Daytona State College Student Center Daytona Beach Campus

Daytona State Launching Teacher Apprenticeship Program with Volusia, Flagler and Brevard Counties


Two-year program, starting in the Fall, offers qualified school employees an innovative, hands-on pathway to a Florida professional teaching certificate.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA (April 10, 2024) Daytona State College is launching a new apprenticeship program in Fall 2024 that will allow select school district employees in Volusia, Flagler and Brevard counties to pursue a career in teaching while continuing in their full-time positions. 

The program is supported through a $5 million statewide Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant aimed at designing a Grow Your Own Teacher Apprenticeship Program intended to open the teaching profession to individuals who are involved in the field but otherwise might not consider becoming credentialed.  

“Florida is dealing with a shortage of teaching professionals and this program gives qualified school employees a flexible, free option to become fully certified teachers in as little as two years,” said Dr. Tom LoBasso, President of Daytona State College. “The program is designed to allow employees to balance work, life and school, and graduates will have the exact same degree, certifications and endorsements as those earned by graduates of Daytona State’s School of Education.”

Graduates receive either a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education or a Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education, depending on the degree path they select. 

The School of Education is collaborating with school districts in Volusia, Flagler and Brevard counties to develop the program, curriculum and related technical instruction. DSC School of Education alumni, Madison Miller, Volusia County’s Florida Teacher of the Year and current Assistant Principal, and Shari Goodenough, the kindergarten through fifth grade mathematics specialist for Volusia County, are consulting as content matter experts on the program. This collaboration brings the project full circle.

Each school district will select candidates for the teacher apprenticeship program. Selected candidates will train alongside a mentor teacher, gaining hands-on experience while maintaining full time employment and receiving full pay.

“Hands-on experience in a supportive learning environment is an invaluable component of applying the knowledge acquired in teacher education,” said Dr. Ana Blaine, a professor in the School of Education who also oversees DSC’s internship programs. “Traditionally, students are required to spend one full semester of student teaching in a classroom before they graduate. However, the feedback we receive indicates that an immersive practical experience is one of the most valuable aspects preparing candidates for a career in teaching, and the apprenticeship program will significantly increase the on-the-job training component.” 

The first cohort will begin in Fall 2024 and will combine a mix of fully online courses at Daytona State with shadowing experiences alongside their mentor teacher in their respective school. Prior to completing the program, students will be required to take and pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exams to be awarded a Florida professional teaching certificate.  

School district employees interested in participating in the program should contact their Human Resources office. 

Learn more here.

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Offering more than 100 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College is the leader in education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond. The College enrolls approximately 23,000 students a year at its seven campuses, with graduates serving in critical fields including healthcare, emergency services and public safety, business, education, hospitality, engineering, project management, accounting, computer science, digital media, and more. 

Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times. U.S. News & World Report ranks the College among the Top Tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center ranks DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average. And U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans multiple times.