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High‑school teacher‑cadet pilot expands as students report hands‑on classroom experience
Summary
Farmington’s pilot teacher cadet program — pairing high‑school students with elementary and middle classrooms — drew positive testimony from cadets and teachers; administrators reported increasing enrollment and interest, and trustees discussed transportation and program scale-up.
Farmington Public School District trustees on April 21 heard student testimony and teacher reports about a growing teacher‑cadet program that places high‑school students in elementary and middle classrooms for semester‑long, work‑based experiences.
Miss Lisa Shannon (North Farmington) and Miss Jennifer Michaels (Farmington High) described a pilot that began three semesters ago and now has multiple cohorts across the district. Student cadets said the experience strengthened patience, leadership and instructional skills and deepened their interest in teaching. “The best part … is the small‑group work. I love being there for students who are struggling and helping them work through it until it finally clicks,” cadet Ellie Capers told the board.
Program growth figures were reported by mentors: one teacher described starting with six cadets, moving to 10 and currently at 15, with 27 signed up for next year; another reported 12→15→19 with 48 students requesting placement for the coming school year. Staff acknowledged transportation as a limiting factor and described attendance verification and mentor‑signed weekly logs as accountability measures.
Trustees commended the program for building a local teacher pipeline and noted opportunities to expand placements into more grade levels and early childhood sites. Board members requested continued reporting on enrollment, transportation solutions and how cadet experiences will be documented and evaluated.
