During this time of teacher shortages throughout the nation, Newell is growing their own.
Marlee Sais has qualified to be part of the SD TAP Cohort 3 Group.
Sais moved to Newell barely three years ago with a dream to become a teacher.
She took a slight detour as an assistant cook in the Newell School District, but her heart was in the teacher’s role.
The opportunity to become a paraprofesssional came up and she began her voyage to becoming a teacher.
As a para, she got a taste for teaching and enthusiastically jumped in with both feet.
Sais had this to say about her new adventure, “It’s quite the shock that I was chosen to be part of such a wonderful program through the state of South Dakota. Being chosen for the SD TAP program is a dream come true. It is a life-changing opportunity for me and my daughter. I hope to make my family, friends, school, and our community proud. I am truly honored and blessed. We Are Newell!”
The Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway is a program aimed at moving paraprofessionals currently working in South Dakota schools to certified teaching positions. NSU and DSU offer the necessary coursework over a two-to three-year period, culminating in a student-teaching experience in the para’s home district and resulting in a bachelor’s degree in education.
Coursework is offered virtually in the evenings or other convenient times, so the apprentice-teacher can continue to work in the school as she is taking classes.
Read the full issue of the Belle Fourche Beacon by clicking here.
