LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's largest school system has teamed up with the University of Louisville to start a teacher residency program, officials said.
The program, aimed at combating teacher shortages, would allow people who received a degree in a field other than education to get a master's degree from U of L while shadowing an experienced teacher at Jefferson County Public Schools, the Courier Journal reported.
In exchange, participants would commit to teaching in one of the district's lowest-performing schools for five years.
The accelerated one-year initiative would be the first of its kind in Kentucky, officials said.
The residency will be "transformational" in efforts to attract people to the education field, JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said.
"JCPS is investing in them," U of L Provost Beth Boehm said. "We're investing in them and we know we will get a return on our investment."
An initial 30-person cohort is expected to begin courses in June and then be in classrooms with a master teacher in August.
Requirements to apply include a bachelor's degree with at least a 2.75 GPA.
