St. Joseph students Lou Lengudi and Emily Dalrymple always knew they wanted to go into education. Now, through the Career Pathways to Teaching program, those dreams are becoming a reality sooner than they could ever imagine.
It all started four years ago when the St. Joseph School District decided to help grow their own students for the teaching profession. Henceforth, the career Pathways to Teaching professions courses were born, targeting juniors and seniors in high school.
The courses taught at Hillyard Technical Center are dual credit through Missouri Western State University. During the student’s junior year, they would take foundations of education and an observation course. Once senior year comes, each student can choose between two pathways.
One allows students to spend four days in a classroom with a teacher of their choice. The other is a new program this year that hires 12 seniors to be paraprofessionals who then work in their designated school building five days a week. Each student has to pass a paraprofessional test prior to being hired at level two by the district.
Nine students started last May helping out with summer school. Not only is it a chance to earn dual credit, but students are also getting paid just as they would with a regular job. “We have learned through the early college academy offerings that students want to take advantage of those classes and go to college with some of their credits already accomplished,” said Becky Jones, Career Pathway.
