As teacher vacancies persist in Indiana, paraprofessionals like instructional assistants are often asked to fill in, obtaining emergency permits to teach in classrooms. The Indiana Department of Education issued a total of 5,671 emergency permits during the 2023 – 2024 school year. To ensure paraprofessionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and support they need,
Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis launched the
District-Based Alternative Certification program to help bachelor’s degree-holding district employees become licensed teachers within 12 to 18 months.
In this video, we feature two of our students who participated in the program, husband and wife team, Jessica Harris-Short and Andrew Short.