The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District has created a first-in-New Jersey program that will compensate student teachers with a stipend of up to $10,000/semester to participate in the district’s student teaching program.
Student teachers who are selected to participate in this program will also receive ongoing evening professional development sessions provided by WW-P throughout their student teaching semester.
Upon the successful completion of the New Teacher Program, student teachers will be required to apply for open district teaching positions. Program participants will also have prioritized application review for contracted teaching positions in the WW-P district.
Currently, the State of New Jersey is facing a teacher shortage. Although the difficulty in filling teaching vacancies began about a decade ago, the pandemic hastened many individuals’ exodus from the teaching profession. Also hitting the profession hard is fewer individuals entering teacher preparation programs as still more current teachers retire or leave the profession.
In 2022, the Governor’s Task Force for Public School Staffing Shortages in New Jersey was formed and WW-P Superintendent David Aderhold was appointed as one of the 23 task force members.
The group was charged with recommending potential steps and initiatives that the state could take to lessen the staffing shortages facing schools across New Jersey. One of those potential steps that the state legislature and governor acted on was the elimination of EdTPA, the teaching praxis test, as a requirement for teacher certification in New Jersey.
“Although the elimination of edTPA was a great move forward in attacking the teacher shortage, the problem is much larger than simply eliminating a test,” Aderhold said.
WW-P administration, led by Charity Comella, assistant superintendent for personnel, began looking at the staffing shortage much earlier in the human resources pipeline and saw an opportunity in the student teacher step of our recruitment process, Aderhold said.
“For anyone who has done it, the student teaching semester can oftentimes be a heavy financial burden to carry,” Comella said. “WW-P is hoping the TNTP stipend will help student teachers to defray the costs of living expenses, tuition bills, transportation, etc. during this time.”
The New Teacher Program will begin at the start of the fall semester for the 2024-2025 school year. Only student teachers who are accepted into the program, complete all requirements for participation, and complete an application to district vacancies will be eligible.
WW-P student teachers are not considered WW-P employees and will not accrue time towards tenure, or be enrolled in the Teachers’ Pension & Annuity Fund during their student teaching semester.
The New teacher Program at WW-P is currently accepting applications, and interested applicants can find additional information online.
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