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HOUSTON - As a shortage of educators continues across the country, especially in Texas, Lone Star College announced how it's working to address it.
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According to a press release, the Alternative Teacher Certification (ATC) Program takes people who already have their bachelor's degrees and gives them the necessary tools and training to become certified educators.
The coursework lasts five to six months, with a required 1-year internship or unpaid one-semester clinical placement. Altogether, students must complete a minimum of 300 hours of coursework, field experience, and training.
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The program is currently available at all eight LSC campuses and prepares students to meet the Texas Education Agency's competencies in their respective content areas.
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Additionally, the ATC Program partners with multiple school districts in 35 certification areas and offers flexible course schedules for busy students.
"The Lone Star College Alternative Teacher Certification program is well respected by school districts in our service area and beyond for the quality of certified teachers we produce," Linda Leto Head, LSC Senior Associate Vice Chancellor External and Employer Relations said in a press statement.
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"Our teacher certification program at Lone Star College is one of the largest offered at a community college in Texas," Head continued. "Many students have become certified teachers since this program began in 2002."
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In fact, one of the ATC students, Joshua Perez, who graduated with a degree in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, was able to use his work experience to prepare him for his first year as an educator at Humble ISD teaching 6th-grade science.
"In previous roles, I was tasked to teach and lead others, which developed my passion to coach children and make positive impacts," Perez told LSC in an interview. "Becoming an educator allows me to blend those ideals to make lasting connections with students."
Joshua Perez (Photo courtesy of Lone Star College)
Perez enrolled in the program in 2021 and is expected to earn his teaching certificate in May, but was recently the recipient of the ATC's "Rookie of the Year" award.
"Utilizing my previous experience coupled with learning the material and practicing it in the classroom has greatly prepared me to embark into the teaching world," said Perez. "My goal is to make science fun for my students. Hopefully, I can start Westlake's first Science Fair next year."
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LSC also offers aspiring educators a Substitute Teacher Occupational Skills Certificate!
To learn more about the ATC program, click here. If you're interested in the Substitute Teacher certificate, click here.