As the 2024–25 school year begins, Kentucky’s Education Professional Standards Board announced the approval of two innovative undergraduate programs in partnership with Lake Erie College and BloomBoard. These residency-like bachelor’s degree programs aim to streamline and improve teacher preparation in Kentucky. They offer a sustainable solution to the state’s teacher shortage by providing school districts with an accessible, high-quality model for developing talent directly within their K–12 classrooms.
The newly approved programs include on-the-job pathways for Lake Erie College’s Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Arts in Mild to Moderate Intervention Specialist. The degree programs’ innovative approach enables aspiring teachers to earn their bachelor’s degrees while working inside district classrooms and earning a salary. With no night or weekend classes, this model significantly lessens the traditional barriers of time and cost associated with earning a degree. Participants receive coaching and can readily apply what they learn.
“These new programs are a game changer for Kentucky school districts looking to address their teacher shortages into the future,” said Sanford Kenyon, CEO of BloomBoard. “The on-the-job model offers access and affordability that can’t be matched by traditional teacher development programs. We have seen in other states that participating school districts can quickly become employers of choice within their regions.”
Through this partnership, Kentucky school districts can invest in their future by supporting cohorts of aspiring teachers who work within the school district in such roles as paraprofessionals. This model provides a path forward for community residents who may not have access to a traditional preparation pathway.
“These high-quality, on-the-job teacher prep programs are practical and effective solutions for a vast unmet need in Kentucky,” said Dustin Howard, Superintendent of Clark County Public Schools. “Allowing aspiring teachers to earn degree credit and a salary while they’re working in real classrooms is a win-win for school districts and for program participants.”
The approval of these undergraduate programs builds on the success of BloomBoard’s Kentucky Teacher Rank Change and Advancement programs. In partnership with the Western Kentucky Educational Cooperative (WKEC), BloomBoard now offers the RankUp KY! program, helping Kentucky teachers earn a Rank II or Rank I through on-the-job courses integrated into their classroom practice. More than 1,200 teachers have enrolled in an on-the-job rank change program offered by BloomBoard and its partners in the past four years.
“The success of the RankUp KY! program has proven that on-the-job training is a top-notch instructional model,” said Gretchen Wetzel, Executive Director of the West Kentucky Educational Cooperative. “This new bachelor’s degree program builds on that strong delivery system, allowing aspiring educators to earn credit by demonstrating what they know within a real classroom and applying new learning immediately. Kentucky district leaders will be delighted with an expansion of the on-the-job advancement offering.”
Source: PR Newswire
