College of Education Professors Austin and Botelho Receive CLACLS Grant

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Theresa Austin and Maria José Botelho, both professors of language, literacy and culture in the College of Education, were awarded a UMass Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies (CLACLS) 2022 Faculty Visioning Grant. Their grant, entitled “Transforming Community to Classroom Learning: Latinx Paraprofessionals Becoming Teachers,” is designed to research and open up pathways for multilingual paraeducators to become licensed teachers.

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The Center lauded the proposal to diversify teachers in the region by stating this “project advocates for a fundamental transformation in the educational system that will be highly beneficial for Latinx students, all students, while improving working conditions for Latinx paraprofessionals as well as the paraprofessionals in general.”