The Daviess County and Owensboro Public Schools districts have collaborated to create a new Teacher Education Academy, which will be part of the Community Campus program beginning August 2016.
This semester, approximately seven students piloted the program by taking a course at Kentucky Wesleyan College following up on the Owensboro Community and Technical College’s Introduction to Education class they took at Daviess County High School.
The program is designed to provide practical information and experience for students considering careers in the education field. Students will take Introduction to Education classes at their home schools of Apollo and Daviess County high schools through OCTC. Owensboro High School students will take their Intro to Education class at Brescia University. Upon taking classes in English 101 and Intro to Education through OCTC or Brescia University, teacher pathway classes will be taken on the campuses of local partner post-secondary institutions Kentucky Wesleyan College and Brescia University.
Introduction to Education classes have been offered for several years at Daviess County High School under the leadership of Therese Payne. Starting in the fall of 2016, they will also be available to students in-house at Apollo High School. AHS College and Career Readiness counselor Jeremy Camron will teach the course through OCTC. These classes offer students the opportunity to earn up to 21 hours of college credit from OCTC while still in high school through a combination of education and general education courses.
The goals of the Teacher Education Academy are to grow and develop a pipeline of highly qualified teachers for local public schools and to increase the overall diversity of the local teaching staff, in addition to fostering partnerships and promoting local post-secondary institutions as quality teacher education program options. The Teacher Academy allows students to take education courses through the Community Campus partnership at KWC or Brescia at a special cost of $50 per course at KWC or $45 at Brescia University. Credits will be transferrable to other education programs at colleges across Kentucky.
The program is open to students who will be juniors or seniors in the 2016-17 school year. Interested students should contact their high school guidance counselors.
“This career pathway program will be a great opportunity for our students,” said Dr. Nick Brake, OPS Superintendent. “They can take classes while in high school, go to college and get their degree, and then come right back and serve in our school system. It’s a win-win for not only OPS and DCPS but the local colleges as well.”
DCPS Superintendent Owens Saylor said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to nurture a love for learning in students who are still in high school with the vision of allowing them to earn a college degree and then return to classrooms right here in Daviess County as teachers.”
