LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There’s a special program inside Kentucky’s largest school district that aims to put more teachers in the classroom. 

Inside the classroom is where third grade teacher Alexis Williams loves to be.

She said being in class at Louisville’s Semple Elementary School is a calling on her life.

“The desire to be a teacher comes from the desire to mold and shape lives. Just kind of be who I needed, when I was younger. Be that cheerleader and just be there for those kids that may not have that,” Williams, a JCPS Teacher Residency Program participant said. “Or even the kids that do have it, just kind of cheer them on too.”

Williams, 27, was born and raised in Louisville. 

She previously worked in industries related to education, but this was her first time in the teaching field.

She got here after deciding to change careers.

She enrolled in the Teacher Residency Program, that Jefferson County Public Schools offers. She said it’s intense.

“I’m learning a lot. For a minute, I felt like I was kinda like cosplaying as a teacher!” Williams said. “But now, I’m learning behavior management, classroom management, how to communicate with parents and families. How to be a teacher in this very big district that is JCPS.”

The residency program is a year-long. It’s open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree who wants to become a JCPS educator.

Applicants don’t need teaching experience and there’s on-the-job coaching, mentorship from a master teacher, competitive pay. At the end of the program, they are guaranteed JCPS teaching job.

Williams is one of 31 people in the program right now. 

Participants earn a Kentucky professional educational certificate, gain field experience and earn a Master’s Degree from the University of Louisville—all at the same time. 

Residency Director, Sylena Fishback, said the program’s hope and goal is to change the face of JCPS education. They want to make sure students have teachers they connect to and show they are loved.

Fishback said this is especially important now, as so many school districts deal with a teacher shortage.

The program, according to Fishback, was created in 2018, when the district put its racial equity policy in place.

“In the racial equity policy, we owned the fact that we were underserving Black and brown students” Fishback explained.

“So, the district put forward all kinds of efforts and resources to actually address some of the inequities in our school district. One of those being having teachers that are representative of our student population.”

Kristin Combs-Ashby’s is a first-year teacher at Louisville’s Kennedy Montessori school.

Born and raised in Louisville, she said she always saw herself as a teacher. She’s got a desire to care for people.

“It actually came from my mom. My mom was a child care teacher when I was younger. She’s always cared for people, no matter what age.”Combs-Ashby explained. “She was always doing something for somebody.”

She is one of the 27 people who completed the program last year.

“It’s changed my life in so many ways, because I’ve gotten to know my kids. Then, I see a lot of myself in the kids, so it makes me laugh, and I’m like ‘don’t go that way,” Combs-Ashby said. “Do this, do this better,’ and I know that you can achieve more, because you’re looking at somebody who was just like you, so I know that you can do better.” 

So, while Williams learns how to be an excellent teacher, she hopes to inspire her students. She said, “I hope the kids learn first and foremost that they’re loved by every teacher in the building.” 

The Residency Program hopes to recruit 50 teachers next year and they’re recruiting for the 3rd class right now. They hope to expand the program this year. To learn more about the program, call (502) 485-7967 or you can also send an email.