Education
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
Aspiring educators with a bachelor’s degree or some college, but no teaching certification, have a new inroad to the classroom in Georgetown ISD. Participants in GISD’s grow your own program will work under a mentor teacher in the classroom while they complete their degrees and earn their certification. In April, GISD trustees approved the program via an amendment to its District of Innovation plan. As a DOI, GISD can be exempted from some state laws listed in the Texas Education Code, said Wes Vanicek, the district’s chief strategist for assessment and feedback. Vanicek said this will help fill positions that the district has struggled to find suitable candidates for in the long term. GISD OKs teacher certification plan
About the program
Program expenses Georgetown ISD will pick up some of the biggest costs associated with completing a bachelor's degree, however, the paraprofessional participants will still incur some expenses.
In partnership with Indiana Wesleyan University and teacher certification program Teachworthy, the program will help staff obtain their bachelor’s degrees, as well as their teaching certifications, while employed with the district, if they do not already have a degree. The first cohort will have a minimum of 50 college credit hours, Amanda Johnson, GISD’s executive director for human resources, said. They will also require a recommendation from their campus principal, and apply as a classroom instructor for existing vacancies within the district. Called Georgetown Recognizes & Elevates Aspiring Teachers, the program will be specifically offered to current full-time paraprofessionals within the district, Johnson said during an April board meeting. She said this will also act as an incentive to
Paid for by participants:
Books Certification exam Posted certification
Paid for by the district:
Tuition Program fees
SOURCE: GEORGETOWN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
backfill paraprofessional positions as they com- plete the program and move into the classroom. “Over the past several years, we’ve struggled in our classrooms,” Johnson said. “Obviously that has an impact on our students and so we’re constantly looking for creative ways to recruit teachers.”
What’s next
Position exemptions Vanicek said individuals who earn their certification and degree through the program will not be able to teach in the following content areas:
Melinda Brasher, GISD’s executive director of communications and community engagement, said the district does not yet have a figure for what the program will cost. However, during board discussions of the program, administrators said some of the cost will be absorbed by the difference in salary. The midpoint for paraprofessionals in the district is $24,800, and GREAT program participants will see their pay increased to $38,000.
Participants will begin their pedagogy modules in May, with their placements to follow in June. The first cohort of 15 teachers are expected to complete their degree and certification by the end of the 2024-25 school year, Johnson said. An initial application was shared internally, and the program will continue to only be offered to GISD employees. Following the end of the program, participants will be able to teach solo in their own classroom, filling vacancies throughout the district.
Prekindergarten
Bilingual education
Special education
SOURCE: GEORGETOWN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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