How to Build a Grow-Your-Own Student-to-Teacher Pipeline

As part of the AASPA Annual Conference, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) and Proximity Learning hosted an educational panel called Grow Your Own: Kansas City’s Co-Teaching Training Model. The panel explored the Kansas City Kansas Teaching Fellows program and the integration of Proximity’s live certified teachers, aimed at creating direct and supportive pathways into the teaching profession and encouraging other district leaders to create their own grow-your-own programs.

The Kansas City Kansas Teaching Fellows program first began in 2001 when Kansas City, Missouri and KCKPS noticed that retiring teachers and a slow student-to-teacher pipeline were contributing to an increasing number of teacher vacancies. Although the program has greatly evolved since then, the teacher shortage remains a challenge for schools across the country. “For those that are in the public school sector, it’s almost like we’re under attack with the shortage of teachers,” said Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Proximity Learning, Dr. Michael Robinson. “We have lost over 400,000 positions to vacancies or uncertified teachers, and we lose 46,000 special education teachers every year.”

What is the Kansas City Kansas Teaching Fellows program?

The Kansas City Kansas Teaching Fellows program is an accelerated program that allows professionals outside of the field of education to transition into teaching and eventually be hired in the district as the Teacher of Record. Partnered with local colleges and universities, KCKPS supports individuals completing their practicums, internships and/or student teaching experiences to obtain their degree while on the pathway to becoming a certified teacher. Chalita Middleton, Director of Human Resources Secondary at KCKPS, expressed the educational traction the program received when it began partnering with Fort Hays State University: ”We’re filling math and science. We have engineers. We have accountants coming in. We have psychologists that are coming in and trying to do our pathways…But then they fell off, and we’re like, ‘Wait a minute, what do we have to do to keep them?’”

After hearing from fellows’ experiences, KCK realized they needed more support in the classroom. The program provides fellows with two instructional coaches at the middle and high schools, multiple assistant and lead principals, and cohort leads to help guide the fellows throughout the process. But the support they were receiving from them wasn’t enough. Middleton explained, “And so this is when we said, ‘Okay, how can we have a co-teacher in the space without putting a strain on our teachers that are there?’”

How does Proximity Learning support the Kansas City Kansas Teaching Fellows program?

Proximity Learning hires fully certified virtual teachers to co-teach alongside the fellows throughout their first semester in the program. “[The fellows] partner with Proximity Learning from day one. We do Proximity training with this group in the summer so that they know exactly what it looks like, how to use the technology, who they need to reach out to for resources,” said Middleton, emphasizing how fellows are coached from the beginning to ensure they know how to co-teach with a certified virtual teacher. KCKPS quickly realized how overwhelming stepping into the teaching environment can be for the fellows, so they provided them with Proximity teachers to help ease the transition into full-teacher mode.

In the fight against the teacher shortage, KCKPS chose to think outside the box and uphold its dedication to providing quality education. Now in their fourth year of partnership, KCKPS and Proximity Learning know that the best solution is to have qualified in-person teachers, so they’re ready to help promote the student-to-teacher pipeline however they can. Dr. Jarius Jones, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources at KCKPS, highlights, “Now [the fellows] have someone who is certified, who is trained, who is an educator that’s supporting [them] with delivering that instruction, and [they’re] able to hone in on [their] classroom management as well as the content.”

How does Proximity Learning support its teachers?

Proximity Learning follows a strict hiring process to secure certified and experienced teachers trained for virtual instruction. “Think of Proximity as an extension of your school district,” said Dr. Michael Robsinson. “We have our HR team that’ll look through the transcripts. Praxis is the number one thing that we look for. If they’re in another state, we look at their license. Is their license valid? Did it expire?” Proximity will go through all of the appropriate channels to guarantee that the teacher they hire is licensed to teach in their respective state. 

Once Proximity teachers are integrated into the KCK Teaching Fellows program, they still have their own support leaders who look after the classroom as a whole. Dr. Michael Robinson detailed, “We have TLS (Teaching and Learning Specialists) who coach our teachers. We have an account manager who works with Chalita’s team in the summer to get folks prepared for what they have to do.” The TLS will virtually observe the teachers and provide feedback to guarantee they are delivering quality instruction. 

As fellows progress through the program, they have the rest of their cohort to lean on as they grow together through this learning experience. But the integration of the Proximity Learning teacher into the program has offered fellows a next-level support that will elevate their teaching skills. Dr. Jarius Jones reiterated, “But the Proximity part, as I say, was a game changer.”

What is the timeline for the Kansas City Kansas Teaching Fellows program?

To become part of the Kansas City Kansas Teaching Fellows program, individuals must first apply, interview, and create a lesson plan to present in front of the KCK team. Fellows are selected by March and then begin the program in the summer, where they will kick off with:

• 6 weeks of co-teaching during summer school with a Proximity Learning teacher in the morning
• 6 weeks of a summer bootcamp led by their instructional coach in the afternoon
• In the Fall, fellows will meet with their Proximity Learning instructor before classes officially begin
• 16 weeks of co-teaching with their Proximity educator throughout the first semester
• Fellows become the Teacher of Record starting from January in the second semester

Proximity Learning supports schools from students to teachers

Proximity Learning is committed to bringing quality instruction to your classrooms, whether that may be through supporting students or teachers. Our live certified teachers provide professional guidance and support to student teachers who may just be starting their educational careers. We know teaching is no easy feat, which is why our teachers will be there every step of the way to help future educators unlock their full potential. 

Know your funding is used on something that makes a real impact. Contact us to learn how Proximity Learning can be a partner for your school’s Grow-Your-Own program today.