Tuscaloosa City Schools start paid student-teacher intern pilot

TUSCALOOSA, Ala (WBMA) — To help overcome the teacher shortage, Tuscaloosa City Schools System now pays its student-teacher interns.

The hope is to attract more student-teacher interns and then get them to stay in the school system as fulltime teachers. The pilot program started in January.

Teaching has been a life long dream for Emily Newsome.

"I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little and able to speak," Newsome said.

She's a student at the University of West Alabama, now on her ]fourth week of interning at Rock Quarry elementary.

"I've always loved school and I love kids so education has always had my heart," she said.

SEE ALSO: Tuscaloosa & Bessemer city schools look to identify root causes for failing schools

Newsome is one of 10 paid student-teacher interns. Each earns $1200 per month, finishing with $4800 by the end of the internship.

She said she was already considering interning with Tuscaloosa City Schools when she found out about it including pay.

"I was like you know that's neat," Newsome said. "Not many people get to experience that."

SEE ALSO: To combat teacher shortage, Tuscaloosa City Schools will pay student teacher interns

Emma Grace Coody, also a college senior, is another paid intern at TCS. She said the paid internship helps.

"Obviously that was great for us. I mean to hear that we were going to get paid because most internships you go to school Monday thru Friday 7:30 to 3:30 and then no one was getting paid for it," Coody said.

Now, getting paid for it could have a positive impact on the teacher shortage.

"I feel like it would definitely be a bigger push for people to go into education," Coody said.

School leaders say priority is given to math, science, and special education student-teacher interns for the paid internship. Once the paid internship is finished, that person must commit to working as a teacher with TCS the following school year.

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