This year, the Public School System’s Career and Technical Education Program is conducting a Teacher Academy Program with Northern Marianas College’s School of Education.
When it was revived in School-Year 2012-2013 by the PSS-CTE Program after a long hiatus, the Teacher Academy Program was part of the then-Vocational Education Program of PSS. Its goal is to help address the teacher shortage in the CNMI.
The Teacher Academy Summer Program is now conducted on-site and on-campus at NMC, according to Dr. Jessica Taylor, the PSS CTE program director.
“The participating students are taking actual teaching courses,” she said.
Ten high school students are enrolled in the program which began on June 28, 2021 and will end on July 30, 2021.
At NMC, they took the placement tests and are attending classes on the fundamentals of teaching, including special, early childhood and elementary education, among other related subjects.
Once they complete the program, they will receive credits for NMC ED 211 practicum hours if they decide to pursue an education degree/course at the college.
Dr. Taylor said she is grateful to NMC’s Roland Merar, Maria Aguon, Les Ogomuro and Diana Benavente-Hocog for the successful implementation of the Teacher Academy Summer Program.
“Because of our strong teamwork and support from NMC, we are helping our students reach their goals as future educators,” Dr. Taylor said.
In the past, internships for the Teacher Academy Program were held at various public elementary schools.
This year, for the first time, the participating students will intern at NMC’s School of Education.
“We are hoping that they decide to be a classroom teacher,” Dr. Taylor said.
