Stanislaus State students find inspiration to enter a career in teaching

As many teachers retire or look for new employment across the country, a group of students at Stanislaus State is getting motivated to enter the profession and teach the next generation of students in the Central Valley.

Ana York, a Stanislaus State assistant professor of teacher education, helped establish two chapters of Educators Rising — one with Modesto City Schools and the other with the university.

Established in the 1930s, Educators Rising is a national group, sponsored by Phi Delta Kappa International, that provides middle school, high school and college students with early exposure to the teaching profession.

Two years ago, York found out there was no California affiliate of Educators Rising and loved what the group was doing. She wanted a way to also get more teachers of color involved.

Within school districts in Stanislaus County, Modesto City Schools, Turlock Unified and Ceres Unified have a majority of Hispanic students but have not reached parity in teacher staffing.

During the 2023-24 school year at MCS, about 28.4% teachers identified as Hispanic and 1.6% as Black. In Turlock Unified, 29.1% identified as Hispanic and 1.3% as Black. In Ceres Unified, 30.9% identified as Hispanic and 0.5% as Black.

“I wanted education to be a first choice, not an afterthought,” York said about students considering a career path. “ I thought the right way that we can get students to really think about the field is if we started early.”

She established the chapter at Stanislaus State in 2022. Then, as a former teacher at Modesto City Schools, she was able to connect with former colleagues Miriam Cardenas, Mary Cruz Arellano and Michelle DeLeon to establish the Modesto City Schools chapter last year.

York was awarded a $400,000 grant that will be used to fund trips to the national conference for three years.

This summer, a group of 42 students from MCS and Stanislaus State and volunteers were flown to Washington, D.C., for the conference, where they had the opportunity to learn from teachers, attend workshops and take part in competitions.

York said she wished she had a program like this when she was entering university because it’s easy to get overwhelmed in higher education.

“This not only supports their interests of becoming a teacher but also it develops their leadership skills, their public speaking,” she said. “They’re just so excited about the field. I see it.”

Student looks forward to teaching in childhood district

Isabel Aguilera is a sophomore at Stanislaus State who attended the conference. She said the trip was amazing as they heard speakers from all over the country, including 2024 National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman.

“My favorite memory was getting to bond with the Modesto high school students and give them college advice,” she said. “I also really liked networking with other college students from different parts of the U.S. who also have a passion for education.”

Aguilera wants to be an elementary school teacher in the Atwater Elementary School District, which she attended as a child.

“I believe that getting more teachers into this field is so important because education makes our world go round,” she said. “Every doctor, lawyer, professor once learned from an elementary school teacher and the teaching field needs good educators who can help make a positive impact on the lives of their students.”

According to the California Department of Education, there were more than 10,000 teacher vacancies during the 2021-22 school year. There also was a 16% decline in the number of new teacher credentials issued by the state between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.