Educator Pathway
As a faculty member in the Education department at PCC, I work with people of all ages and backgrounds who have a passion for working as educators. In our program we have certificates and degrees for all different kinds of educators. It is very important that you get the right advising for your chosen path.
There are many different pathways to becoming a teacher, including becoming a “paraprofessional” (unlicensed) educator on their way to becoming licensed K-12 teacher. We work with multiple local teacher preparation programs to ensure better transfers for our Education students. Working as a paraprofessional is one of the best ‘front row seats’ on the teacher pathway. There is no better preparation than actual practice working with students in the classroom alongside other educators. Our department will work with you to get that experience, whether it is a practicum experience or a job with a local district.
PCC’s Education department is collaborating on “Grow Your Own” (GYO) grants recruiting BIPOC educators to the teacher pathway in Multnomah and Washington counties! I am passionate about diversifying the teacher pathway so that students have educators who “look like them” and have educators who share similar lived experiences. One of the best things about this work is rethinking the actual pathways and systems that prepare teachers. I work on these issues with community, CC and university partners. There is much work to do! Check out the “Grow Your Own” video made by our GYO team that speaks to these initiatives.