April Jackson graduated from Manual High School in 1986. She’s worked with the district as a paraprofessional for years, currently as Elise Ford Allen Academy's librarian.
Jackson is one of 10 Peoria Public Schools paraprofessionals who will become teachers under a new program at the district.
The Teacher Apprenticeship Program allows paraprofessionals with an associates degree to earn their bachelor’s while continuing to work for the district. It’s one of many programs District 150 is using to improve staffing.
Jackson said she put her college education on hold so her children could achieve their degrees. She said she was drawn to this program because she could earn her degree while giving back to the schools she was once a student at.
“Living out being an alumni and then being able to give back to the students is huge, because you truly do care about the students, and that's that's the whole thing,” she said.
Linda Wilson, Gateway to Teaching coordinator, said the apprentices will complete an online program and work alongside teachers over the next two years.
“They will be submitting artifacts and actually practicing methods and their classes,” she said. “They'll be participating with their clinical experiences one hour every day, and they do not have to worry about quitting work or anything like that, and because they will have protected time.”
Teachers will earn their bachelor’s from Lake Erie College.
“A lot of times our paraprofessionals want to become teachers, but they have barriers that might be in the way that may not allow them to become teachers, financial barriers in particular,” Wilson said.
J’Air Archibald is another participant and a current substitute teacher. He said he’d like to become a special education teacher.
“[The students] need the special and individualized attention that a lot of them aren't just able to get the resources, whether it be the lack of the teachers or the lack of time,” he said.
Archibald is also a Peoria Public School graduate and said he’s excited to teach at the district.
“It's very important that we take care of the community that we're from, and whenever we have the chance to give back, we do so,” he said. “So I look forward to teaching for the peer public schools for many, many years.”
All program participants sign commitments that they will teach at District 150 after graduating.
Kiare Shird currently works at the Glen Oak Community Learning Center. He said he’s wanted to be a teacher since he was a kid.
“I had some aunties that was teachers, and my grandparents also was lunch ladies and always surrounded school, so I was around an education field,” he said.
He said after he heard about the program he reached out to Wilson about the program right away
“I feel like I needed this years ago, and I'm glad it’s just now coming, so I have the opportunity to still work and make money while earning my degree the next two years,” he said.
The program is funded through teacher vacancy funds used to improve teacher recruiting and retention. The program officially begins in January.