Hillary Ledesma

At City Teaching Alliance, we train teachers to be highly effective educators who empower every child through learning. Our teachers become career educators committed to equity and inclusivity, ensuring every student receives a great education. We believe access to a quality education gives young people the tools to become forces of change in their communities. In partnership with American University, City Teaching Alliance participants earn a Master's of Arts in Teaching. The curriculum is hands-on, practical, and specifically designed for urban schools. Our program emphasizes literacy and math skills, and includes coursework and dual certification in special education and a content area—ensuring our teachers can meet the needs of all children. Only City Teaching Alliance offers a highly-selective, rigorous program that includes three years of intensive coaching. During the first year in our program, known as the residency year, our participants work in the classroom alongside a host teacher getting over 1,500 hours of real classroom experience. Residents devote their time to developing their clinical practice during the day in their assigned school and developing their content and instructional knowledge through coursework in the master’s program at night. In year two, our residents become fellows and step into classrooms of their own. They continue their training as a teacher of record with continued coursework and coaching support. Three-quarters of our first-year teachers complete all four years of the program.