CSUB alumni helping lead statewide teacher training initiative

Three California State University, Bakersfield alumni are playing key roles in a new statewide initiative focused on providing high-quality instructional materials to educators.

Jade Bumatay, Jami Butler and Cecilia Estrada have helped implement the Kern County Superintendent of School's (KCSOS) High-Quality Online Instructional Materials Initiative, which provides free access to a repository of teacher-submitted lesson plans and classroom resources through the platform California Educators Together.

The three-year initiative, which wraps up on June 30, was funded through a $15 million grant from the California Department of Education.

"The whole point is to increase equity and access to high-quality instructional materials," said Butler, a program specialist with KCSOS and a former educator. "There are some districts in California we've gone to that have amazing facilities and equipment. Then we've gone to some tiny rural districts that don't have that same equipment or access to high-quality resources. By offering high-quality resources and lessons to teachers, we're leveling that playing field."

Anyone can create a free account on California Educators Together to access the repository. Educators looking to contribute to the initiative can participate in the Lesson Design Institute, which instructs teachers on how to craft and submit high-quality materials.

Once a material gets submitted, they must then be vetted to ensure they align with California standards, incorporate English Language Development support and meet the needs of all student learners before finally being approved.

Teachers are paid for each lesson or resource that gets approved for the platform. As of last year, nearly $1.6 million had been paid out to educators through the initiative, according to KCSOS.

"We have teachers who have made thousands of dollars through this project," said Estrada, who also works as a program specialist. "It makes me so happy to know we're not just supporting them with professional development and growing their skill sets - they're also being rewarded for the work that they're doing."

Nearly 5,000 lesson plans and over 2,000 resources are currently available on the California Educators Together platform, according to KCSOS, with educators from 40 of California's 58 counties participating. Estrada herself has written and submitted over 100 lesson plans.

"It's cool to be a literally published author," she said. "The feedback we've gotten is that teachers feel valued and seen through this project."

Butler, who taught for 15 years in the Tehachapi Unified School District before joining the county office, said it's important that teachers not have to resort to spending their own money for classroom materials.

"A lot of times in this profession, these kinds of costs tend to fall on teachers themselves," she said. "To be able to offer free professional development, while also giving them a fair wage for the time they're spending creating these lesson plans and resources, is really cool."

While the High-Quality Online Instructional Materials Initiative originally focused on developing a repository of lesson plans, it was expanded to include classroom-ready resources after seeing a demand for those materials from educators.

"We noticed a lot of them were looking for standalone resources they could use," Estrada said. "They're less complex than a lesson plan. They are more about being fun and engaging. Now we have this big library just for resources."

In addition to providing access to materials, the initiative is also focused on forging stronger connections and partnerships with teachers across the state. Bumatay - who serves as the program facilitator - plays a key role in forming those partnerships, as well as designing events and virtual learning groups on the California Educators Together platform.

"It's a big cognitive load in what we present to them, but the feedback has been overwhelming. They wish they had this professional development when they were new teachers," she said.

Dr. Edward Gonzalez, director of high-quality instructional materials at KCSOS, said he has been impressed by the work that Butler, Bumatay and Estrada have done as part of the initiative.

"Working with Jami, Ceci and Jade has been an incredible experience," he said. "Their talent, creativity, and dedication have been instrumental in helping our team exceed our goals and deliver high-quality, innovative programming."