SOUTH MIAMI, Fla. – Becoming a teacher at a public school in Miami-Dade County has gotten easier for those who are either earning a bachelor’s degree or who already have one.
The Teacher Accelerator Program, or TAP, created a pathway for students at the University of Miami and recently expanded to Florida International University and Miami-Dade College.
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Daymara Fernandez said she owes her job at South Miami Senior High School to the program.
“Initially, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do exactly,” said Fernandez, who was a math and chemistry major at UM before she found the program.
Fernandez took a one-semester course, earned field experience with a teacher, had a paid internship, and started working once she was certified by the state. She said she settled as a “happy” mathematics teacher.
“I really like what I do,” Fernandez said adding that anyone who is considering a career change should look into the program.
Jasmine Calin-Micek is the director of programming at TAP, said the program is a response to the ongoing nationwide teacher shortage.