities, according to its website. It focuses on three areas: college readiness, career readiness and the development of teachers and leaders.
TECLA is a program for student teachers interested in teaching bilingual students and English Language Learners in elementary schools, the release states.
The program encourages student teachers to first learn about the communities from which their students come to build on the cultural knowledge they bring to the classroom, according to the release.
The partnership is a collaboration between departments in the College of Education and La Mesa Elementary School, well known for its diversity, where the majority of students are ELLs, according to the press release.
La Mesa is also well-known for its innovative and community-based approaches to educating its more than 700 students and families.
Goals of the program include working at a school that represents the demographics of New Mexico and implements a program that addresses the needs of bilingual New Mexican children and enables teacher candidates to experience and practice teaching in a context similar to that which they will soon become part of.
According to the release. the ultimate goal is to train bilingual teachers and English as a Second Language teachers who value languages, cultures, communities, and their students’ knowledge, as well as their own.
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