Normandale teaching programs redress racial imbalances

When Leticia Alvarez crossed the stage at Normandale Community College, she wasn’t just marking a personal achievement. She became the first graduate of SpedUP, a growing initiative aimed at increasing the number of BIPOC special education teachers in Minnesota.

Alvarez’s journey to that moment was anything but traditional. “I always had this desire to go back and finish,” she said. “I wanted to make myself proud. I wanted to break generational curses.”

After enrolling at Normandale right out of high school with plans to study criminal justice, Alvarez took a break to raise her first child. She began working in Minnesota schools as a paraprofessional, a role she’s held for several years. But she wanted more: more opportunities, more impact, and more support for students who often go unseen.

That path led her to SpedUP.

Launched three years ago, SpedUP is part of Normandale’s Education Pathways department, which also includes Sirtify, a program designed to support Black men entering the teaching profession. Together, the programs seek to address two urgent gaps in Minnesota’s education system: the shortage of special education teachers, and the lack of racial representation among educators.

“Less than 6% of teachers in Minnesota identify as people of color,” said Kenny Chan, the SpedUP program coordinator and a former special education teacher. “That means many students will go through their entire education without seeing themselves reflected in the front of the classroom.”

Both SpedUP  and Sirtify provide wraparound support: paid tuition, mentoring, life coaching, and cohort-based learning. That model is key to success for many students who are balancing full-time jobs, family obligations, and the demands of college.

“We really want to support the entire student,” said Jeremy McNamara, director of Education Pathways at Normandale. “They’re workers, they’re parents, and they’re coming back to school to make a difference in their communities.”

The college has focused on building partnerships with area districts, including Edina Public Schools and Intermediate District 287. Both districts have received state Grow Your Own grants to help support employees seeking licensure. Eleven educators from those schools are now enrolled in the SpedUP program.

SpedUP students also receive professional development throughout the year, including workshops on microaggressions, resume writing, mock interviews, and financial literacy. Chan and McNamara said the program’s offerings are shaped by direct student feedback and updated annually.

“We really listen to what our students tell us they need,” McNamara said. “That feedback is helping us shape the future of the program.”

Alvarez said it was that support that helped her power through the challenges of balancing her job, parenting responsibilities, and college coursework.

“It wasn’t just that tuition was paid,” she said. “It was the fact that I had a cohort of people who supported me. I wasn’t doing this alone.”

Her commitment to special education is deeply personal. “I had an uncle who spent time in group homes and wasn’t treated as a human,” she said. “And early in my career, I worked with students with disabilities. I saw myself in them. I saw how the system wasn’t built for them. I wanted to be a part of changing that.”

Since graduating from the program, Alvarez has continued working in Bloomington Public Schools. However, she is still completing her undergrad at Minnesota State University, Mankato, actively working towards becoming a licensed special education teacher. In the meantime, she serves as a Restorative Practice Specialist, focused on keeping students connected to their classrooms and learning, while also working to reduce harm and build stronger, more inclusive school communities.

Additionally, Alvarez says she loves to return to Normandale as a mentor, speaking to current students about her journey.

Program staff say this cycle of graduates returning as mentors is exactly what they hope to see. “It’s about building a network,” Chan said. “Students supporting students. Teachers supporting future teachers.”

In total, the SpedUP program has graduated nine students so far, with more expected to join the ranks in 2025. Sirtify has also seen growing enrollment, and spots remain open for the upcoming year.

Alvarez said she’s proud to be part of the small, but growing, community of Black educators in Minnesota.

“I’ve been reflecting a lot about Brown v. Board of Education, and how Black teachers were displaced,” she said. “Now we’re in this moment where we’re so needed, not just for Black students, but for all students.”

She added: “When I show up, I show up as me. I wear sneakers and jeans. I have tattoos. I listen to hip hop… But I’m also a scholar. I’m an educator. And I want every young person to know — you can be all of that too.”

For more information, visit www.normandale.edu/academics.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.