麻豆传媒

Earning a college degree is a goal for more than just high school students; many working professionals who have not yet earned a degree aspire to return to school and complete their education. One northern Colorado employer has made it well within reach for their employees to achieve those dreams.

鈥淚 guess dreams do come true even when you鈥檙e older,鈥�

- Jennifer Hayden

For years, Deborah Meyer, Poudre School District鈥檚 (PSD) director of talent acquisition and retention, received feedback from paraprofessionals and non-licensed staff working in the district about their desire to grow in their field. After some discussion, the school district supplied funding to establish a program for those individuals to earn bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in their discipline while remaining employed at the school district. Given 麻豆传媒鈥檚 longstanding excellence in teacher preparation, combined with the campus鈥檚 close bond to PSD schools, Meyer approached 麻豆传媒 with the funding proposal. The university saw alignment with PSD鈥檚 goals kickstarting the 鈥淏ecome a Teacher Program鈥� and allowing PSD paraprofessionals to pursue a degree preparing them to become special education teachers.

鈥淲hat we noticed is a definite need in having highly qualified special education teachers in the field, and with 麻豆传媒鈥檚 reputation and our long-standing partnership, it was something that we had proposed to the board ... The whole premise of the program is to make it accessible for our staff who normally would not be able to access or continue in education,鈥� said Meyer.

Corey Pierce, Ph.D., director of the School of Special Education at 麻豆传媒, spearheaded advocacy for the program from inside the university. With the help of Nancy Sileo, Ed.D. 鈥�98, interim dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and professor of Special Education, the Become a Teacher Program ensures that its students are well supported and have the flexibility to finish 麻豆传媒鈥檚 online Special Education Generalist completion program.

鈥淥ur long-term goal is that we are creating pathways where individuals who are interested in becoming educators see fewer barriers going down that pathway. A shorter-term goal for us is having a successful program with Poudre School District in this model, and we鈥檙e already looking at replicating this model [in other districts] ... This isn鈥檛 an isolated incident of Poudre School District needing teachers, it鈥檚 a critical shortage of educators statewide and nationwide, especially special education teachers,鈥� said Pierce.

Someone ready and working to fill that critical shortage is Jennifer Hayden.

Hayden, a paraprofessional at Poudre School District, is passionate about supporting all students but feels especially strong about assisting students with special needs. Being a single mother to a son who requires accommodations, she knows how tiring it can be not to receive adequate care or accommodation.

When Hayden moved to Colorado from Texas in October 2019, she promised herself she would only accept a job that, as she put it, filled her soul. Five years later, she continues to love her work as a paraprofessional.

Encouraged by the principal at her previous school, Hayden realized she wanted to earn her degree and become an even better support system for students with disabilities and their families. For Hayden, that meant going back to college to become a special education teacher. However, her first attempts at completing her degree didn鈥檛 work out as planned.

鈥淚 applied to 麻豆传媒 twice and I got in both times, but the first time I didn鈥檛 understand I had to register by a certain date,鈥� Hayden said. 鈥淭hen, the second time, when I met with my advisor, we realized I couldn鈥檛 work and go to school [at the same time]. I was heartbroken. I left that meeting in tears because it just didn鈥檛 seem possible.鈥�

Now, through the Become a Teacher Program, Hayden can continue working full-time, care for her son with the help of her mother, and work toward completing her bachelor鈥檚 degree in Special Education. Hayden鈥檚 story shows the importance of programs that allow working professionals to pursue higher education while tending to the other commitments in their lives.

鈥淚 guess dreams do come true even when you鈥檙e older,鈥� said Hayden.