DeKalb County Schools | Residency Program for Aspiring Teachers

Program Overview

DeKalb County School District has partnered with Point Park University and BloomBoard to offer select paraprofessionals the opportunity to earn a fully accredited Bachelor’s of Elementary Education or Bachelor’s of Special Education degree through an on-the-job residency program—paid for by the district!

Point Park’s residency program allows practicing paraprofessionals to complete 20 courses (60 credit hours) online and while working in a classroom. This learn-by-doing program is designed for current associate level degree paraprofessionals with regular access to students.

The program content is aligned with students’ on-the-job experiences so that participants can capture much of their coursework while assisting with the day’s lessons. Participants record and upload material to demonstrate their mastery onto a learning platform hosted by BloomBoard, a national talent development provider. Point Park faculty then assess and provide feedback on participants’ submitted portfolios. All of the learning can be put into practice immediately!

Teacher residency participants will earn college credit for successful completion of courses, which can lead to a fully-accredited Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education or Special Education, and ultimately teacher licensure in Georgia. This accredited program can be completed in 2-3 years (depending on number of courses taken per semester) at no-cost for paraprofessionals working within the district.

Program Benefits

Hernando County Schools Associate Teacher

Program Supports

Program Orientation

Once you’ve completed enrollment, you’ll be invited to a an orientation course with assigned faculty and other educators in your cohort. The orientation will be one week before the semester begins.

Faculty Support

During the first semester in the program, assigned faculty will lead optional weekly, synchronous support sessions. Faculty are also available to provide personalized 1:1 support during the program.

Cohort Interaction

Throughout the program, you can also communicate with other educators in your cohort through the BloomBoard platform.

BloomBoard Overview

Learn more about BloomBoard’s on-the-job learning model and what teachers have to say about it.

What Educators Are Saying

The Bloomboard program helped me streamline resources. As teachers, we gained a plethora of knowledge to facilitate remote learning in a short amount of time. The program encourages us to look at students’ needs and use tools that meet their needs to be able to foster synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Christine Jackson

2nd grade teacher, Lincoln Elementary, IL

The program has reassured me that I am on target with some of my established practices to create a conducive learning environment for my students and has allowed me to finetune others. I also can set my own pace and apply the learning experiences directly to my practice. It is an authentic learning experience that benefits my students, their families, and myself as an educator. In being a “learn by doing” kind of person, the content allows me to demonstrate competency within my classroom context.

Carita Sampson

2nd Grade Teacher, Thurgood Marshall Elementary, IL