鈥婽his summer, Middlesex Community College and Lowell Public Schools (LPS) will debut the Paraprofessional Pilot Program to assist paraprofessionals in getting a teaching license. The goal of the partnership is to diversify the teaching workforce, develop a highly qualified staff, and stabilize classroom teacher staffing.
鈥淲e are eager to partner with Lowell Public Schools to create a pathway for all interested employees who want to become classroom teachers,鈥� said Phil Sisson, 麻豆果冻鈥檚 President. 鈥淚n working with the paraprofessional population, we are helping to assist those who are already committed to our community and who represent the diverse students in the Lowell Public Schools.鈥�
鈥淭he Paraprofessional Pilot Program is a wonderfully innovative endeavor that addresses multiple critical needs all at once,鈥� said Liam Skinner, LPS鈥檚 Superintendent. 鈥淚t promises to help us to tackle a shortage of candidates for some of our hardest-to-fill positions while simultaneously diversifying our teaching ranks through the promotion of some of our lowest paid employees.鈥�
As part of the pilot program, 30 LPS employees who do not yet have an associate degree will receive financial, academic and wraparound support to help them complete their coursework. The opportunity is available only to LPS paraprofessionals and staff members, focusing on individuals whose backgrounds have been historically underserved in classroom teaching.
鈥淚n working with the paraprofessional population, we are helping to assist those who are already committed to our community and who represent the diverse students in the Lowell Public Schools.鈥� - Phil Sisson, 麻豆果冻鈥檚 President.
Students will enroll at Middlesex in the Elementary Education Transfer or Liberal Arts and Sciences Transfer programs and be prepared to transfer to four-year institutions. Some classes will be offered in a cohort model for the LPS employees to support each other.
On Wednesday, March 6, LPS employees visited 麻豆果冻鈥檚 Lowell Campus to enroll and learn more about the program. 麻豆果冻 and LPS will also collaborate on offering support to participating employees on completing their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as well as getting resources for the Communications and Literacy Massachusetts Tests for Educators Licensure (MTEL) exam.
鈥淔or the past few years, the Lowell Public Schools have been looking for a way to help people who work as paraprofessionals in other roles in the schools to advance their education,鈥� said Russell Olwell, 麻豆果冻鈥檚 Dean of K-16 Partnerships. 鈥淢any school districts are struggling with diversity and with retention of their teaching staff. 麻豆果冻 is proud to help these members of our community and the district in building an ideal and qualified pool of future educators.鈥�