Rapides Parish seniors sign letters of intent to become educators
05/04/2022
Leona Marks (Tioga High), Keontasia Hardison (Tioga High), Karley Coker (Plainview High), Maliyah Burns (Peabody Magnet High), and Diara Perry (Peabody Magnet High) signed their letter of intent as 2022 Aspiring Teachers.
The Rapides Parish School District followed the nationwide initiative for a national Educators Rising Signing Day that is held every year in which graduating seniors, that are declaring Education Majors, sign their intent letters to become future educators.
"Signing days, like this one, is important for these students because they are now undoubtedly encouraged and invested into the education field," said Maegan Schopper, Director of the Pre-Educator Pathway Program. "When students see the support for this field, it will help them to devote their time in college to become the best educator that they can possibly be because they know everyone is watching them pursue what they set out to do upon their signing day. We hope that students watching the signing will also be inspired and want to become an educator, or at least entertain the idea, after high school. This effort, today, was part of the district’s Grow Your Own initiative, with hope that the students that signed today, will make their way back to teach in Rapides Parish."
Throughout Rapides Parish, there are several high schools and junior highs that offer an Educators Rising Club and/or Pre-Educator Pathway. This club and pathway offer students an array of opportunities for students to develop classroom skills and experience through co-curricular learned and supervised clinical experiences while still in high school. The program seeks to diversify the education field by offering the club and/or pathway at culturally diverse schools. Our students learn the necessary prerequisites to have an accomplished and fruitful experience once they head off to college. The Educators Rising Club is offered from 6th-12th grade and the Pre-Educator Pathway is offered to juniors and seniors. If a student completes the Pre-Educator Pathway within 2 years, they have the potential to enter college with at least 6 college credit hours towards an Education Major.
Sarah Smith, Tioga High School Teacher and Director of the Educators Rising Club in the high school, believes that the club and program both help prepared her students for their future college careers. "It gives students an insight into the education field and the meaningful moves that teachers make each day," said Smith. "Through this program, the students have already experienced hands-on learning that typically doesn’t happen until their second year of college. Students will have a better foothold during their first year of college and set them up for a successful college experience."
Rapides Parish is looking forward to the future goals of the program and will be offering more opportunities to our future educators as the program continues to blossom.
The Rapides Parish School District followed the nationwide initiative for a national Educators Rising Signing Day that is held every year in which graduating seniors, that are declaring Education Majors, sign their intent letters to become future educators.
"Signing days, like this one, is important for these students because they are now undoubtedly encouraged and invested into the education field," said Maegan Schopper, Director of the Pre-Educator Pathway Program. "When students see the support for this field, it will help them to devote their time in college to become the best educator that they can possibly be because they know everyone is watching them pursue what they set out to do upon their signing day. We hope that students watching the signing will also be inspired and want to become an educator, or at least entertain the idea, after high school. This effort, today, was part of the district’s Grow Your Own initiative, with hope that the students that signed today, will make their way back to teach in Rapides Parish."
Sarah Smith, Tioga High School Teacher and Director of the Educators Rising Club in the high school, believes that the club and program both help prepared her students for their future college careers. "It gives students an insight into the education field and the meaningful moves that teachers make each day," said Smith. "Through this program, the students have already experienced hands-on learning that typically doesn’t happen until their second year of college. Students will have a better foothold during their first year of college and set them up for a successful college experience."
Rapides Parish is looking forward to the future goals of the program and will be offering more opportunities to our future educators as the program continues to blossom.