Historically, preparing future teachers has been the work of colleges and universities, while induction into the profession has been left up to the school divisions that hire them. But in the near future, a new partnership will blend those responsibilities.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) and the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia have teamed up to pilot a new method of preparing and retaining high quality teachers.

The Curry Teaching Fellowship will allow teacher candidates to be hired by the school division to serve one year residency.

The potential for of the partnership excited division superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence. “This partnership with the Curry Teaching Fellowship represents a leap forward in how we prepare teachers for our classrooms. This is akin to a residency in the medical profession, which provides individuals with in-depth training in a specific area. Our selected fellows will learn firsthand what it takes to be an outstanding teacher.”

Teacher candidates will be selected to help fill areas of critical need such as special education and secondary math, science and technology. The residency will incorporate the traditional fall student-teaching semester as well as work during the spring in instructional support roles and as co-teachers. In addition, they will collaborate with specially trained mentor teachers. If Curry fellows commit to teach in VBCPS for at least the first three years of their careers, the fellows will receive two additional years of individualized job coaching and classroom support from Curry faculty.

Teacher candidates will begin their residencies in fall 2017.