ORLANDO, Fla. – Officials from Valencia College and Orange and Osceola County schools on Thursday unveiled the details of a new apprenticeship program for college students who want to become elementary school teachers. It will allow students to work in schools while earning their degree in education from Valencia College.
“As Central Florida continues to grow, the need for teachers will also become more pressing. That’s why it’s critical for us as a community to come up with solutions to the teacher shortage,” said Dr. Kathleen Plinske, president of Valencia College. “We think this is an inventive solution that will be a good fit for many of our students.”
The apprenticeship program will enable students to work full-time while studying for their teaching degrees while gaining experience in the classroom. Valencia College officials said that students in the apprenticeship program will be able to complete their bachelor’s degree for less than $10,000.
Valencia College student Melissa Liriano will be one of the first in the program and says it is an amazing opportunity.
“Free tuition, you’re getting paid to do the job and to go to school,” Liriano said.
For the school districts, the joint announcement comes at a critical time. Both school districts are impacted by a statewide teacher shortage.
“I am excited about the potential this partnership has to address the teacher shortage here in Orange County that is being felt across the country. We believe this program can create a strong ‘grow your own’ teacher program by leveraging our robust dual enrollment partnership with Valencia,” said Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez. “This will be a unique opportunity to provide a clear path for our juniors and seniors who want to be classroom teachers and stay within OCPS.”
Together, Orange and Osceola schools need about 500 new elementary teachers a year. Valencia College officials estimate that this program could produce 180 new teachers by 2028.
The first step in entering the program is to apply to Valencia College and the only requirement is that you have a high school diploma or a GED.
To attract students to the new program, the districts and Valencia College also announced an upcoming open house on July 9.
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