PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Now halfway through the Pinellas County Schools’ Teacher Apprenticeship program, participants are well on their way to fulfilling lifelong goals and leading a new wave of educators.
At the Nina Harris ESE Center in Pinellas County, Tamara McKinney and Michelle Beamon shined in front of a classroom of students.
“I always wanted to become a teacher,” said McKinney.
“I wouldn’t have thought in a million years that I would be in this position,” said Beamon.
ABC Action News first met McKinney and Beamon last May.
Fast forward and now the two are halfway through the two-year Teacher Apprenticeship program with Pinellas County Schools.
“It’s going really well,” said McKinney. “It’s going really well.”
Right now, 25 apprentices are almost done with their first year in the program, which provides hands-on experience with mentorship from experienced teachers.
“Our support employees are given an opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s of Education through on-the-job training at no cost to them,” said Dr. Nicole Gallucci-Landis, the HR Partner for Secondary Programs with Pinellas County Schools. “We found employees who are current support employees and who have the passion, the drive, and the dedication to our schools and communities, and they wanted to become a teacher, and for whatever reason in their life, they haven’t been able to.”
The initiative also helps build up a pipeline of teachers. The program launched last spring in partnership with St. Petersburg College.
Participants can earn a Bachelor’s degree in Exceptional Student Education (ESE) with Reading/ESOL endorsements or Primary Pre-K Education with Reading/ESOL endorsements.
McKinney and Beamon admit it’s been an eye-opening experience so far.
“I’ve learned a lot of what the teachers have to do that we don’t get to see that can be challenging,” said Beamon.
“Now that I’m really getting into the thick of things, I’ve learned that there is a lot of paperwork, a lot of paperwork when it comes to being a teacher,” said McKinney.
As they inch closer to the finish line, they also serve as inspiration that now is a good time to work toward your dream.
“It’s a great opportunity, not just for me, but for somebody that would probably have the desire to do what we’re doing, and they always were holding back,” said Beamon. “Through us, I feel like they can see that it can be done. They can do it.”
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