{"id":16544,"date":"2026-05-04T10:24:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T14:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=16544"},"modified":"2026-05-04T10:24:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T14:24:40","slug":"tutors-to-teachers-wilmu-and-reading-assist-turn-classroom-dreams-into-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/04\/tutors-to-teachers-wilmu-and-reading-assist-turn-classroom-dreams-into-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Tutors to Teachers:\u00a0WilmU\u00a0and Reading Assist Turn Classroom Dreams\u00a0Into\u00a0Reality\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>For those who are passionate about helping&nbsp;children&nbsp;succeed, becoming a teacher is a meaningful next step.&nbsp;Wilmington University, in partnership with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/readingassist.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reading Assist<\/a>, is helping to&nbsp;create&nbsp;a&nbsp;clear and accessible path to the classroom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An Accessible Path to a Teaching Career\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Tutors to Teachers Delaware program addresses\u00a0two critical needs: supporting students in the classroom today and preparing the next generation of teachers for tomorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participants begin by working as tutors, providing targeted literacy support to students.&nbsp;They&nbsp;can then&nbsp;enroll at Wilmington University&nbsp;to&nbsp;pursue the coursework and training needed to become certified&nbsp;special education&nbsp;teachers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading Assist Fellows receive&nbsp;an\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/americorps.gov\/members-volunteers\/segal-americorps-education-award\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AmeriCorps award<\/a>\u202ffor tuition expenses, matching funding from&nbsp;WilmU, and other benefits, such as&nbsp;a living allowance.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think the highlight of it all is the accessibility,\u201d says&nbsp;<strong>Megan Schnetzer<\/strong>,&nbsp;WilmU\u2019s&nbsp;chair of special education programs. Between awards and stipends, \u201cit\u2019s going to be free, or they\u2019re going to come out net positive.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students in the program save money and time. They graduate in two years,&nbsp;instead of the traditional three and a half,&nbsp;with a master\u2019s degree, elementary and special education certifications, and a reading intervention certificate. During the second year, they complete a paid teaching residency, adding to their qualifications.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through their work, participants gain valuable insight into classroom dynamics, instructional&nbsp;strategies,&nbsp;and student needs. This experience strengthens their confidence and prepares them to transition into full-time teaching roles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re highly marketable,\u201d Schnetzer says. \u201cThey\u2019re not only coming with a degree that\u2019s going to look good on paper \u2014 they\u2019re coming with experience.\u201d\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process starts with Reading Assist, which requires fellows to have a bachelor\u2019s degree in any field. Full-timers commit to&nbsp;900 service hours each year, working in person with small groups of learners. Once accepted by Reading Assist, prospective students can apply to&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;for the M.Ed. in Special Education program.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt really is such a good deal,\u201d says\u202f<strong>Dr. Stacie Zdrojewski<\/strong>,&nbsp;WilmU\u2019s&nbsp;chair of clinical studies in the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/indexe.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">College of Education and Liberal Arts<\/a>. \u201cThis gets their foot in the door and gets them licensed, and then the possibilities are endless.\u201d\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Supporting Students and Strengthening Communities\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The impact of the program extends beyond the individuals enrolled in it. By placing tutors in schools, the program provides\u00a0additional\u00a0support to students who\u00a0benefit\u00a0from focused attention and literacy development.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, it helps address ongoing teacher shortages by creating a pipeline of prepared, passionate educators ready to serve their communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;partnership reflects a shared commitment between Wilmington University and Reading Assist to invest in both current student success and the future of education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id16544_75d3bf-d5{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id16544_75d3bf-d5 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id16544_75d3bf-d5 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id16544_75d3bf-d5 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem 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220px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column16544_13af41-3a kb-section-dir-horizontal wu-img-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image16544_bb0eca-9c:not(.kb-image-is-ratio-size) .kb-img, .kb-image16544_bb0eca-9c.kb-image-is-ratio-size{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-image16544_bb0eca-9c .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image16544_bb0eca-9c image-is-svg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"230\" height=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/wilmu-cta-logo-wu.svg\" alt=\"Wilm U post footer logo\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-17727\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column16544_b02351-39 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column16544_b02351-39 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 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.wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_b02351-39 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column16544_b02351-39 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-right:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-bottom:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-left:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column16544_b02351-39{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_b02351-39{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_b02351-39 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}.kt-row-column-wrap &gt; .wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column16544_b02351-39 &gt; div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column16544_b02351-39 p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column16544_b02351-39 kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-97d976272db4df035bfed9e26f7399d4\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:1rem\"><em>Follow your classroom calling and earn\u00a0your\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/special-education.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>M.Ed. in Special Education<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/readingassist.org\/tutors-to-teachers-a-reading-assist-wilmington-university-partnership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Tutors to Teachers Delaware program<\/em><\/a><em>, a partnership between Wilmington University and Reading Assist.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For those who are passionate about helping&nbsp;children&nbsp;succeed, becoming a teacher is a meaningful next step.&nbsp;Wilmington University, in partnership with&nbsp;Reading Assist, is helping to&nbsp;create&nbsp;a&nbsp;clear and accessible&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":16546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[187,1041,14,15],"class_list":["post-16544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-college-of-education-and-liberal-arts","tag-education-degrees","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"ACADEMIC 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