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Graduate Featured in Sacramento Bee

September 8, 2007

New Teachers, Extra Hard Task: Rookies Plunge in at Lagging Schools
By Kim Minugh - Bee Staff Writer
© The Sacramento Bee

Four days into her first year of teaching, Karina Figueroa assigned herself some homework: Figure out the campus phone system. Organize her filing system. Decide on a software program to use for grades.

In between the administrative duties, she has some tougher to-dos: Call the family of a student who missed class Friday after -- according to other students -- being arrested the day before. Figure out whom to call if one of her overdue students goes into labor in class. Ask about her legal and ethical obligations when she suspects, or a student admits to, an illegal activity.