WCU and Jackson Schools announce “alternate route” partnership
William Carey University and Jackson Public School District signed a memorandum of understanding on Oct. 7.
This new partnership will create the JPS Teacher Certification Program and provide a pathway to standard Mississippi Educator Certification for provisionally licensed district employees by utilizing the WCU School of Education’s Alternate Route program – which helps people who already have bachelor’s degrees earn teaching certificates.
“We’ve got to play chess, not checkers. We’ve got to be as aggressive as the engineers, the medical professionals and the IT professionals. We’ve got to be just as intentional about developing the interest and about developing the capacity and the pipeline for the next generation of educators,” said JPS Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene.
“We are grateful for our new partnership with William Carey University. It will help us create spaces, pathways, and conditions for really caring and smart people to join us in our work to ensure our scholars get everything they need to be successful in life.”
Dr. Ben Burnett is WCU’s executive vice president and dean of education.
“We are excited to partner with Jackson Public School District. We are on a mission to decrease the teacher shortage in the state of Mississippi. This program will be a valuable tool for producing quality educators in our state’s capital,” Burnett said.
In the photo:
WCU Executive Vice President and Dean of Education Dr. Ben Burnett and Jackson Public School District Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene.