Medical residencies are routine for future physicians. But residencies for future teachers are less common.
But beginning in August, five education seniors at the University of North Texas at Dallas will begin a full-year residency program with the Dallas Independent School District.
Districts are always looking for teachers, said Emily Waneck, clinical director of the program at UNT Dallas.
“I think in North Texas, there's a high need for this type of program, especially for sustainable staffing in our school districts,” Waneck said. “And Dallas ISD, one of our biggest partners, they were willing to work with their budget to be able to fund this type of program. We jumped on it immediately.”
Dallas ISD used some funds from its substitute teacher budget to help launch this program, Waneck said.
The five inaugural teaching residents range in age from 20 to 25, and are all bilingual. They’ll earn up to $30,000 annually while learning to teach kindergarten through 2nd grade students in Maple Lawn or Nancy Cochran Elementary schools.
One UNT Dallas resident, 25 year-old Valerie Castaneda, heard about the budding program this past year and applied, saying it perfectly suited her long-time goal of becoming a Dallas ISD teacher.
“It seemed like I could benefit from being able to interact with the students and getting real world experience…and finally, being able to apply what I had learned,” she said. “I mean, the earlier I could do that, the better.”
The residency program is different than student teaching. Student teachers spend 14 weeks in a school classroom of students. Teaching residents are in their schools all year long.
Twenty students applied. Castaneda said she celebrated when she learned she was among the five who got accepted.
“I did a little happy dance. I cried a little bit,” she said. “And then I told my mom.”
UNT Dallas teaching residents will finish their residency fully certified and expect to become full-time Dallas ISD teachers after they graduate.
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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