August 2024

Alliance Newsletter

DR. AMON’S MESSAGE

Dear Valued Partners,

I am honored to introduce myself as the new CEO of City Teaching Alliance. My first month here has been inspiring, filled with meaningful connections with our teachers, faculty, staff, and partners. These interactions have deepened my understanding of our mission and crystallized my vision for our future. It was particularly rewarding to witness our new teachers’ enthusiasm at the DC & Baltimore Regional Closing Ceremony last month as they prepare to enter the classroom. Their passion is a testament to the transformative power of our work.

City Teaching Alliance’s unique strength lies in our 5 Cs: Community, Coursework, Clinical Placement, Coaching, and Certification. These pillars form the foundation of our success, ensuring our educators are ready to be the teachers our students deserve. Since 2010, we have served more than 400,000 students across Baltimore, Dallas, DC, and Philadelphia, and we will continue to lead the way in educator preparation, setting a new standard of excellence.

As we look to the future, I am excited to build on the strong foundation of our past achievements. We are facing a critical moment in education, with a nationwide teacher shortage and a pressing need for resilient, adaptable educators. Our comprehensive training and support systems uniquely position us to meet this challenge head-on.

Our vision is clear: we will work to ensure every classroom is led by a teacher who is not only well-prepared but deeply committed to student success. By continuing to innovate and refine our practices, we can make a lasting impact on the communities we serve.

Your support has been instrumental in our success, and I am eager to work closely with you as we design the future of City Teaching Alliance together. The impact of your partnership cannot be overstated, as it is crucial to our mission and the positive outcomes we achieve. I look forward to sharing more updates with you as we embark on this exciting journey.

Warm regards,

Dr. Rahesha Amon
CEO, City Teaching Alliance 

IN CELEBRATION OF 15 YEARS!

As we celebrate our 15th year of empowering educators, we’d like to introduce you to just a few of our new and aspiring teachers. Throughout the rest of this year, we will bring you their stories – what inspired them to become classroom change-makers and why they chose City Teaching Alliance to help them realize their dreams.

Clifton (Cohort 2024, Philadelphia)

Clifton, a resident teaching secondary English Language Arts, discovered his passion for education through his 11th-grade English teacher. This teacher guided Clifton during his formative high school years and left a lasting impact on him. Inspired by her legacy, Clifton chose to return to the same school network he graduated from, determined to become that same guiding light for his own students and empower them to achieve their dreams.

“I never thought I would have the opportunity to be a teacher. I never thought that I’d have the opportunity to even go for a Master’s. I just never saw myself being in any type [of] financial stability to pursue this … and City Teaching Alliance being able to provide that is amazing.”

LG (Cohort 2024, Baltimore)

LG, a former web application developer, has found a new purpose as a resident teaching elementary education. Motivated by a desire for a more meaningful career and inspired by his parents, who were both teachers, LG made the leap into teaching. He was drawn to City Teaching Alliance because of our unwavering commitment to inclusivity, equity, and the empowerment of underserved communities in Baltimore—a city he deeply cherishes.

“The sense of community [at City Teaching Alliance] makes me feel like I am part of a movement to become the best teacher I can be…”

Yazmine (Cohort 2024, DC)

Yazmine, a resident teaching secondary ELA, embarked on a teaching career to give back to her community and serve as a positive role model for students of color. As a DC native who faced her own challenges within the public school system, she is committed to creating an inclusive, anti-racist classroom where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.

“….from a societal standpoint, education isn’t seen as Black or Brown… people of color are not usually seen as intellectual. And so I really wanted to be a teacher who allows my students to know that they are intelligent.”

Celebrate with us! Like, share, and subscribe to our social media channels, or visit our website to contribute to our 15th year of remarkable impact.

1 MIN SURVEY – TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

We hope you will take a moment to share some feedback with us. Click ​here to take our survey.

NEW MAILING ADDRESS!

Want to drop us a line or send in a donation? We’ve made it easier to support our teachers! Mail your correspondence to:

City Teaching Alliance
PO Box 69625
Baltimore, MD 21264

OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN OUR NEXT CLASS OF ASPIRING EDUCATORS!

Know someone who missed the opportunity to join our 15th class of future educators? Don’t fret – they can jump to the front of the line for next year’s cohort beginning in summer 2025! Please encourage them to submit their contact information, and a member of our recruitment team will be in touch shortly. We appreciate and welcome every referral!

We will never share our mailing lists with outside organizations.

Please help us grow our City Teaching Alliance (formerly dba Urban Teachers) family by sharing this newsletter with your friends, business partners, and community thought leaders. City Teaching Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN 27-0989006). To learn more about us, visit our website at CityTeachingAlliance.org or Click Here to donate.

Donations can also be mailed to:
City Teaching Alliance
8 Market Place
Suite 410
Baltimore, MD 21202

Text-to-Give: INSPIRECHILDREN to 44-321

Contact Lyn Rumage at 410-417-9429 or Lyn.Rumage@cityteachingalliance.org for planned giving, Donor Advised Funds, trusts, or legacy gifts.

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