Region One, McAllen EDC partner to support aspiring teachers

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Region One Education Service Center and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation have partnered to support up-and-coming educators in the Rio Grande Valley.

A ceremony was held Monday afternoon, honoring Region One with a sponsorship that will allow three individuals to obtain a teaching certification.

The partnership will also prepare aspiring teachers through the Region One Alternative Teacher Certification Program.

"Our program is recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA)," said Marissa Falcon, Region One Administrator for Educator Preparation and Development. "We're very excited that we have 32 different certifications to offer, and there are a couple more that are coming through."

Falcon says Region One offers a 14-month and a 17-month teaching program.

Each program allows participants to get a mentor who will provide personalized feedback.

"We ensure that they are highly skilled in lesson planning, lesson internalization, lesson delivery, data-driven instruction, and all of the pieces they need to be a phenomenal teacher," Falcon continued.

The program is available to McAllen residents who are interested in teaching in McAllen classrooms.

Interested participants can register for the Alternative Teacher Certification Program on the Region One website.