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Comal ISD unveils RISE program to convert paraprofessionals into certified teachers
Summary
At the Jan. 23 Comal ISD Board of Trustees meeting, district staff outlined RISE, a paraprofessional-to-teacher pathway that uses Teachworthy and Indiana Wesleyan University to provide a debt-free bachelor's and certification; the program is designed to address teacher shortages and is scheduled to begin Feb. 14 with selected paraprofessionals.
Comal ISD officials on Jan. 23 described a new program, RISE, that will pay current paraprofessionals a teacher salary while they complete the remaining coursework and certification required to become fully certified teachers. District staff said the program will begin with a small cohort and is designed to be self-sustaining after its first year.
District staff emphasized the program is intended to address local teacher shortages by recruiting from within the district’s existing paraprofessional workforce. Scott Hammond, a district staff member who outlined the program’s financial model, said 167 paraprofessionals in Comal ISD have at least 48 college hours and that the district already employs paraprofessionals who could move into teaching roles.
Under the RISE model, candidates will complete Teachworthy modules, enroll at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) to finish remaining undergraduate hours, and receive 27 credits from Comal ISD professional learning. The district presented a funding plan that counts a fixed reduction in the RISE…
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