BridgeYou

BridgeYou is a branch of Bridge Boston Charter School. It is its own professional learning experience for Bridge staff and beyond. BridgeYou is driven to help eradicate fixable poverty factors and close diversity, equity, and achievement gaps within the education profession. This is done through hands-on training, coursework, workshops, and other strategically planned professional development opportunities for the adults who are connected to our school community. We recognize these efforts as beneficial to our diverse student body and their outcomes, which is of the utmost importance to us.

Accordingly, BridgeYou is excited to help recruit, equip, and mentor:

novice teachers
associate teachers
academic tutors and
underrepresented educators

to become effective, best practicing, licensed lead teachers in Massachusetts. This enables us to enhance Bridge’s school culture and the academic experience for ALL of our students in multiple ways.

Why do we need bridgeyou?

Increasing Staff Diversity

Nationally, the data shows the urgent need to increase the diversity of our workforce of skilled teachers:

Roughly 80% of teachers in America are white and female.

About 9% of teachers are Hispanic.
About 7% of teachers are black and 2% are Asian. Those percentages have not changed since 2012.

We want students to see and experience more teachers who share their same race, ethnicity, or gender. We have similar challenges at Bridge that we are committed to tackling. There are notable race, ethnic, language and gender differences when comparing the demographics of our Lead and Associate Teachers. BridgeYou will help us solve this problem.

Learn more about Bridge's committment to deib

This data reflects a long-standing and problematic nationwide trend. Bridge is actively working toward being a solution by creating lead teacher pathways for our Associate Teachers, other support staff and interested family members who tend to represent the majority of our student population.

Enhancing EDucation for all

“Research suggests that students of color who have at least one teacher of color may do better on tests and be less likely to have disciplinary issues. Research also suggests that white students show improved problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity when they have diverse teachers. An article in Scientific American sums it up this way: ‘Being around people who are different from us makes us more creative, more diligent and harder-working.’” - Jason Greenberg Motamedi, Education Northwest, February 2019

The Growing need

In 2022, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 44% of public schools were operating without a full teaching staff. Researchers are referring to this as a “teacher shortage.”
Nation-wide, schools are struggling with post-pandemic staffing.
In the efforts of staying competitive and appealing to those who are already in the field, BridgeYou adds value to the teacher and student experience as it promotes professional development and best instructional practices. Norms such as these make teachers feel supported and more invested.

Aspiration and Intentions

As an agent of diversity, equity, and inclusion, BridgeYou represents the agreement that Bridge made with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) through the Student Opportunity Act - Teacher Development Program. Our combined intentions are to increase the number of males and people of color in lead teacher roles as there is a dyer need for representation across the state and nation. BridgeYou aspires to:

Increase staff retention rates over the next five years to 80%

Will measure the retention of all teaching staff - Resident Teachers, Associate Teachers, Academic Tutors, ABAs, and Lead Teachers
Goal is to have at least 75% of Resident Teachers become hired to be BBCS Lead Teachers and remain in role at least 3 years

Increase staff diversity over the next five years

Increase percentage of non-white Lead Teachers from 31% to 50%
Increase the percentage of male Lead Teachers from 13% to 20%

Our Impact So Far

With DESE support, BridgeYou has been able to startup and develop various teacher prep pathways for novice educators, while also providing leadership opportunities for Bridge Boston's current and seasoned teachers. Both the BridgeYou professor and mentor teacher roles have proven to be professionally invigorating experiences for those who sign up. Honing in on people's strengths to further develop their skills as a leader in education (lead teachers included) is a common trend at Bridge Boston and the norm continues through BridgeYou! In fact, ALL BridgeYou courses are created and led by Bridge Boston Charter School's very own effective and experienced teachers with the support of the Director of Professional Learning.

Courses are open to all staff with the hopes of layering and increasing best instructional practices across the school. Through such programming, a community of support, peer appreciation, and openness for feedback amongst peers has been and is being created.

Data is constantly being collected to measure course effectiveness. According to surveys distributed after classes, 100% Of BridgeYou course participants have rated our instruction as satisfactory or higher.

Resident Teacher Tracks

Resident Teacher (also known as RT): A person who has a bachelor’s degree and who enrolls in the BridgeYou Resident Teacher Program to become an effective lead teacher.
Mentor Teacher: A professional teacher of record who mentors, supports the development of a Resident Teacher.
Induction Year: A year of coaching, observing, additional lead related responsibilities, micro-teaching, check-ins, assignments, BridgeYou courses related to MTELs and best instruction practices.
Resident Teacher Year: A year of hands-on collaboration with a Mentor Teacher, leading or co-leading academic blocks, BridgeYou courses related to MTELs and best instruction practices, as well as live-action teaching simulations (a.k.a. Group of Six) with real-time coaching feedback.
Track One includes completing the traditional 2-year BridgeYou program. This encompasses one Induction Year and one Resident Teacher Year.
Qualifications: A current Bridge employee as an Associate Teacher or other teacher support role who has an interest and desire to grow into an effective lead teacher in the near future. A bachelor’s is required, however, an education degree or substantial experience in teaching is not required.
Expectations: Have a bachelor’s degree, strong work ethic, attend BridgeYou Essential Courses during the induction year, attend MTEL prep courses as offered and per need, prepare to co-lead and lead some lessons throughout the year, produce a work of reflection and participate in check-ins via group and/or individual sessions, attend the Group of 6 Sessions in the RT Year.
Track 2 is a 1-year program. Candidates will begin their Resident Teacher Year at the beginning of their time at Bridge, with no Induction Year.
Qualifications: Hired as a Resident Teacher who has an education background by way of degree and/or classroom experience but still needs a development year. This person shows strong interest and promise to become an effective lead teacher for the following school year
Expectations: Have a bachelor’s degree, strong work ethic, participate in the BridgeYou Group of 6 Sessions, attend BridgeYou Essential Courses as outlined in the induction year, attend MTEL prep courses as offered and per need, prepare to co-lead and lead lessons from the first week of school, totally take over the class as lead for two weeks in the second half of the school year (Q3 and/or Q4), produce a capstone product as assigned and participate in check-ins via group and/or individual sessions.
Fast Track candidates complete the Induction Year in their first year at Bridge. Based on their readiness, they can be promoted directly to a Lead Teacher role for their second year at Bridge with additional support in place to ensure they are successful.
Qualifications: New hire as an Associate Teacher or other teacher support role who has an education background by way of degree and/or classroom experience. This person shows strong interest and promise to become an effective lead teacher for the following school year
Expectations: Have a bachelor’s degree, strong work ethic, attend BridgeYou Essential Courses as outlined in the induction year, attend MTEL prep courses as offered and per need, prepare to co-lead and lead lessons throughout the year, totally take over the class as lead for two weeks in the second half of the school year (Q3 and/or Q4), produce a capstone product as assigned and participate in check-ins via group and/or individual sessions; Essentially goes through the induction year and then has a review of education background, quality of induction year, and proven skill to measure effectiveness/readiness; Must be prepared to attend the BridgeYou Group of 6 Sessions during your Lead Teacher year.

Moving forward

Our work goes further over time. In the long term, BridgeYou will continue to provide professional development support, such as MTEL classes and other professional learning opportunities for educators all around the city of Boston. We will continue to collaborate and partner with others to support and advance effective and diversified populations of educators. In doing so, we are magnifying our organization’s impact and broadening our reach within the field of education.