Ensuring Our Students See Themselves in Their Teachers

Ensuring Our Students See Themselves in Their Teachers
Celebration of Giving 2021-2022


Originally published in the Celebration of Giving 2021-2022. Giving at Carroll is something we do both to build that sense of belonging in our community, and as a response to that sense of belonging—and we give in many different ways. We give our time and service. We give our advocacy. We give philanthropically. Learn more on our Giving website.

Teachers of Color Fellowship is helping to diversify the education workforce—and to ensure the students in our classrooms see themselves in those who are leading the way.

Carroll School has long been a leader in teacher training, and in providing intensive professional development focused on meeting the needs of students with learning differences. Carroll’s mission to equip and support educators doesn’t end there, however. We want to make these opportunities not just available, but more inclusive to educators from every race, culture, and background.

Teachers of Color Fellowship plays an important role in achieving this goal by providing two teachers of color with a full scholarship to the Angela Wilkins Program of Graduate Studies in Education at Carroll School.

Haley Blacklow Cormier, the Director of the Angela Wilkins Program, and Carroll’s Director of Equity and Inclusion, Osa Osagie, work together to recruit diverse candidates to the Fellowship program, which has welcomed four students since its launch in 2020-21. Each Fellowship covers tuition and Orton-Gillingham training to support their work with students in the classroom.

Valerie Rowe GP '21, a former educator and education advocate, and Dr. Meredith Rowe P '21, the Saul Zaentz Professor of Early Learning and Development at Harvard Graduate School of Education, see the Fellowship as a powerful way to improve classrooms for students of color, and the Rowe Family Foundation is happy to support it.

“There are not enough teachers of color and even fewer who have specialized training in teaching reading. Carroll’s TOC Fellowship makes both a priority, and we are happy to be able to support this important program.” Valerie says. “I was fortunate to get training in the Orton-Gillingham program when I taught, and it made a significant difference in my approach.”

Meredith says, “In my current role as a teacher-educator, I see firsthand the lack of diversity in the field. By supporting this Fellowship, we have an opportunity to help ensure TOCs have access to the high-quality training and certification that will set them up to be exceptional reading teachers and leaders in their schools.”

Renée Greenfield, Head of School, says, “For all kids, particularly for students of color, exposure to teachers of color positively impacts their academic and social/emotional outcomes. We are enormously grateful to the Rowe Family Foundation for helping us meet this critical need.”



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