The teachers received their master’s degrees this month from UofL after completing the Louisville Teacher Residency (LTR) program, which is designed to increase the pool of diverse, highly skilled teachers in low-performing urban schools.

The program, the first of its kind in Kentucky, offers college graduates who did not major in education the opportunity to obtain a master’s degree and teaching certification in one year. In exchange, they commit to teach in a high-needs JCPS school.

“UofL is deeply grateful for our partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools to implement a teacher residency program that recruits, retains and elevates future educators,” said Amy Lingo, interim dean of the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development (CEHD).

The 2023-24 LTR program begins in June, with a class of up to 50 residents. During the residency year, participants spend four days a week in the classroom alongside JCPS master teachers. During the summer and on Fridays, the residents will attend classes at UofL, and complete coursework co-designed by JCPS and the university. Participants will earn $30,000 plus benefits from JCPS during their residency then commit to work for five years in an Accelerated Improvement School (AIS) within JCPS.

Class Act Credit Union committed up to $300,000 for scholarships and programming for the first three years of LTR and has committed to the same funding for another three years.

Individuals interested in applying for the LTR program should visit the . Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree and at least a 2.75 GPA. Participants need not be a minority to apply, though the district is prioritizing candidates in high-needs areas, including minority representation and math and science teachers.

The OVEC Teacher Residency Program (OVEC-TRP) offers college graduates with a degree other than education the opportunity to earn a master’s degree and teaching certification in one year, in exchange for their commitment to teach in schools within participating districts. Reaching minority candidates to help diversify classrooms is a focus of the program.  

The initiative follows the success of the program in partnership with Jefferson County Public School’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Poverty, now in its second year. OVEC-TRP hopes to build the impact on schools in districts throughout the Ohio Valley Region.

“We are thankful for our partnership with Jefferson County and OVEC districts,” said Stefanie Wooten-Burnett, clinical assistant professor and Director of Multiple Pathways for Teacher Certification in the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development. “We know our teacher residency model is effective in recruiting diverse teachers, and now we have the opportunity to implement the model in more schools throughout the region.”

Beginning this summer, 18 candidates will begin the OVEC-TRP program, funded in part . The grant will pay for half of a student’s graduate tuition, stipends for mentor teachers in OVEC schools, test preparation materials and payment for books and other materials. Districts determine salaries and additional support for program participants during their year of residency.

“Creating an inclusive environment in Kentucky classrooms is critical to building a diverse and culturally-competent workforce, and that starts with our educators,” said CPE President Aaron Thompson. “Increasing the number of teachers from underrepresented groups, as part of our work to eliminate disparities in education, will strengthen our communities and economy.”

The program is unique in its emphasis on the codesign of coursework to meet the needs of districts.

“We call them District Supported Learning classes,” said Wooten-Burnett. “We partner with district personnel to design content for coursework, so the curriculum is tailored specifically to their respective needs.”

Matching teacher-to-student demographics in rural schools is a task of increased focus and attention for administrators, particularly

“Our goal from the beginning has been to remove barriers,” Wooten-Burnett said. “This is about recruiting and retaining minority candidates who want to work in schools with the goal of removing barriers to help them be successful as teachers.”

Now, as a part of the inaugural class of graduates from the Louisville Teacher Residency program, Daugherty has signed a contract to launch her career as a teacher in a Jefferson County Public Schools classroom.

“I’m so glad I did the residency program,” Daugherty said. “There is no other teaching program in the state that prepares you to provide an equitable education to a diverse group of students like this one does.”   

The program is a collaboration between the UofL College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development and JCPS to recruit and train more teachers of color for JCPS schools.

Of the 28 students receiving their Master of the Arts in Teaching degree from UofL, 21 are teachers of color. The students received a reduced tuition rate, $30,000 stipend and were paired with a mentoring teacher from JCPS. The accelerated degree program required students to teach four days a week with instruction from UofL professors on the fifth day. It also allowed students to complete their master’s degree in just one year. In return, they have agreed to teach in a JCPS Accelerated Improvement School, or a school approved by the district, for five years.

The interim dean of UofL’s College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, Amy Lingo, sees the first year of the teacher residency program as a huge success on many levels.

“This has expanded our relationship with JCPS, furthered UofL’s commitment to equity, and brought talented people into teaching who might not have otherwise considered it as a career,” Lingo said. “We look forward to watching them make their mark with the students in our community.”

Sixty percent of JCPS’ enrollment is students of color, and JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio says the school district is committed to recruiting, training and retaining more diverse teachers.

“The Louisville Teacher Residency program is a key piece in our equity effort, putting more teachers in classrooms who look like our students,” Pollio said.

These newest teachers range in age from 23 to 60 and come from a broad range of backgrounds. For several, teaching will be a second or third career.

Nearly 37% of JCPS students are African-American, yet just over 12% of its full-time teachers are black.

“When students identify with a teacher in their classroom it fosters a sense of belonging, promotes engaging interactions, and improves student outcomes,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio. “The Louisville Teacher Residency program strives to not just increase the number of minority and other high-needs teachers, but to make sure those teachers have the skills and experience they need to make a positive impact on our students.”

The LTR program offers college graduates who did not major in education the opportunity to obtain a master’s degree and teaching certification in one year, in exchange for their commitment to teach in a high-needs JCPS school. , the program is modeled after similar programs in Chicago and St. Louis. 

The program kicks off in June, with an inaugural class of 30 residents. Following a Thursday press conference, that the goal is to expand the program to offer 100 slots. This would provide one solution to the district’s teacher shortage problem. The CJ reports that JCPS’ 155 schools had more than 100 vacant teaching positions midway through this school year.  

Though there are benefits for the school district in bridging the teacher shortage gap, and for UofL students in gaining hands-on experience, Kaarmel Eaves, a third-grade teacher at Semple Elementary, that the program should especially be beneficial for her students. 

“Kids when they see somebody that looks like them and has the same life experiences as them, it just matters to them,” she said. “I think they relate better, and when you instruct them, they receive the information better.” 

During the residency year, participants will spend four days a week in the classroom alongside JCPS master teachers, who will mentor them while the residents engage in hands-on teaching experiences. During the summer and on Fridays, residents will attend classes at UofL, and complete coursework co-designed by JCPS and the university.

Participants will earn $30,000 plus benefits from JCPS during their residency then commit to work for five years in an Accelerated Improvement School (AIS) within JCPS. 

“The University of Louisville is honored to partner with Jefferson County Public Schools to implement the first teacher residency program in the commonwealth,” said UofL Provost Beth Boehm. “UofL is committed to preparing high quality educators to meet the district’s needs and to improving P-12 student achievement. The Louisville Teacher Residency program is a unique opportunity for UofL and JCPS to diversify the teacher workforce and is an extension of the university’s call to celebrate diversity, foster equity and strive for inclusion.”

In addition to experience, a salary and benefits, candidates in the program can also receive a boost from Class Act Credit Union, which is committing up to $300,000 over three years for $3,000 scholarships to participants, as well as funding assistance for faculty evaluations and programming.

Individuals interested in applying for the LTR program should . Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree and at least a 2.75 GPA. Participants need not be a minority to apply, though the district is prioritizing candidates in high-needs areas, including minority representation and math and science teachers.