Rapides Parish Lays the Groundwork to Grow Next Generation of Teachers
BATON ROUGE, La. – State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley yesterday named Rapides Parish Schools’ Pre-Educator Pathway as one of Louisiana’s Models of Excellence, a statewide award that recognizes benchmark programs that exemplify the Louisiana Department of Education’s Believe to Achieve priorities.
“The Pre-Educator Pathway immerses students into meaningful field and clinical experiences, allowing them to begin learning how to become high-quality educators,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “I am so proud of Rapides Parish’s strong commitment to growing the next generation of Louisiana teachers.”
The Pre-Educator Pathway is offered to juniors and seniors in four high schools in Rapides Parish Schools with forty students currently enrolled in the program. Through a partnership with Louisiana State University at Alexandria (LSUA), students earn dual enrollment credit and will graduate high school with enough credentials and microcredentials to immediately begin working as paraprofessionals.
“We are excited about the work Mrs. Schopper and her team are doing to help build a pipeline of future teachers with the Pre-Educator Pathway Program,” said Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Jeff Powell. “Their work will be instrumental in ensuring we have great, qualified educators for positions in Rapides Parish. We are very thankful to our higher education partners for their support in creating a pathway that allows high school students to graduate prepared and complete their goal of becoming an educator in Rapides Parish.”
Rapides Parish Schools has a system-level vision for growing their Pre-Educator Pathway. Along with appointing a coordinator to implement and serve as a point of contact, training was provided for all of the teacher leaders. The system’s strategic plan for growth has been focused on collaboration between teachers and system personnel along with building a positive partnership with LSUA.
In September, students were introduced to what it means to be a teacher in Rapides Parish with speakers including Superintendent Powell, grant writers, curriculum specialists, and human resource representatives. While the courses are designed for recruiting and preparing future educators, the course learning is applicable for all those interested in public service as you learn how to be a support for the community throughout the coursework.
Dr. Brumley made the announcement during a celebration event at Tioga High School. Dr. Brumley was joined by Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Jeff Powell, leadership from Rapides Parish Schools, representatives from LSUA, State Representative Michael Johnson, BESE member Thomas Roque, school system superintendents from Region 6, Teacher and Principal of the Year honorees, and Louisiana Department of Education staff.
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