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Program hopes to bring more teachers to area classrooms

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Melvin Stewart, a senior at Livingstone College, is one of 10 apprentice teachers in training throughout Rowan-Salisbury Schools.

“It’s learning everywhere,” Stewart said. “I’m learning how to do guided instruction better and learning just how to make everything I say have more impact.”

[ALSO READ: Districts forced to lean on substitutes as teacher shortage gets worse]

College students train under a master teacher 30 hours a week for more than 10 months.

“So, where a typical education major would have a 14- to 16-week student-teaching time period, these students are here with us for the entirety of the school year,” said Jena Horm, a master teacher.

The program is built to prepare more teachers for the classroom, especially now, during a national shortage.

Livingstone College is taking it a step further by offering a free education to every student who chooses to major in a teacher-education program.

Leaders at Livingstone College said they also hope to attract minority candidates.

“Here at Koontz, in fact, we only have two other male teachers, so he makes our third male teacher in the building,” Horm said. “He’s able to build a relationship and a connection with our male students that I may not necessarily be able to make with them.”

In Rowan County, 18% of its student population is African American, compared to 9% of its teachers.

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“My aunt’s neighbor was actually one of my teachers growing up, and he was a Black male, Mr. Dean,” Stewart said. “He had a huge impact. He was the only Black male teacher I’ve ever had.”

The apprenticeship also comes with a $20,000 stipend.

The student-teachers have also made the commitment to work in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools District for at least two years.

(Watch the video below: Local school districts looking for solutions in the face of widespread teacher shortages)