Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

On Process: Tenure and Beyond

David Sterling Brown, IRT ’08, Associate Professor of English at Trinity College in Connecticut

In 2009, thanks to IRT—and the exceptional guidance I received from my IRT advisor Leislie Godo-Solo—I was accepted into NYU’s English PhD program off the waitlist. Despite applying to about ten grad programs, NYU was the only one that accepted me and my low GRE score, which recalled the low 940 combined SAT score I had when my undergrad alma mater Trinity College (Connecticut) accepted me in 2001. And so, I quit my job as Teach For America’s Connecticut Recruitment Director and began commuting from Connecticut, my home state, to NYU for several years as I took grad classes and taught, and eventually finished drafting my dissertation during my 2013-14 Trinity College Ann Plato Predoctoral Fellowship. With my dissertation fully drafted by Spring 2014, I went on the academic job market that Fall and landed a job as Assistant Professor of English, of Shakespeare and critical race studies, at the University of Arizona.

Connecting and Supporting Teachers

Alyssa Strykers, IRT ’14 shares her experiences leading up to her current role as an assistant principal

I am currently an Assistant Principal at Inwood Academy for Leadership in Manhattan, New York. I was born and raised in NYC and went to Davidson College where I majored in Anthropology with a concentration in Education. Next, I began my career in education with Citizen Schools in NY to see if I truly wanted to pursue teaching.

After my 2-year Americorp commitment, I left NYC to pursue a M.Ed at Boston College (Masters in Moderate Special Needs) through the Donovan Urban Teaching Scholars Program led by Catherine Wong, former Director, Urban Outreach Initiatives. Catherine actively recruited me from IRT. If you are considering a leadership position down the line, I suggest a pathway to special education. You can be a more effective leader when you can teach and differentiate for students who need it the most. You also may be able to receive dual certification in some states. Originally, I thought I would return to NYC right after completion of my Masters but fell in love with my school in Dorchester. I waited until my first cohort of students graduated before returning to teach in NYC. The one thing I wish I had done differently was get my NY teaching certification while I was still in Massachusetts because the transfer of certification was a headache.

IRT Recruitment and Application Update

The recruitment team has been busy meeting prospective students at in-person and virtual events. The IRT application is open till March 1st! All requirements, application details, and a recorded IRT information session are available online.

A special note of thanks to Juliana (Juju) Wong, IRT’ 15 for her work this season as interim Recruitment & Alumni Programs Specialist and the entire IRT Recruitment team.

Recruitment Highlights

Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 visited our newest consortium partner the University of Georgia this fall. Leislie met with our IRT liaison Camille Reynolds, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion during her visit.

Thank you to the Recruitment Team!

It just goes to show that when two IRT alums get to talking instead of being stalled by a challenge, they set out to activate an opportunity. And that is just what Brittany Zorn, IRT ‘13, and Juliana (Juju) Wong, IRT ‘15, did last March (2023). In conversing about the upcoming recruitment season, they brainstormed how best to engage prospective scholars and Consortium partners while accounting for people’s preferences for in-person, virtual, and or hybrid meetings and events. Emerging from their collaboration was the proposal for Juliana to step into a consultancy role as the interim Recruitment and Alumni Program Specialist. Having previously served in roles with IRT as Summer Workshop faculty as well as a Statement of Purpose Advisor, Juliana was well positioned to give back to IRT in this way. This proposal was a win-win for IRT and for Juliana. It expanded IRT’s capacity at a critical time and furthered Juliana’s professional development as she sought to grow her consultancy.

Over the past few months, Juliana worked in conjunction with the IRT staff including LaShawnda Brooks, Catherine Wong, Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT’91, Sara Cerretani, and Janelle Bonasera to design and implement a recruitment strategy that involved; 1) differentiation of activities and materials for increased access to potential scholars across the United States, 2) meeting and co-planning events and info sessions with Consortium partners, and 3) gatherings of IRT alums from across years and fields of study for both social and professional networking.

Appreciations to Juliana and Brittany for their initial brainstorming and to the full IRT team for contributing to this year’s recruitment efforts. It truly takes a village. Juliana, prospective scholars, alumni, and Consortium have all commented on how grateful they are for your outreach, organization, and outstanding presentation skills. Your enthusiasm shines through all your interactions. We wish you the very best in your next ventures and look forward to continuing to engage with you as a fellow alum.

For recruitment event highlights, please read our Recruitment and Application update.

Part-time Job Opportunities for IRT Alumni

Hello IRT alums!

Do you need part-time Summer employment that aligns with your commitment to teaching and leading justice? Are you eager to reconnect with fellow IRT alums who value a sense of belonging and are keen to exchange insights while at the same time innovating their facilitation skills and teaching practices – well, you have come to the right place!

We are currently seeking faculty to teach in our Summer Workshop. We will continue our virtual workshop facilitation so that all scholars, no matter where they reside in the United States, can engage with the curriculum materials and meet with IRT alums and Consortium partners. Our workshop sessions will be highly interactive and participatory as we seek to support and prepare the next generation of diverse educators to teach and lead in positions PK-12 through higher education.

Please consider applying or pass this to a fellow IRT alum.

Applications Due March 8, 2024

Summer Workshop Faculty Job Posting

Summer Workshop Curriculum Coordinator Job Posting

Be on the lookout to apply to as a Statement of Purpose Advisor during the Fall on the IRT Alumni Network soon!

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