Something to celebrate: students sign on to become local teachers
It was a moment worth celebrating. Parents, teachers, administrators, and community partners gathered as nearly 50 Pasadena ISD high school seniors pledged to become a teacher at the district’s teacher signing day ceremony. With their pledge, these students will cross the graduation stage with more than a diploma in their hand — they’ve also earned the promise of a job interview upon completion of their associate’s and bachelor’s degrees.
“You walk in [to signing day], and you see the families coming with flowers and cards. They know this is going to make a huge difference for their families in the future,” said Albert Talley, Department Chair for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Education at San Jacinto College (SJCC). “For us, it’s a huge deal to be a part of. We’re in the community, and we value that. We want students to know that we’re here to support them along the way in their journey.”
‘There is no more important profession’
These students are part of the district’s education and training program, through which they earned their educational aide/paraprofessional certification. The program is part of a unique partnership with San Jacinto Community College. Upon high school graduation, students can work–and be compensated–as a paraprofessional within Pasadena ISD while also earning their bachelor’s degree in education from SJCC.
With a full teacher certification, they are then eligible for an interview with Pasadena ISD. The best part: Through this partnership, the first 60 hours at SJCC are free.
“When they finish the program and get their degree, they are like a five-year veteran.They’ve been mentored by some of the best teachers we have in the district, they’ve learned classroom management, and it makes them stronger,” said Marty Moffett, human resources coordinator at Pasadena ISD. “I have always said there’s no more important profession than to be a teacher and inspire others to be better each and every day. This is something we can help them grow to be.”
Meeting the need
The partnership between Pasadena ISD and SJCC provides a seamless pathway for students to enter and complete educator preparation programs. Statewide, educator preparation program completion rates remain low, with only about one in three aspiring teachers finishing their training since 2019.
The program is an exemplar of retaining highly trained, certified, and local talent to educate the region’s students, and one Houston Endowment Education Program Officer Carlos Villagrana describes as a “win-win.”
“When you have this type of program and partnership, you’re able to reduce barriers,” he said. “Long-term, we want to continue to build out and make this type of programming more sustainable to benefit not just the district and higher ed, but also the students.”