UCI CalTeach director Doron Zinger makes his return to Cal State Dominguez Hills
Prior to stepping into the role in 2018, Zinger was an adjunct professor at CSUDH, where he also earned his K-12 school administrator credential and will return as a tenure-track professor.
By Carol Jean Tomoguchi-Perez
June 11, 2023 While enrolled in the Ph.D. in Education program at UC Irvine, Doron Zinger, Ph.D. ’18, was an adjunct professor at the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). After graduating, Zinger became the director of the UCI CalTeach program, contributing to the growth of the program for nearly six years. This summer, he will once again return to CSUDH, this time as a tenure-track assistant professor in the School Leadership Program. “Going to CSUDH is a homecoming and full circle moment for me,” he said. “I graduated from and obtained my administrative credential from CSUDH, and I am now returning to teach aspiring school administrators in the same program.” CSUDH’s School Leadership Program is grounded in an equity and justice vision; similarly, CalTeach’s curriculum has focused on amplifying historically marginalized voices and diverse perspectives in order to help students critically examine and analyze teaching and learning to develop more equitable classrooms. |
“One of the main reasons I joined CalTeach was to have an impact on what happens in K-12 classrooms, especially in underserved communities,” he said. “With my new position, I will be able to continue this work at the administrative level, and I hope to continue to make an impact and promote justice and equity in K-12 schools.”
The UCI CalTeach program – jointly sponsored by the schools of Education, Biological Sciences, and Physical Sciences – empowers students to graduate with a math or science bachelor's degree plus a California single-subject teaching credential in four years. Under Zinger’s direction, the program has seen the number of graduates double since 2019. Another area of growth is that most of the CalTeach courses are now “ungraded,” which puts the focus on learning rather than grading. Zinger points out that the program achieved these outcomes while many other preparation programs experienced reduced interest and enrollment.
Looking forward, Zinger hopes to maintain ties with UCI and the CalTeach program, with aspirations to write a grant or develop a program with a focus on recruiting and promoting STEM teacher administrators, underlying his belief that school districts would benefit from having administrators with STEM teaching experience.
“My hope is that some of my former CalTeach students will become my CSUDH students in an administration program focused on making them awesome school leaders who support meaningful and equitable STEM instruction,” he said.
Zinger said the two most important lessons he’s learned during his career journey so far are rooted in humility and gratitude.
“I have been so fortunate to work with an incredibly selfless and dedicated group at CalTeach, with Kris Houston, Naehee Kwun, and Socorro Cambero,” he said. “Working with them daily fills me with gratitude for the shared mission and commitment we have, and my heart is filled with gratitude for being part of this team.”
He also cited Associate Professor Hosun Kang, who served as his Ph.D. advisor, as influential. He explained that through their work, he developed crucial skills and a strong vision of helping prepare aspiring science and math teachers to become socially just teachers. Zinger’s dissertation work focused on a fast-track STEM teacher preparation program, which helped him frame and contextualize CalTeach as a program that should focus on helping students “navigate and build on their own identities and experience as K-12 students, to help surface systemic issues and oppression and work on navigating challenges and developing instructional practice,” he said.
Offering advice for aspiring educators and administrators, Zinger said: “Serving our community serves us best, and knowing our communities positions us to serve them best. Life’s most challenging journeys, including holding leadership positions, take a community. Find your community, nurture your community and build your community.”
The UCI CalTeach program – jointly sponsored by the schools of Education, Biological Sciences, and Physical Sciences – empowers students to graduate with a math or science bachelor's degree plus a California single-subject teaching credential in four years. Under Zinger’s direction, the program has seen the number of graduates double since 2019. Another area of growth is that most of the CalTeach courses are now “ungraded,” which puts the focus on learning rather than grading. Zinger points out that the program achieved these outcomes while many other preparation programs experienced reduced interest and enrollment.
Looking forward, Zinger hopes to maintain ties with UCI and the CalTeach program, with aspirations to write a grant or develop a program with a focus on recruiting and promoting STEM teacher administrators, underlying his belief that school districts would benefit from having administrators with STEM teaching experience.
“My hope is that some of my former CalTeach students will become my CSUDH students in an administration program focused on making them awesome school leaders who support meaningful and equitable STEM instruction,” he said.
Zinger said the two most important lessons he’s learned during his career journey so far are rooted in humility and gratitude.
“I have been so fortunate to work with an incredibly selfless and dedicated group at CalTeach, with Kris Houston, Naehee Kwun, and Socorro Cambero,” he said. “Working with them daily fills me with gratitude for the shared mission and commitment we have, and my heart is filled with gratitude for being part of this team.”
He also cited Associate Professor Hosun Kang, who served as his Ph.D. advisor, as influential. He explained that through their work, he developed crucial skills and a strong vision of helping prepare aspiring science and math teachers to become socially just teachers. Zinger’s dissertation work focused on a fast-track STEM teacher preparation program, which helped him frame and contextualize CalTeach as a program that should focus on helping students “navigate and build on their own identities and experience as K-12 students, to help surface systemic issues and oppression and work on navigating challenges and developing instructional practice,” he said.
Offering advice for aspiring educators and administrators, Zinger said: “Serving our community serves us best, and knowing our communities positions us to serve them best. Life’s most challenging journeys, including holding leadership positions, take a community. Find your community, nurture your community and build your community.”