A new teacher apprenticeship program at Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is helping address Florida’s teacher shortage by providing hands-on classroom experience for aspiring educators.
The program, created through House Bill 1035 passed by state lawmakers two years ago, matches paraprofessional educators with experienced teachers for two years of hands-on training.
Go inside FSW’s Teacher Apprenticeship Program as educators prepare for the first day of class:
FSW rolls out first Teacher Apprenticeship Program in Southwest Florida
Sarah Kugel is one of those apprentices, working alongside veteran Kindergarten teacher Kelly Shellhaas at Imagine Schools at North Port.
“I love making a difference in kid’s lives, and being like ‘oh, I taught them that, or we did this together'” Kugel said. “I just think seeing the progress from the beginning of the year…what you can help somebody accomplish.”…