• Portland Dual Language Teacher Residency Program

    Application Deadline: 

    January 15, 2025 - Secondary candidates

    April 15, 2025 - Elementary candidates 

     

    Bilingual educators make a difference for bilingual students. ½ûÂþÌìÌà recruits, trains and retains highly bilingual candidates from our community to become dual language educators and leaders in order to close the opportunity gap for historically underserved students and to invest in our linguistically diverse community. 

    The Portland Dual Language Teacher Residency Program (formerly the Dual Language Teacher Fellows Program) is recruiting bilingual candidates for its ninth cohort of dual language educators. ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ’ alternative licensure program was highlighted in a 2017 New America research article:  

    Ten years ago, ½ûÂþÌìÌà faced double-digit bilingual teacher shortages as it expanded language immersion programs across the district in an effort to increase opportunities for historically underserved students. Up to now, over 80 candidates graduated from the program and became language teachers. Starting from 2024, secondary candidates will enter the program and be hired as substitute teachers in their first year. In their second year, candidates apply for teaching positions depending on vacancies. The K-5 candidates will be recruited from those ½ûÂþÌìÌà employees who are already working in a classroom or a school.

    To qualify for the program, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree and show advanced proficiency in both English and a partner language: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Japanese. 

    Candidates apply to the program beginning in November, and complete partner language assessments for both speaking and writing. Second, candidates apply to Portland State University or Oregon State University and must be accepted into their teacher preparation program. Then candidates are hired as Limited Term Employees to participate in the district summer training. The final step is to be hired as ½ûÂþÌìÌà substitute teachers. Teacher Residents apply for a Restricted Substitute Teaching License.

    For more information, contact Lihong Dai, at ldai@pps.net.

    See the impact of our newest Somali Teacher at ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ:

    • OPB - 
    • OPB -

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    Updated October 2024

     

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