Description:
The District, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, has a keen interest in strengthening the teacher pipeline for the District by creating pathways for paraprofessionals to become teachers or other professionals in the District. The District is seeking partners to provide opportunities for currently appointed Paraprofessional staff to transition into teachers of record and other professional roles.
College Unbound will provide a program for approximately 30 paraprofessionals who have no college experience or have some college experience but no degree, to ensure they begin on their pathway to attaining a higher degree.
Cheyney will provide a program to approximately 35 paraprofessionals who have at least 45 credits from previous college experience who would like to return to college to complete their degree and obtain a teaching certification.
LaSalle University will provide a program to 15 paraprofessionals who have obtained a college degree but who have a GPA under 3.0 (which represents a barrier to certification) so that they can complete a teacher certification program.
These are estimated participation numbers based on the potential number of interested paraprofessionals. Actual enrollment interest will be determined by the interest of eligible paraprofessionals, the application process to the participating partner, and the overall budget through the program’s initial application response.
Success will be measured by the number of participants that enroll in the program, completion rates, and retention in the District for a minimum of two years. This work is connected to all District goals and guardrails in that this will support the District's ability to hire, promote, and retain more individuals from the Philadelphia community.