Applauding our May graduates
May message from Executive Director Debbie Green
Spring is really in the air! PIC trees have bloomed, birds have returned to our nature playground, new sand and mulch have been delivered, and most importantly, our children are spending chunks of time outside.
May is a month of graduations and this year we celebrate the completion of degrees of several of our PIC teachers. A huge shout-out to Jameelah Jones, Tyshaana Thomas, and Shanee Stephens on the completion of their associate degrees, Latosha Green, Jasmine Reid, and Nicole Williams on the completion of their bachelor's degrees, and Michael Roach on the completion of his master's degree.
Over the past few years we have had twelve teachers complete degree programs in Early Childhood Education. We are incredibly proud of each of them.
Many have been supported by tuition support programs such as the PA State TEACH (Teacher Education and Compensation Help) program and the Philadelphia Early Childhood Apprentice Program. PIC is enrolled in these programs that in addition to tuition assistance, cover the cost of books and transportation. And, as significantly, these programs support PIC so that we can give our teachers time off to focus on their coursework.
Caterpillar teacher Jameelah Jones says, “I honestly couldn’t have done it without the Apprenticeship program. I struggled so much with the math classes and I was provided with a tutor who worked with me for three hours each week throughout the semester. The accelerated pace of the Apprenticeship program was a challenge with working full-time, but everyone supported me. It was such a blessing. And I will be going on for my Bachelor’s degree next spring.”
Leapfrogs teacher, Ligia Moralas-Cabal, who earned her bachelors degree last May, says, “I wanted to be an inspiration for my daughter. Education is so important. If I tell my daughter that she should pursue a degree, I want to show her that I did too. Participating in the TEACH program helped a lot, both in covering tuition and in being assured coverage to take time off to study. I also found other PIC teachers to be really helpful in providing information and resources.”
It is not insignificant to work full time in this field and at the same time, complete college degrees (and for many this also includes parenting young children.) We applaud the commitment, the sacrifices, the determination, and the tenacity of all of our teacher grads!
As always, I thank you for entrusting your children in our care, and the care of our exceptional teachers!