Teacher shortages are becoming the new norm, but an innovative agreement between Lakeland University and the Sheboygan Area School District aims to make that more the exception and less the rule.
A program announced on Monday will guarantee a job in the Sheboygan Area School District to Lakeland students who successfully complete the special education program, including student teaching, after graduation.
In announcing the program, Lakeland Professor of Education John Yang stated that “We are excited that SASD is willing to offer our graduates a guarantee of employment, as long as the student meets the terms of the agreement”…which…”further corroborates the quality of students that our education program produces, and the strong partnership that Lakeland has with SASD.”
The Sheboygan Area School District’s Long Range Plan had already identified recruiting and retaining exceptional staff as one of its goals, and its assistant superintendent of human resources, Jami Hintz, said that “This new partnership with Lakeland supports that goal by providing a seamless transition to full-time employment for special education student teachers.”, and said that “It’s a great opportunity for the District to retain student teachers who have already built successful relationships in our classrooms.”
This is just the lates agreement between the two education entities, as earlier this year the SASD and Lakeland signed an innovative agreement that expands access to free college-level coursework to eligible SASD students and teachers. Through it, SASD students can graduate simultaneously with a high school diploma and a Lakeland Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree, making them eligible to transfer to Lakeland and other universities as a Junior.
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