This week, the TCOE Theatre Company cast is rehearsing for its big summer production of Mary Poppins. For Theatre Company veteran Ruthie Espinoza, who plays Mary Poppins, that means time in a flying harness hovering over the stage below her. “The hardest part is getting your balance back on stage, once you’ve been in the air for awhile,” she laughed.  

Mary Poppins is the endearing story of a magical nanny who cares for the Banks children in Edwardian London. Mary and her friend, Bert, embark on a series of fantastic adventures with the children, who try to pass on some of their nanny's sunny attitude to their preoccupied parents. “Watching Mary Poppins was a favorite of mine growing up,” Espinoza said. “I think audiences who’ve seen the movie will really enjoy the additional music that was added to the Broadway musical.”

The cast of nearly 70 will perform the musical seven times July 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26 at the L.J. Williams Theater in Visalia. Evening shows will begin at 7:00 p.m. Matinees will be held Saturday July 19 and July 26 at 1:00 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit tcoe.org/TheatreCo/Tickets.

On Sunday, ABC30 will air a new Children First program entitled “Summer of Safety.” The program will feature a number of segments on keeping children safe and healthy while they’re out of school.

Producer Aurora Gomez visited the ProYouth summer program at Oak Valley Union School in Tulare. Each week, students participate in physical activities and receive lessons on nutrition to reinforce the importance of staying active and making healthy food choices. Based in Visalia, ProYouth supports a number of Central California school districts with after-school expanded learning programs during the school year and summer.

In another segment, Tim Hire, Tulare County Superintendent of Schools, and Sgt. Scott Schwamb with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Task Force sat down with ABC30’s Graciela Moreno to discuss what parents can do if their child is approached by a stranger online.

Other segments include tips for e-bike and water safety, teen driving, and fall prevention, as hospitals have seen an increase in children falling from second stories.  

News anchors Graciela Moreno and Dale Yurong will host “Summer of Safety,” airing Sunday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. and streaming on www.abc30.com/ChildrenFirst. 

Photo above:

~ Tim Hire sat down with ABC30’s Graciela Moreno (center) and Sgt. Scott Schwamb to discuss internet safety and what parents can do if their child is approached by a stranger online. The interview will be part of a new Children First special that airs on Sunday, July 13. 

TCOE’s California Center on Teaching Careers (the Center), in partnership with Hanford Joint Union High School District, is leading a multi-year effort by developing a registered apprenticeship program (RAP) for K–12 teachers in California.

For the past two decades, TCOE has supported aspiring educators through its “grow your own” teacher preparation programs. Its Teacher Residency for Rural Education project was established in 2019, preceded by its alternative credentialing program in 2003 (now known as the New Teacher and Leadership Development program).

Supported by a California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) planning grant in the amount of $500,000, the new RAP extends the teaching career pipeline to high school students. The program is designed to remove traditional barriers to the profession and keep talent local by training residents to serve in the communities where they live. The RAP addresses both the state’s special education and STEM teacher shortages and the broader challenge of youth disconnection in rural areas. It also reimagines how and when young people enter the education workforce, transforming the teacher pipeline and student outcomes.

The RAP includes a youth pre-apprenticeship for high school students (ages 16-18), a paraprofessional apprenticeship for recent graduates and classified staff (ages 18-24), and a teacher apprenticeship leading to a preliminary teaching credential.

Currently, the Center’s RAP is undergoing review by the California Department of Industrial Relation’s Division of Apprenticeship Standards. Once approved, the program will become the first RAP for K-12 teachers in California. The Center plans to expand the RAP to other high schools with teacher pathways in Tulare and Kings counties.

Editor: Robert Herman, Communications Director
Contributors: Nayirah Dosu, Jennifer Fisher, Jaime Burnitzki, Bethany Rader, Marvin Lopez, Brooke Berrios

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