Dr. Stephanie Luke (left), Executive Director of the BS in Elementary Education program, works with Cayla Reyes, an incoming student to the program, to review classroom management skills.
This article is published in partnership with Lake County Schools.
Lake County Schools and Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) have teamed up to create a new pathway to a teaching career.
The new program begins in August and will allow students to earn while they learn in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
The program has two tracks, one for people already working in a K-12 setting and another for more traditional students. Both tracks will offer the full experience of on-campus and online learning options.
In the traditional student cohort, many who will have recently completed high school, students will start a paid practicum in their first semester. This guaranteed paid position will be placed in one of the schools in the district.
For the school employee cohort, the course schedule is designed with their full-time work schedule in mind, allowing this cohort to complete the program in a similar timeframe as the traditional cohort.
Students in the program have an opportunity to work in Lake schools throughout the program and finish with a final full-time internship.
LSSC’s Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education is designed for students with an Associate of Arts degree to earn their bachelor’s degree in two years. Students can enroll to complete their associate degree or other prerequisites prior to enrolling in the Elementary Education program.
“I’m so excited about this partnership with the College,” said School Board member Stephanie Luke, Ed.D., who works for LSSC and helped design the program. “There are opportunities for the school district to connect this with our Tavares High School Teaching Academy, dual enrollment, and current school staff development to help us get more well-trained teachers into our schools.”
“We are proud to partner with our local school district to increase access to degree programs that meet their workforce demand,” said Karen Hogans, LSSC’s vice president of academic affairs. “Our intentional approach to learn coupled with our great school district partnership make our elementary education degree a unique opportunity within Central Florida for students who want to become teachers.”
“This program creates an important and valuable career pathway for today’s students who want to educate and inspire future generations,” added Luke.
Fall semester classes begin on August 19. For more information and enrollment details, visit www.LSSC.edu.