Congratulations to the Graduating TEALS Program Schools and Teachers
Three years ago, the TEALS Program made its debut in the state of Wisconsin and started working with high schools in Northeast Wisconsin and Milwaukee. Thirteen schools were ready and excited to bring computer science (CS) to the classroom. Districts and teachers were eager to give students an opportunity to explore, grow and experience the many facets within the computer science field of study. As the TEALS Program gained exposure, many other high schools in the Northeast Wisconsin, Madison, and Milwaukee area have joined the program. For the 2020-21 school year, TEALS will be supporting 35 high schools with over 100 volunteers joining teachers and students on a weekly basis.
In the beginning, one of the main hurdles school districts faced, were the lack of teachers skilled and licensed to teach computer science. To make the TEALS Program a reality, numerous industry volunteers answered the call to join the classroom teacher to aide and assist in teaching computer science. The partnerships between the classroom teacher and the volunteers allowed not only the students to experience CS from a professional, it also allowed the teacher to develop their own personal skills and understanding of the CS content.
As the 2019-2020 school year concluded, the TEALS Program introduced a new program, the Alumni School program. The Alumni School program is a way to recognize schools and teachers who have built a strong CS pathway for students and will be teaching the TEALS curricula independently. These teachers have worked effortlessly to expand their content knowledge. Several teachers have also received their CS teacher certification from the state of Wisconsin. Congratulations to nine area high schools who graduated from the TEALS Program at the end of the 2019-20 school year.
If you are interested in bringing the TEALS Program to a local high school or are interested in volunteering in a classroom, please contact Amy Bires, Northeast Wisconsin TEALS Regional Manager at amy@tealsk12.org or visit www.microsoft.com/teals.