BCSC introducing program to help paraeducators achieve teaching degree

The school bus Southside Elementary teacher Mark Yeaton drives sits parked in the bus lot at Southside Elementary in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Yeaton is pulling double duty as a teacher and bus driver due to BCSC bus driver shoratges. Yeaton completed his first solo bus route on Jan. 5, but is still learning the ins and outs of his route. He occasionally has to ask to students on his bus to warn him if he's going to miss a bus stop. Mike Wolanin | The Republic

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is introducing a Pathway to Teacher Licensure program that will allow paraeducators  to work full time in classrooms while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College online.

The program is designed to provide current teachers with highly qualified, motivated and dedicated support staff after weathering the pandemic, and to address teacher shortages.

The program will grow a broad cohort of teachers already trained in the systems, culture and high expectations of the BCSC district, school officials said.

This cohort of Pathway Paraeducators will take courses together online with mentor support from the college as well as from within BCSC. Tuition and textbooks will be paid for by BCSC under an agreement that participants maintain a certain GPA, meet support staff evaluation goals and remain with BCSC until degree completion.

As a licensed classroom teacher upon graduation, Pathway Paraeducators will be guaranteed a teaching position and are expected to commit to remaining in BCSC for two years.

Information sessions for interested candidates are planned June 23 and 24.

For the complete story, see Thursday’s Republic.