Participating in federally funded GEAR-UP programs to help disadvantaged middle school students prepare for college. Reaching out to the community through community service learning efforts. Large numbers of children from these neighborhoods come to CSU campuses such as CSU Hayward, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Los Angeles, and CSU Long Beach, and become the first college graduates in their families. Many of these students enter teacher preparation programs, become credentialed, and return to teach in their original neighborhoods. These programs focus on preparing teachers who are motivated and well prepared to face the challenges that such schools often provide.
Candidates work in targeted classrooms and receive on-site mentoring from experienced teachers.
We need to emphasize the basics, especially reading, writing, and general English language skills. Students needlessly duplicate efforts and spend time tangled in bureaucracy. This is costly to students and the state. California has a ground-breaking new financial aid program, the Cal Grant program, which essentially grants an entitlement based upon need. There is simply not enough awareness yet of this program.