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Teach 1 program aims to recruit TUSD juniors and seniors into the classroom
Summary
Presenters described Teach 1, a University of Arizona–affiliated pipeline that recruits juniors and seniors from Tucson Unified School District high schools — especially students of color — to teach lessons in TUSD elementary classrooms and earn a College of Education certificate.
A presenter from the Mexican American Student Services department and the University of Arizona College of Education described Teach 1 as a pipeline program that recruits juniors and seniors from Tucson Unified School District high schools, with a focus on students of color, to address teacher shortages and boost representation in local classrooms.
"Teach 1 is a program that was created by the Mexican American Student Services department alongside the College of Education at the University of Arizona," the presenter said, describing the program’s goal to "recruit juniors and seniors from TUSD high schools, specifically of color, to aim for that shortage, and have more representation in our classrooms." The presenter said students who complete the program receive a certificate of completion through the University of Arizona College of Education.
Student participants who spoke about their experiences said the program builds classroom and communication skills. One participant said Teach 1 reduced hesitation about teaching: "I definitely did not think I was equipped to be a teacher," the student said, adding the program helped them feel "more fluid with my students" and more comfortable working with elementary children. Another student said they were not a public speaker before Teach 1 but now can "stand in front of a room and do public speaking." A third participant said they had been shy at the program’s start but have since grown more open and excited to share experiences and collaborate with peers.
Taken together, presenters framed Teach 1 as both a recruitment and skills-development effort: student cohorts plan and create lessons together and then teach those lessons in Tucson Unified School District elementary classrooms, providing hands-on experience while aiming to encourage local students to consider teaching as a career.
The presentations and student testimonials did not include specific counts of participating high schools, cohort sizes, or an estimated timeline for scaling the program; those details were not specified in the remarks.
