Baldwin County Public Schools has partnered with the University of West Alabama to take part in Project REACh, a program that gives individuals holding a bachelor’s degree the opportunity to earn a master’s degree in education while receiving a living wage.

The program has two goals: to give project participants training while also earning a paycheck and give participating school districts fully trained teachers already immersed in their districts.

The program allows applicants to change career fields without the burden of choosing between work and school and often, a paycheck.

“What it allows them to do is step outside out of that career because we actually pay them a living wage stipend. A lot of times when they are already in a career, they are not able to take that pay cut or be without. They are able to go into that classroom and receive that online degree,” said Project REACh Associate Director Sara Reynolds.

Qualified candidates can apply online and must have a bachelor’s degree and a 3.0 grade point average. Candidates are identified in February and begin working on professional development and online coursework in May. In August, candidates move into the residency portion of the program and are placed in a classroom for the entire school year under the guidance of a qualified mentor teacher. During this 16-month period, candidates receive a living wage stipend each month totaling $50,000. In the fall, the school district will be able to hire them as a teacher of record as they finish the last semester of student teaching. By December they are fully certified. At the conclusion of the training, Program REACh participants are committed to stay with the district for three years.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity not only for the candidates but also for the schools. We have students coming to us that are co-teaching with the classroom teacher so essentially our students are getting two full-time teachers in the classroom for that period of time. At the end of their year residency, they are already familiar with all of the Baldwin County initiatives and programs, so they are able to start their classroom knowing what our expectations are and just being able to move forward,” said Tiffany Wilson, Baldwin County Schools human resources director.

Wilson said there is a statewide decrease in the number of students entering the field of education. Baldwin County School officials have seen an increase in the number of positions that take more time to fill and a decrease in the number of applicants for those jobs.

“This is a really unique opportunity for Baldwin County because we are able to think outside of the box a little bit in recruitment," Wilson said. “If we have residents in Baldwin County who have a bachelor’s degree who have been thinking about going back to school and becoming a teacher this is a perfect program for them.”

Leona Rudolph is one of three residents placed throughout the district. She has worked in social work for the last 11 years and holds a bachelor’s in exercise science and a master’s degree in healthcare administration. Rudolph said the financial incentive was one of the draws as it allowed her to leave her job and be fully immersed in the program while keeping her financial stability.

“My family was not surprised with this change in direction. I have always lit up about programs for the children. I decided to do something that makes me light up. It’s a call for me,” Rudolph said. “I also have a twin sister that is at the high school and is in the same program. It’s amazing having that family support and we are able to share notes and our experiences.”

The University of West Alabama was awarded $6.5 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to create a teacher residency project. Project REACh (Residencies for Educating Alabama’s Children) has a total budget of $13 million to recruit, train and graduate 60 teachers over the next five years. The program is led by the Tutwiler College of Education and has partnered with four school systems: Baldwin County Public Schools, Mobile County Public Schools, Tuscaloosa County School System and University Charter School.

To learn more about the Project REACh program, visit www.bcbe.org/futureteacher or www.uwa.edu/projectreach.