CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new program in Union County Public Schools is aiming to cut into the more than 5,000 teaching vacancies in the state’s public schools.

The program, which launched its pilot classes this school year, hopes to bring current UCPS students back to the classroom one day as teachers. 

What You Need To Know

  • One of the pathway's first classes has 8 seniors

  • UCPS created the program to build four pathways bringing young people to the teaching profession

  • UCPS hopes the program fast-tracks, and makes it cheaper, for current students, and employees, to become teachers

The program is run out of Weddington High School, where Kristina Combs uses her 20 years of teaching experience to lead a new class: Teaching as a Profession.

“We’re so excited, because it’s been such a great first year. I mean, I told these students, day 1, they were the trailblazers. And, they have exceeded expectations,” Combs said, while taking a break from a lecture.

Combs, who is new to Union County and UCPS, says she is putting her experience into practice, leading Union County’s first-ever course about teaching.

The course is part of the new ‘Next Stop: TeachUCPS’ program, which creates a variety of pathways for current students and working teacher assistants to return to the classroom as certified professionals.

Students can enroll in a dual-enrollment program with South Piedmont Community College, register as a teacher pre-apprentice while taking the career and technical education coursework, or take just the coursework and go to a four-year university with the ability to transfer the credits. Teacher assistants can earn an associate’s degree from South Piedmont and then get a scholarship to Wingate University.

For more details on all four of the options and the requirements, click here.

Current Weddington High School senior, Alexa Stablein, spends a few days a week at nearby Weddington Elementary. 

“I am basically a teacher’s assistant, you could say. I’m helping out, I pull small groups, and I’m just getting the feel of what being a teacher is,” Stablein said while walking to the school.

Stablein and her eight classmates spend three hours, three days a week at Weddington’s elementary and middle schools, getting a hands-on introduction into teaching.

“I love seeing the impact on teaching a kid something they did not know, or they struggle with. And, just seeing the lightbulb go off in their head, and finally understanding what they’re doing,” Stablein explained.

When they are not interacting with their younger peers, Stablein and her classmates are back in Combs’ classroom, learning lesson planning and other needed classroom skills.

The group of seniors are the first class to explore one of UCPS’ four new pathways to teaching. For Stablein, it’s an opportunity to explore a career she watched her mother work in for years.

“I think this program allows students to realize what they want to do before college. So, they can go to college and they have a set plan. And, they also can figure out there’s other roles in education than just teaching. They can be administrator, principal, assistant teacher,” Stablein said.

This fall, she is headed to N.C. State University, and says she’s not sure yet what she wants to study, but the class has helped her figure out what she likes, and does not like, about teaching.

For the more seasoned professionals, like Combs, inspiring passion in others is reigniting hers, too.

“This class has just been amazing. It’s absolutely reignited my passion for teaching. Even early on, I’ve had so many great mentors over the years, and I just am really blessed that I can do that for these students,” Combs said with a smile.

This fall, UCPS plans to expand the program to Porter Ridge High School. And, the district will open registration to any interested UCPS high schooler, whom can complete the requirements. Through the various pathways, UCPS hopes to make the degree and certification process cheaper for potential new teachers, using the dual enrollment, credit transfer, and Wingate scholarship options.