Carson City School Partners with iteach to Create a Grow Your Own Program with Full Tuition Reimbursement to Teachers
“Carson City has a reputation for hiring talented, dedicated teachers. It makes sense for Carson City School District (CCSD) to partner with our CAEP-accredited Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL) program, which offers rigorous educator preparation without the semester-to-semester time restrictions and cost associated with a brick-and-mortar university.” – Kimberly Thaggard, Western Director, iteach
CARSON CITY, NV- Last month, members of the Carson City Human Resources team reached out to iteach to create a “Grown Your Own” educator preparation program (EPP) that will enrich and license the degreed teacher candidates in their school community and surrounding areas.
The partnership will give Carson City full control of the teacher candidate recruitment process. At the same time, iteach will provide free test preparation and assume the creation, maintenance, and assessment of all coursework and educator platforms. “The most significant opportunity to address teacher shortages is investing in those who already know the school community and the students. To this end, establishing a “Grow Your Own” program with iteach provides an effective solution to provide students with highly effective teachers already familiar to the students and schools without sacrificing the cost and resources it takes to establish and maintain a district-wide educator prep program,” said Andrew Rozell MBA, President, iteach.
To further support teachers, Carson City has agreed to give a full reimbursement of iteach tuition to any candidate that completes the iteach program.
iteach is a national licensing provider accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) since 2009. CAEP accreditation is supported by evidence-based measures of equity and excellence in both instruction and curriculum.
“One of the core strengths of the iteach curriculum is that it is intentional. The content, voice, and design make it clear that it was developed by experienced, purposeful educators with high expectations and with great respect for teaching and learning,” said Wendy Amato, Chief Academic Officer at Learner’s Edge and Professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Education.
iteach is also a one-stop-shop for candidates, providing all the courses needed to earn a Standard License in Nevada.
While iteach candidates may already hold post-bac degrees, many are new to the classroom. To support these teachers in their first year, EPP candidates are assigned a one-on-one supervisor for their field experience to provide mentorship, guidance, and perform formal observations. These supervisors work in tandem with schools and principals to ensure growth and coaching. As an iteach “Grown Your Own” partner CCSD has elected to use former Carson City principals and teachers familiar with the district’s vision and goals to lead these new recruits with a compensation of $1000.00 per field experience. “The Carson City School District is excited to partner with iteach Nevada on this project. Goal 1 of our district strategic plan, Empower Carson City 2027, is to recruit and retain exceptional personnel. iteach will help us achieve that goal,” said Andrew Feuling, Carson City School District Superintendent.
iteach was approved by the Nevada Department of Education (DOE) in 2018 and since has joined forces with an enterprise that supports the complete lifecycle of the educator journey from test preparation, initial certification, and licensure, to coaching, professional development, additional endorsements, and career advancement. This enterprise includes the American College of Education which rewards every iteach completer with 12 hours toward one of its master’s degree pathways.
For more information about the CCSD/iteach “Grow Your Own” Program please contact Tasha Fuson, Associate Superintendent for Carson City Schools.
About iteach:
iteach is a nationally accredited online alternative teacher certification program that helps individuals who have a bachelor’s degree obtain a teaching license outside traditional pathways. It proudly places thousands of teachers in classrooms each year.
iteach is part of a larger organization that includes Learners Edge, Teaching Channel, Insight Advance, Insight Education Group, and Lavinia Group. They were founded by educators who identified a better way to utilize technology to improve certification, training, coaching, and career advancement. iteach is expanding in the United States and is approved in Arizona, Arkansas, the District of Colombia, Indiana, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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