Just one year ago, Gateway University announced the launch of the Teacher Pathway Program, providing local degree-seeking school staff with the opportunity to become eligible for full-time teaching positions. Last week Gateway U celebrated its first graduating class, some of whom are now ready to become teachers through an innovative, flexible, and affordable college degree program.

Gateway U is a project of Newark’s BRICK Education Network and the South Ward Promise Neighborhood (SWPN). Brick is an innovative public charter network that offers students internships, AP courses, dual-credit options, and long-term assistance for college and scholarship applications. SWPN is a partnership with eight schools and 25 agencies coordinating a continuum of supports for both children and parents focused on improving the educational, health, employment, and housing disparities. 

Gateway U students can work on a variety of associate and bachelor’s degrees in healthcare, communications, and management. Another option for students is the Teacher Pathway Program, which was funded through efforts by Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz and Senator Renee Burges. Additional funding for the initiative is provided by the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, Community Foundation of New Jersey, and Panasonic Foundation. 

Students who complete the Teacher Pathway Program , many of whom are paraprofessionals in Newark schools,  become eligible for New Jersey’s Alternate Route to teacher certification by earning a Limited Certificate of Eligibility. Much  like Brick Education Network students, the emphasis is on workplace experience: Aspiring teachers work as “teacher apprentices,” studying for their degrees while also working in a school setting. The program also helps students prepare for certification tests and get placed as a teacher upon graduation, as well as offering help finding childcare and tuition assistance. (Tuition is $10,000 per year, before financial aid and scholarships are applied, and Gateway U promises “all the supports with no extra fees.”)

The Teacher Pathway Program, according to Gateway U, “prioritizes building a community and culture of camaraderie to overcome the barriers to teaching that disproportionately impact Black and Brown aspiring teachers.”

“Gateway U’s new Teacher Pathway Program will ensure that Newark will be able to recruit and hire teachers locally, providing teaching jobs to current local school staff, and creating more classrooms with educators who are deeply connected and committed to the city,” said Gateway U Executive Director Saymah Nah. “As a Newark native who has been part of this community for a long time, our commitment at Gateway U is to lift our city – by investing in the people who know it best and love it most. This important initiative is part of a series of transformative plans Gateway U will be developing within Newark. We are so thankful to champions like Senators Teresa Ruiz and Renee Burgess and our foundation partners, who have been instrumental in helping us develop and fund common sense ideas that will have a long-lasting impact for future generations.”