Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United School Corp. and Indian Wesleyan University have partnered to create a pathway to get more locals into the classroom.
A memorandum of understanding, or MOU, was approved at last month’s school board meeting.
The agreement will allow individuals to complete a 10-month program at Indiana Wesleyan that the school corporation will pay for. In return, they will commit to teaching at Indian Creek schools for five years, said Matthew Prusiecki, superintendent.
“We see this as a front-end investment on someone or an individual that we think can provide a return to our students,” Prusiecki said.
Indiana is facing a state-wide teacher shortage and schools have been grappling with how to combat it. The Indiana Department of Education Job Dashboard shows 2,305 open teaching and school leadership positions available as of June 2024. Johnson County has 34 open teaching and school leadership positions across all public school districts. About 30 more positions are open for support staff and IT.
The agreement is one way to expand the pipeline to teaching.
The length of the program varies depending on what an individual is interested in, but it’s not a four-year degree, Prusiecki said
If someone were to fall short of the five-year commitment after completing the program, the money would be reimbursed back to Indian Creek, the agreement says.
Now that the agreement is approved, the next step is to identify individuals who may be interested and a good fit for the program, Prusiecki said.
Any employee who wants to transition to teaching may be eligible for the program, but Indian Creek will also identify individuals on a case-by-case basis, he said.
The program could be a “difference maker” for individuals in education, but also for the school and the kids as it gets underway, Prusiecki said.
“We’re trying to find ways to remove barriers to put the best people in front of kids,” he said.
