How LA’s Next Teachers Are Trained: Residency Program Offers Early Access to Classrooms

Imagine this: a year-long, behind-the-scenes look into the teaching profession before Los Angeles teachers lead classrooms of their own. How could this early exposure and training support future teacher retention?

Significantly so, according to PUC Schools.

In 2014, PUC Schools created the Alumni Teach Project – now the PUC Teacher Residency Program (PUC TRP) – a culturally responsive Urban Teacher Residency Program designed to cultivate and foster high-quality instructional and leadership skills in new educators from within local communities.

Entrance into PUC’s TRP is competitive, and applicants apply for cohorts during the prior school year. Once Teacher Residents are accepted into the program, they undergo a year-long intensive course of work and study that successfully prepares graduates to teach in today’s diverse, urban, educational settings. The PUC TRP program is grounded in relationships, power, and change.

PUC TRP’s newest cohort (2025-2026), Cohort 13, consists of 7 Teacher Residents. They spent the week of June 9 – 13 partaking in Jumpstart, a week spent alongside teacher mentors ahead of new Residents’ year-long experience. This week-long experience builds Resident knowledge of education systems, theoretical perspectives, and learning principles which affect student development.

While balancing coursework, Teacher Residents also co-teach PUC students with an experienced Teacher Mentor, attend weekly seminars to bridge theory and practice, and complete credentialing courses through PUC’s partnership with Loyola Marymount University (LMU).

This guided exposure and student teaching experience are critically valuable. 100% of the most recent PUC Resident graduates turned teachers indicated they were better prepared than their first-year peers. The paid, immersive resident opportunity supports future teacher learning, enables access to teaching credentials through LMU, and offers graduates priority hiring when seeking educator roles at PUC School campuses.

“Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley are in desperate need of a strong pipeline for qualified teachers,” PUC TRP Coordinator Jenna Kamp said. “Our students and schools deserve that support, and our Residency graduates mitigate this staffing crisis to uplift our community’s learners through relational, powerful teaching.”

As of August 2025, Los Angeles County expects to have 4,298 teacher vacancies for the 2025-2026 school year, consisting of nearly 19% of open spots statewide. PUC Schools is actively working to fill these gaps with highly trained educators who meet staffing needs and remain in their positions.

66 educators have graduated from TRP since the program's founding, 86% of whom have remained in education after five years – a rate 36% higher than those at similar high-need schools. More than 90% of PUC School campuses are home to PUC TRP graduates and/or Residents, and 62% of TRP graduates are still teaching at PUC Schools – many of whom are now in leadership positions.

According to a 2025 survey conducted by the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) data, PUC principals believe PUC TRP graduates positively impact student academics and school culture. One hundred percent of PUC principals responded that Residents are more prepared than a typical first-year teacher, and 100% of PUC principals also reported that residency graduates are more effective than a typical first-year teacher.

“PUC TRP graduates are much more equipped to handle the demands of school and the teaching profession,” one PUC principal responded to the survey. “Residents know what to expect and what is expected of them.”

To qualify as a PUC TRP Teacher Resident candidate, applicants must (1) possess a Bachelor’s degree in any subject area or be on track to acquire one within the year; and (2) be a community member with a connection to the communities PUC serves within LA and the San Fernando Valley and/or have a connection with PUC Schools.

To learn more about PUC’s Teacher Residency Program and upcoming applications for the 2026-2027 cohort at www.puctrp.org. Moreover, to learn more about PUC Schools and submit a student application for the 2025-2026 school year, visit www.pucschools.org.