MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The start of the new school year brings a new program for our future teachers.
Freshmen at Ronald Regan Senior High School in Miami-Dade County are already earning college credit through the new "Teaching Academy" program with Florida International University.
"I want to be a teacher because I want to inspire other kids with their careers and their future, like education, and I want to help guide their path," student Alannys Perez said.
Educational leaders, including Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and FIU President Dr. Mark Rosenberg, were on hand to encourage the future educators.
"Your decision is inspiring," Rosenberg said. "Your commitment is inspiring, and we want you to imagine the incredible impact that you're going to have."
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen also made a stop at the ceremony showing her support and school pride.
"To have this be joined by FIU, a school that's so near and dear to my heart, I'm just thrilled," she said.
Recent studies have indicated that the shortage of teachers in the U.S. is getting worse. The new program is aimed at students who have already found their calling and are looking to inspire more generations of teachers as well.
"I want them to think of me as a cool person and someone who doesn't give out a lot of work, but you still learn from me," student Felipe Lam said.
The partnership with FIU comes with several incentives, including the chance for the future teachers to start their careers debt-free.
"You're basically guaranteed four years of college paid for, so the scholarship investment that's being made to groom, to prepare, to train the future generation of teachers is real, and it begins right here, right now," Carvalho said.
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