December 9, 2019 – Amarillo ISD will partner with Amarillo College and Texas Tech University on a 2 + 1 teacher certification program that will put additional teachers in AISD classrooms as soon as the 2021-2022 school year.
The 2 + 1 Teacher Certification Program fast tracks students from college to classroom in three years. After earning an associate degree from Amarillo College, students could then enroll in a one calendar year intensive teacher certification program from Texas Tech. Students who complete the program and pass the content exam would graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech and full teacher certification.
During the one-year intensive program at Texas Tech, students will complete 54 hours of courses assigned in the Texas Tech degree plan, meet with a cohort one day a week and student teach in AISD three days a week, providing a pathway to a potential teaching position.
“Those who successfully complete the 2 + 1 program and meet the rigorous standards of AISD would then undergo the interview, selection and hiring process to become AISD teachers,” said Executive Director of Human Resources Chris Tatum.
The 2 + 1 program helps address a national teacher shortage, and will initially target certifications in early childhood through sixth grade core subjects and fourth through eighth grade math. “Like most districts, we’re looking for ways to create pipelines for future teachers that provide appropriate support and encouragement, while ensuring they can meet our standards of being considered certified and highly qualified when they graduate. The 2 + 1 teacher certification program does that,” said Tatum.
For AISD graduates who are eligible for the Thrive Scholarship, their cost at Amarillo College would be covered by the scholarship. Anticipated participation projects nearly two dozen students at Amarillo College will qualify for entrance to the program in July 2020, with the first students ready for hire for the fall 2021 semester. The expected annual cohort is 15-20 students.
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