Partnership among Capital University, Columbus State Community College, and Columbus City Schools will diversify the teaching force and increase qualified substitute teachers
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 15, 2023 – In collaboration with Columbus State Community College and Columbus City Schools, Capital University has created the Capital City Teacher Residency program to help diversify the teaching workforce, deliver a pipeline of qualified teachers and substitute teachers to the Columbus City Schools district, and provide critical mentorship and hands-on training to students exploring a career in education.
The initiative, which will enroll its first cohort of students this fall, has been partially supported by a grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, part of $5.2 million made available to Ohio colleges to address the shortage of educators throughout the state.
CCTR is an asynchronous, online program not only for college students looking to become teachers but for those looking to change careers and those who have a strong calling to return to school to earn their education degree or teacher licensure. For students enrolled in the Columbus State Community College 2+2 program, CCTR is a direct transfer pathway to Capital University beginning in a student’s third year.
While at Capital, teacher candidates can be full-time, paid substitute teachers at Columbus City Schools while taking courses to fulfill graduation requirements.
“This unique model provides students earlier opportunities to gain valuable classroom experience while also fulfilling a critical community need: more qualified teachers in the classroom,” said Dr. Bradley Conrad, professor of education at Capital and co-founder of CCTR.
This program offers individuals the opportunity to take online courses from Capital University professors to earn their education licensure, or complete their bachelor’s degree if necessary, while getting paid to work during the day in Columbus City Schools classrooms, where they will gain hands-on, field-based experiences under the guidance of mentor teachers and university supervisors.
“A good education program can teach aspiring teachers how to be successful,” Conrad said. “But it is an entirely different thing to know how to be successful in a particular district before your first day. The Capital City Teacher Residency program can provide context-specific training to future educators while empowering today’s Columbus City Schools high school students to be tomorrow’s educators right here at home.”
Through the Columbus Promise program, those students graduating from Columbus City Schools will receive free tuition to Columbus State.
“The Capital City Teacher Residency is unique in that it truly is a grow-your-own program,” said Dr. Nisreen Daoud, assistant professor of education at Capital, director and co-founder of the program. “We created something that would not only diversify the field and remove barriers to becoming teachers so many face, but also a program that would set future teachers up for success for working in Columbus City Schools.
“This program helps students to see themselves in their teachers and creates room for more diversity in classrooms. It encourages Columbus City Schools high schoolers to begin planning for a future in teaching,” Daoud added.
By partnering with Columbus State Community College and taking advantage of the programs offered, such as the Columbus Promise, high schoolers can smoothly transition from Columbus City Schools to Columbus State to Capital University. Graduates who complete the two-year program may be eligible for a full-time teaching position in the Columbus City Schools district, taking the stress out of finding a job after graduation.
“Our new partnership in the Capital City Teacher Residency program opens doors of opportunity for aspiring teachers in our district,” said Dr. Angela Chapman, superintendent and CEO of Columbus City Schools. “The online, two-year, asynchronous program provides a pathway to earning a teaching license and certification and allows for continued employment and income. This program will impact our teachers' lives and our district's success as a whole.”
Participants in the Capital City Teacher Residency program have three pathways:
- Post-secondary students with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree take two years of online coursework through Capital University while working in a paid position in the Columbus City Schools district.
- Students with some or no university credits take requisite coursework at Columbus State Community College and then transfer for two years of residency through Capital University, allowing students to work in a paid position in Columbus City Schools during their studies.
- Columbus City Schools students take two years of coursework free of charge at Columbus State through The Columbus Promise before beginning the two-year residency at Capital. Employees can take associate-level coursework at Columbus State or other higher education institutions before the two-year Capital University residency.